ONE Bangsar’s impending closure took many city residents by surprise but no one was more dismayed about the news than the tenants themselves.

When news that the vibrant dining haven would soon be out of business reached the ears of its tenants, many expressed shock and disbelief and said they were not aware of it.

“I am in shock! Why would Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) want to close us down?

“This is not a rowdy place, in fact, it is very pleasant,” a tenant who declined to be named said.

Quick finish: One Bangsar has been in operation for five years but the lease expired in December.

“To relocate now would mean more expenses for us. If I had known that this was going to be a short-term plan, I would not have invested so much money here,” he added.

Gurdharshan Singh, who owns Sagar, added that the tenants were still in the dark over the details.

“The owners say they are sorting things out and we are waiting for details. If there are problems, things can be discussed and thrashed out amicably. I’ve got functions booked up until end of the year and, if the news turns out to be true, I have a lot to lose,” Gurdharshan said.

When contacted, employees at Cungdinh Vietnam Restaurant and Vincenzo Ristorante said they were in the dark over the news and were not able to say anything.

“We are concerned because our livelihoods are at stake and not knowing what is happening makes things worse,” an employee at Cungdinh said.

Residents, however, had mixed feeling over the issue. Lucky Garden resident Ramesh Nadarajah, who has been living in the area for 20 years, said the news came as a shock — but it was a pleasant shock.

Short respite: The outlets will be given a grace period of six months before being asked to move out

“I am happy to know that it’s finally over,” he said.

“When I first moved in here, it was a nice and quiet place. When we heard there were plans to turn an empty plot of land in front of our houses into bungalow lots, we were not happy, and when we were told they were going to build restaurants, it only made matters worse,” Ramesh said, adding that the residents protested against the plans.

Leena Goh, who lives near Jalan Ara where One Bangsar is located, said some of the restaurants would transform into clubs at night and play music loudly.

“Sometimes, their alarm systems would go off and it would get really noisy,” she said, adding that she was happy to know that the place would be closing down soon.

Bangsar Baru Residents Association chairman Datuk George Joseph said the RA had received many complaints about Jalan Ara’s commercial status and that it was the RA’s responsibility to channel the grouses to the right authority.

“In a meeting with KL mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Fuad Ismail on March 16, we were informed that the DBKL would not be renewing the five-year lease which ended in December,” he said, adding that it was a good move by the mayor.

Bukit Bandaraya Residents Association deputy chairman Mumtaz Ali was also happy with the mayor’s decision and said the RA was against any form of commercialisation in Bangsar, a point agreed by Lucky Garden RA head Nordeen Salleh who said the decision by the Datuk Bandar not to renew the lease was welcomed.

Scary situation: The employees of the restaurants are worried for their jobs

However, there are those who are not to happy about the fate of One Bangsar.

“It’s a great place to hang out and it brings a vibrant atmosphere to the neighbourhood,” said a businessman who wished to remain anonymous.

“If a business can be done responsibly, then what’s wrong with that? People enjoy the place and it brings value to Bangsar as a whole,” he added.

One Bangsar opened its doors in December 2004 offering diners a choice of indoor and al fresco dining with French, Thai, Japanese, North Indian, Italian, Vietnamese and Malaysian fusion cuisine.

It sits on a 1.4ha area and consists of the Bangsar Seafood Garden Restaurant and eight other restaurants. A whopping RM7mil was spent to construct One Bangsar, with each outlet styled like a bungalow with a different landscaped theme.

New ramp for easy access to Taman Seputeh

A NEW ramp known as Ramp 6 will be opened today after 10am for the convenience of motorists heading to Taman Seputeh from Jalan Syed Putra via Jalan Tun Sambanthan.

It is an arched bridge across the Klang River and is located next to the Brickfields police station.

Traffic headed to Taman Seputeh from Petaling Jaya can now use Ramp 6 via Jalan Syed Putra, by turning left into Jalan Tun Sambanthan to reach Taman Seputeh.

This is a direct route as there is no need to stop at the traffic lights. Previously, traffic from Petaling Jaya heading to Taman Seputeh was required to use Jalan Tun Sambanthan 2, Jalan Thamby Abdulah and Jalan Tun Sambantan 1 to get to Taman Seputeh.

As for traffic heading to Kuala Lumpur from Taman Seputeh, motorists can use Jalan Tun Sambanthan to access Jalan Syed Putra by turning right just before the Brickfields police station to get onto Ramp 6 to Kuala Lumpur. The present ramp at the Jalan Syed Putra bridge, will be closed today due to road work.

Traffic from Brickfields heading to Kuala Lumpur via Jalan Tun Sambanthan can now turn left onto Ramp 6 to get onto Jalan Syed Putra to Kuala Lumpur.

The entire project is expected to be completed by mid-July.ontact the DBKL Call centre at 1800-88-3255.

By http://thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: Residents living near the 21-year-old Thean Hou temple are objecting to its proposed expansion plans.

esidents are worried because the temple’s proposed expansion will take place on class three and class four hillslopes, which have gradients of more than 25 degrees. — Pictures by Yazit Razali

Robson Heights Residents Association chairman Wan Kamaruddin Wan Mohamed Ali told Streets that residents were concerned about the proposed development because it was slated to take place on class three and class four hillslopes which had gradients of more than 25 degrees.

Wan Kamaruddin said, among others, the hilltop temple located in Persiaran Endah, Bukit Robson, was planning to build a two-storey multipurpose hall, exhibition hall and eight-storey carpark with a resource centre on Lots 42, 143 and 144 surrounding the temple.
With the proposed development, the temple's grounds will be increased from 46ha to 70ha. It also involves the change of land use from residential to institutional.

Describing the proposed development as massive, Wan Kamaruddin said the residents were also worried about the ground stability in the area.

He said residents would be at risk as there had been occurrences of landslips in the area, especially after a downpour.
"That tells us the foundation is weak. This situation will get worse with the proposed development. Persiaran Endah, the main road that leads to the Thean Hou temple, is a narrow two-way road where landslips have occurred. Furthermore, the road will not be able to support the construction machinery going uphill due to its steepness.
"In cases of emergency, a fire engine will not be able to make it up there. The roads are narrow and there is no way to widen it to cater to traffic," he said.
The proposed development, he said, was against the Kuala Lumpur Draft and Structure Plan 2020 as it would increase the density of the area.
The eight-storey parking lot that will be built on Lot 143, a plot of land that is directly behind the Thean Hou temple, borders the Robson Court Apartments.
Wan Kamaruddin said there was only a space of about 50 metres separating the apartments and houses from the parking lot.

There was also no buffer zone for safety purposes, he said, adding that the area was also prone to landslips.
City Hall had apparently rejected a similar development proposed by the temple in 2001 and Wan Kamaruddin questioned the need to consider a fresh application.

"City Hall should listen to the rakyat. This has got nothing to do with religion or the temple but the proposed development is leaning towards commercialism," he said.
Aside from Robson Heights Residents Association and Seputeh Residents Association, the residents of Persiaran Syed Putra and Persiaran Syed Putra 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, Jalan Permai, Impian Diatas Apartments, Robson Heights Condominium, Kristal Court Condominium, Sierra Seputeh, Bukit Robson Condominium, Casa Limini, Robson Court Apartment and Robson Condominium are also objecting to the proposed development. A public hearing on the proposed development was held recently at City Hall's headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut.
Residents had requested for the meeting after coming across an advertisement of the proposed development in the newspapers.

The temple belongs to the Selangor and Federal Territory Hainan Association.