District-level Plans Must Be Established for Small Multi-Unit Housing Projects

Going forward, small-scale multi-unit housing projects with a site area of 10,000㎡ or less and land readjustment projects must establish district-level plans to prevent haphazard development and secure basic facilities.

Suwon City plans to announce the 'Suwon City Urban Planning Ordinance Amendment' between December 12-14, which contains these provisions as its core contents.

According to the city's urban planning ordinance amendment, land readjustment project districts are designated as district-level plan areas (establishing comprehensive and systematic spatial plans for specific zones, reviewing construction-related matters such as apartment floor-area ratios, surrounding basic facilities, and environment together to prevent the ills of haphazard development). (Article 36 of the amendment)

In other words, the urban planning ordinance that the city is pursuing to amend will now include development projects of 10,000㎡ or less together with the previous standard of development projects for land and housing of a total area of 10,000㎡ or more in the scope of district-level plan establishment.

An official from the Urban Planning Division stated, "Apartments and mixed-use residential buildings, so-called 'isolated apartments,' that proceed without establishing district-level plans and without securing sufficient basic facilities will not receive permits from the project approval stage, thereby blocking haphazard or indiscriminate development projects in advance."

Additionally, a new provision is being added to exclude city planning committee members who have interests in matters brought to deliberation (for example, involvement in consulting or advisory services for specific projects under deliberation) from deliberation on a temporary basis for fairness and transparency. (Article 121 of the amendment)

Furthermore, provisions are included for disclosing city planning committee meeting records, which will remain confidential for one year from the date of the meeting, and then be available for review for two years from the point one year has elapsed (copying and issuance prohibited). (Article 127 of the amendment)

Regarding this, an official from the Urban Planning Division stated, "Keeping meeting records confidential for one year is to enable city planning committee members to participate in deliberation with conviction," and added, "There is also an aspect of blocking interference from parties with interests in the agenda or civil complaints."

In addition, to secure a minimum amount of green space, landscape tree specifications within scenic districts are being set to heights of 5m and diameters of 20㎝ or more, thereby preventing cases where trees are removed and converted to parking lots after only completion inspection. (Articles 88, 90 of the amendment)