In a bid to crack down on illegal structures near the Sun Moon Lake (日月潭), the Nantou County Government yesterday said it is set to tear down a number of hotels that pose a threat to public safety. It will also concurrently launch an inspection of other establishments, and those that fail to present safety credentials will be scheduled for demolition.
Among the hotels to be demolished is the Crystal Resort (晶澤會館), the Cherry Feast Resort (櫻宴會館) and a currently unused hotel named Lakeside of Tomorrow (明日湖畔). All three are in the Ita Thao (伊達邵) commercial district near a pier by the lake.
According to the county government, the construction permit of the Crystal Resort limits the building to three stories. The hotel now has nine stories.
A man surnamed Shih (石), who lives in an apartment building next to the hotel, said he recently filed a complaint with the county government, claiming that the illegal construction caused the walls of his home to crack during an earthquake in 2013.
He said that because of the proximity of the two buildings, earthquakes have caused the paint in his house to peel and his floor to become slanted.
He added that the building in which he lives often makes a cracking sound.
The Lakeside of Tomorrow, another illegal structure next door to Shih’s apartment, has nine stories, although its permit specifies that the building should be under four stories.
Likewise, the Cherry Feast Resort, which is nine-stories tall, is four stories higher than allowed.
Residents living near the lake said that due to the large numbers of tourists visiting the Sun Moon Lake, illegal structures have become so rampant in the area that almost every hotel with more than four stories is a potential risk.
Huang Yi-ying (黃乙穎), director of the county’s construction management department, said that the three buildings would be among the first to be demolished.
The county government is also set to impose a fine of NT$200,000 (US$6,430) on the proprietor of the Crystal Resort and to revoke the license of the Cherry Feast Resort.
He said that with the exception of the building facade, everything inside the Lakeside of Tomorrow building, including the elevator, the staircase and the floor boards, has been torn down.
The facade has not yet been torn down because such a move would pose a risk to public safety, he said.
There are more than 2,000 illegal structures in the county, but the county government has an annual budget of only NT$480,000 to tackle illegal buildings.
He said the budget is only enough to demolish five buildings, and illegal structures are emerging faster than they are being torn down.
The county government plans to appeal for more funding from the county council to deal with the problem, he said.
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