Discussion Paper Wan Chai District Council 20 January 2009 Paper No. 17 /2009 Wan Chai District Council Proposed Road Improvement Works at Kennedy Road and Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Purpose 1. This paper serves to consult the Wan Chai District Council (WCDC) on the proposed Road Improvement Works (RIW) in relation to the hotel development proposed by the Hopewell Group at Kennedy Road. The Development Scheme 2. The proposed RIW is related to the hotel development at Kennedy Road proposed by the Hopewell Group. The proposed development is the subject of a valid scheme approved by the Town Planning Board in 1994 (the 1994 Scheme). Despite this, some residents in Wan Chai District particularly those residing on Kennedy Road have over the years expressed concern about the building density and the likely impact on local traffic. In recent years, the community at large is also more concerned about building height and density. 3. In view of the concerns expressed, the Hopewell Group has recently taken the initiative to revise the approved scheme to reduce significantly the building height and density (the Current Scheme). A comparison of the basic development parameters of the 1994 Scheme and the Current Scheme is tabulated below for reference: 1 1994 Current Scheme* Scheme 1. Site Area 10,315 m2 (about) 9,840 m2 (about) 2. Gross Floor Area 164,091 m² 101,667 m² 3. Plot Ratio 15.9 10.3 4. No. of Guest Room 2,197 1,024 93 storeys 55 storeys 5. Building Height (315m PD) (210m PD) 6. Car Parking Spaces - Private Car 270 168 - Motorcycle 0 14 7. Loading/Unloading Spaces - Goods Vehicle 47 35 - Private Car & Taxi 10 6 - Coach 3 5 * As indicated in the approved Master Layout Plan for Planning Application No. A/H5/217 deposited at the Land Registry in May 1996. It is relevant to note that the open space to be provided under the 1994 Approved Scheme will remain unchanged, i.e. a public park of not less than 2,030 square metres and a private park of not less than 3,850 square metres to be open to public use at reasonable hours. In addition, in announcing the Current Scheme, the Hopewell Group has indicated its commitment to incur $20 million to preserve the trees in the site boundary and as a separate commitment, to preserve and revitalise the adjacent historic building (a Grade I building) Nam Koo Terrace as a gift to the people of Wan Chai. The Government welcomes the reduction in the overall intensity of development in the Current Scheme. 4. The proposed revisions are confirmed to be Class A amendments under the Town Planning Ordinance for which no separate Town Planning Board approval is required. 2 The Proposed Works 5. The proposed RIW in relation to the Current Scheme is outlined below: (i) widening of Kennedy Road for the construction of a flyover/underpass system for the ingress/egress of motor vehicles to and from the proposed hotel (this works item is one of the planning approval conditions); rearrangement of the pedestrian facilities which include the provision of a walkway along the flyover together with a new lift and new staircases (this works item is the same as the one submitted on 1 April 2008) (please refer to Annex I); (ii) widening the eastbound carriageway of Queen’s Road East by cutting into the slope adjacent to the Ruttonjee Hospital and construction of a covered footbridge at the junction of Queen’s Road East and Kennedy Road; this item has been modified by providing an additional traffic lane on the westbound carriageway of Queen’s Road East adjacent to Wah Yan College, and providing a staircase to the southern end of the proposed footbridge replacing the original proposed connection to the existing staircase leading to Wah Yan College (please refer to Annex II); and (iii) improvement to the Queen’s Road East and Spring Garden Lane junction by setting back the kerbline in front of Hopewell Centre; this item has been modified by adding a right-turn pocket to Spring Garden Lane at the eastbound carriageway of the junction and shifting the bus stops outside Wu Chung Building eastwards, away from the junction for a bigger vehicle waiting area (please refer to Annex III). The concerned departments have considered and accepted the relevant Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) and Technical Feasibility Assessment in relation to the above RIW proposed by the Hopewell Group. The Transport Department agreed with the findings of the TIA that the proposed RIW could satisfactorily mitigate the traffic impact caused by the Hopewell Centre II development. A copy of the TIA Report (dated December 2008) (English version only) is at Annex IV. 3 Private Lots to be Affected 6. For the implementation of the proposed RIW, resumption of private land and creation of a right of temporary occupation (TOA) are necessary. Please refer to the following table and Annex V and Annex VI) for details: Inland Lot No. 7254 Inland Lot No. 6935 R.P. (Open area of (Open area of Ruttonjee Hospital) Wah Yan College) Resumption 1,763 m² (about) Nil of private land Creation 324 m² (about) 466 m² (about) of right of TOA The areas indicated above are subject to final assessment in the preparation of gazettal documents under the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance (Cap. 370) Programme 7. According to the current progress, Hopewell Group plans to commence works in 2010 for completion in 2014 in phases. Background 8. Prior to the gazettal of the proposed RIW under the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance (Cap. 370), the Government briefed the Development, Planning and Transport Committee of the WCDC on the proposed RIW on 1 April 2008. The WCDC subsequently passed the following motion on its meeting of 20 May 2008: “As the Government has not clearly explained the information concerning the road improvement works to the WCDC, the Council worries that the road improvement works still have adverse impact on traffic. Hence, at the present stage, the Council does not support the road improvement works at Kennedy Road/Queen’s Road East. 4 It also urges the Government to withdraw the concerned proposal and reassess the situation having regard to the worries of both the residents and the Council in detail. In future, any information and assessment report(s) on the road improvement works relating to the proposed Mega Tower Hotel Development should be submitted to the WCDC for thorough consultation.” Annexes I Draft plan showing the proposed RIW at Kennedy Road II Draft plan showing the proposed RIW at junction of Queen’s Road East/Kennedy Road III Draft plan showing the proposed RIW at junction of Queen’s Road East/Spring Garden Lane IV Traffic Impact Assessment Report (dated 23 December 2008) V Draft plan showing the proposed resumption of private land VI Draft plan showing the proposed creation of right of temporary occupation area Development Bureau District Lands Office, Hong Kong East January 2009 5 .