The Taipei City Government’s decision to legalize 1,678 residential units that were built illegally on land designated for commercial and recreational use was “undoubtedly unfair,” but something had to be done to settle the problem, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday.
An area of about 105 hectares in Zhongshan District (中山) near Miramar Entertainment Park (美麗華百樂園), commonly known as Dawan north section (大彎北段), in 1992 was designated as a commercial and recreational zone by the Taipei City Government.
Despite the city in 2003 stating that the area was not for residential use, many apartments were built in the area.
The city in 2017 said it had identified 1,678 illegal residential units in the area and that fines would be issued for breaches of the Urban Planning Act (都市計畫法).
However, city councilors and residents argued that such a move would be unfair and the units should be legalized.
A meeting of the Taipei Urban Planning Commission on Thursday approved a proposal to conditionally loosening the regulations on residential use in the area by allowing residential use permits to be issued, with fees cut from NT$60,800 per ping (3.306m2) to NT$52,000 per ping and a five-year deadline.
Reporters asked Ko whether the policy is because he is seeking support for a possible presidential bid.
“It is not about an election, but because the solution has been stalled for more than two years on a problem — caused by collective wrongdoing — that is more than a decade old,” Ko said.
“It is undoubtedly unfair, but people have already taken advantage of the situation, so continuing to insist that the zoning regulations be respected while residents stall is not a solution,” he said.
“The construction companies have already earned the money and only 16 percent of owners have only one home and are living in the area, so those getting the special pardon are not poor,” Ko said. “They do not have to pretend that they are helpless.”
“We have to face the fact that Taiwan has not respected the law,” he said, adding that hopefully once problems like these are solved, the nation would be governed by the rule of law without ambiguity.
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