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This is an archive article published on October 13, 2016
Give clear remarks on proposed draft guidelines for heritage precinct, Maharashtra govt tells panel
Urban Development department says option of not giving remarks or not commenting is not available to committee.
The panel then endorsed the ‘draft guidelines for development in Marine Drive Precinct’, prepared by the earlier heritage panel.
In a major development in the ongoing controversy regarding permissible height of buildings along the iconic Marine Drive, the state government has asked the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) to give clear remarks on the proposed draft guidelines for the heritage precinct prepared by Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta.
The state urban development department has written in its letter that the option of not giving remarks or not commenting is not available to the committee.
The civic officials said the draft ‘development guidelines’ for the ‘Marine Drive Precinct’ were prepared and forwarded by the civic chief in September 2015 to the heritage panel for consultation as per the directions of the High Court. The panel then endorsed the ‘draft guidelines for development in Marine Drive Precinct’, prepared by the earlier heritage panel.
In November last year, the panel said it would not be right to give recommendations on the draft guidelines prepared by the civic chief since the previous committee had already prepared and forwarded the draft guidelines which are under consideration of the state government, said an official.
The guidelines prepared by the previous heritage panel has proposed a maximum height of 24 metre in the backbay part of the Marine Drive Precinct while the civic chief had proposed a maximum height of 58 metre in this part in his guidelines.
Besides proposing the maximum height of 24 metre, the previous panel proposed the height ranging from 11-14 metre in Gymkhana area and 21 metre in the area opposite the Chowpatty sea-face.
The civic chief proposed the height of 58 metre by restricting to 32 metre the front row of the buildings opposite Marine Drive promenade. Also, the civic chief has proposed the height of 24 metre in the Gymkhana area and a maximum 32 metre in the area opposite the Chowpatty sea-face.
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The heritage panel then has decided to evaluate all the aspects pertaining to the issue to prepare a comprehensive report. “The guidelines of the previous heritage panel, the guidelines proposed by the civic chief, the provisions of Heritage Regulations and General Development Control Regulations in case of new development or reconstruction, and the art-deco character etc need be evaluated and a comprehensive report or finding could be obtained. Then the heritage panel can finalise its remarks,” said an official.
The official further said the panel was of the view that the guidelines prepared by the civic chief needs to be vetted through a reputed institution. Since Professor Rajiv Mishra, Principal of Sir J J College of Architecture, has volunteered to prepare the report, the heritage panel decided to give him the responsibility, added the official.
Ramanath Jha, Chairman of MHCC, was unavailable for a comment despite repeated attempts.
The issue of building heights was raised after the BMC had approved the construction of a 14-storey tower (almost 58 metre) at Marine Drive, making it the first residential building on the stretch allowed to be raised beyond 24-metre height in 2012. The construction on the Vasant Sagar building was subsequently stalled by the Bombay High Court following a PIL by several residents’ bodies.
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