The Air Force Defense and Missile Command on Monday said it would reconsider its decision to impose restrictions on development in seven Kaohsiung districts, including Gushan (鼓山) — a prime location for real estate — following an outcry from developers.
The command in 2014 announced the restrictions to little fanfare, but neither the developers nor the city government understood its full implications until Thursday last week, when the military clarified them in writing.
In addition to Gushan, the command has restricted development in Siaogang (小港), Linyuan (林園), Daliao (大寮), Alian (阿蓮), Gangshan (岡山) and Tianliao (田寮) districts.
Photo: Ko Yu-hao, Taipei Times
The Kaohsiung Public Works Bureau early last month requested clarification after the command announced that expansions to the restriction zone would cover the area around Pingtung Airport.
The command responded with a letter, a summary of which was published on Thursday last week, saying that it considers regional military installations to be highly significant to national security and that all development projects in the zone must obtain the military’s approval.
Developers were hoping that buildings under a certain height would be exempted from the restrictions, but the military said it would not grant such exemptions, the bureau said.
Developers and the city government greeted the news with apparent dismay and confusion.
Many of the city’s most expensive high-rises and luxury condos are in Gushan, where many projects are ongoing.
When asked for comments, a majority of the developers said they were not aware of the restrictions and at no point since 2014 did the military tell any of them that their projects are not compliant with government regulations.
A spokesman for King’s Town Construction, which owns large tracts of land in the district, said the company has “never heard of” the restrictions before.
While developers understand the military’s concern for national security, it is impracticable to impose blanket restrictions on seven districts, Real Estate Development Association of Kaohsiung City president Cho Yung-fu (卓永富) said.
The military did not announce any articles of the policy that are to be implemented or provide maps that developers and homeowners can consult to minimize their exposure to financial risk, he added.
Bureau Director of Building Affairs Chiang Chun-chang (江俊昌) said the city government had scheduled a meeting for yesterday to tell the command the need to allow exemptions for ongoing projects.
The bureau’s position is that the military should specify a maximum height for proposed buildings so that developers could seek exemptions, or else the city and its businesses could incur financial losses, he said.
When reached for comment, an air force public relations officer said the command would take the city’s input into consideration.
However, the restriction zone was drafted in 1991, when the air force took pains to limit its effects on the city’s economy, and the military does not plan to expand the zone, the officer said, adding that the military’s priority is the nation’s defense.
Additional reporting by Aaron Tu
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