Buddhist Master Shih Chao-hwei (釋昭慧) yesterday criticized the Taipei City Government for approving the rezoning of an environmental protection zone for government use after denying a similar request by the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation.
Shih said on Facebook that she “laughed” after seeing the city’s announcement that a plot of land in Shilin District’s (士林) environmental protection zone would be rezoned for government use, calling on Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) to explain why the city applied “double standards” on relaxing restrictions.
She said the problem was not the approval of any particular project, but rather the process under which “environmental protection zones” were continually being “relieved of their designation.”
Tzu Chi dropped its application to rezone a plot of land in Neihu District (內湖) after the city ruled that the application would only be considered as part of a comprehensive review of district land use.
Ko said that future rezoning of environmental protection zone land should only take place as part of a similar comprehensive review process.
“There’s still only one standard — the fire department had a building there to begin with,” Ko said in response to Shih’s criticism, adding that the city had only approved “building alterations.”
The Taipei Department of Urban Development said that the plot of land in question was an important fire department base that was originally constructed in 1976, adding that rezoning was required to perform needed reconstruction.
The department added that requirements for a comprehensive review in the Principles for Handling City Environmental Protection Zones (全市性保護區處理原則) passed by the Urban Planning Commission in November last year include an exception for “urgently needed public construction.”
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