The Hindu 15.12.2009
MUDA to create bigger parking facility at Hampanakatta
Special Correspondent
| It will accommodate 500 cars instead of the 300 as planned earlier |
Planning ahead: Mangalore Urban Development Authority Commissioner P.G. Ramesh addressing members of the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Mangalore on Monday.
MANGALORE: The Mangalore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) is working towards building a bigger car parking facility at Hampanakatta than originally planned. It will now accommodate 500 cars instead of 300.
This was disclosed by MUDA Commissioner P.G. Ramesh to presspersons on the sidelines of a discussion on the new masterplan for the city, at the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Monday.
Mr. Ramesh said the big shops on the periphery of the site earmarked for the project – the old bus-stand – would be acquired for the purpose. The multi-storeyed car parking facility would come up on a two-acre plot of land instead of the 1.5 acres as planned earlier. He said MUDA was already in discussions with the owners of the building and most of them had already agreed to the proposal. The shops would be accommodated in the new building, he added.
Tendering extended
The tendering process was extended till December 31 in order to accommodate the changes in the plans, the MUDA Commissioner said. Four private companies had already shown interest in the project, to be built on a private partnership model, he added.
Wider roads
Mr. Ramesh said that once the lands on the periphery were acquired, the roads adjoining the site would also be widened. With a wider area available for planning, a more aesthetic building could come up.
The Commissioner said that Deputy Commissioner V. Ponnuraj was considering parking facilities at a few places in the city such as Balamatta and near the K.S.R.T.C. bus-stand in Bejai. The parking facilities would be funded by the owners of the nearby building, who had failed to adhere to the byelaws and had occupied more than their share of land. The owners would have to either reshape their buildings to allow parking as per the original plans of the buildings, or invest in the new parking facility, Mr. Ramesh said.
He also said Car Street would be widened to 50 ft. and not 60 ft. as planned under the new masterplan. He reiterated that the new masterplan had envisaged a bypass from Kotekar-Beeri to Surathkal via Deralakatte, Adyar, Moodushedde, Thokur, and Bala. On the other hand, it now hoped to develop the Mangala Corniche Road from Ullal to Kuloor along the coast. Other plans to attract tourists to the city included a ropeway from Sulthan Bathery to Thannirbhavi, as well as a golf course.
The MUDA Commissioner said the body had urged the State Government to allow more compensation to building owners who surrendered their property for development of roads. Those surrendering 100 square metres were to get transferable development rights (TDR) to build an additional 150 square metres of floor area in the remaining part of the property under the present rules. The MUDA had sought doubling of that. Owners who did not wish to expand their buildings could sell the rights to others. He said that under the present rules, owners got near market rates as compensation, although the guideline values were the basis for calculation of the quantum of compensation.
