The Planning Application for The Baroque on Lamma just went online today in the Town Planning website, with lots of detail, maps and artist's drawings for public consultation:
http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/en/plan_application/Y_I-LI_1.html

Gist of the project (18-page pdf, 11.15MB):
http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/tc/plan_application/Attachment/20110506/s12a_Y_I-LI_1_0_gist.pdf

The developer has informed some local groups like Living Lamma and the Lamma-zine of this application today, not trying to hide it, providing lots of details of the plans online for discussion, inviting people to comment and arranging consultations with interested groups over the last several months. The submitted plans have changed dramatically before submission, taking many of these early comments and concerns from stakeholders and green groups into account.

More meetings for explanations and discussions with the developers are being scheduled now. Questions and comments in this forum will be read and answered by the developers directly, they've promised.

This is all quite different and refreshing from the secretive YSW Harbour Reclamation and other very low-key local govt. projects where it's usually a frustrating, time-wasting struggle to get the relevant info and plans.

Lamma-zine story in progress...

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I do not expect the voices and comments against the development would be taken in consideration at all. Hong Kong, not like many other poor countries, can afford establishing natural preserves. It is a pity it can not use its wealth this way. Popularity of the Island during the weekends and holidays proves how much needed is this little green spot without cars.

I've made an objection to the gov today as follows:

"This plan has no support from the yachting community in HK. Facilities are already available and are being used to organize international yacht regattas. This company has no relation ship with any current yacht racing organization, therefore the basis for the development is a false pretext.

The intention of the applicant appears entirely commercial, having acquired various 'agricultural leases' and possibly other rights to land that was previously farm land he now wishes to exploit them for profit. However, there is no value to HK here as the loss of a natural area of countryside far outweighs the benefits that are inferred by the use as 'yachting centre', which is a false pretext.

The applicant should be requested to clarify the support of local yacht racing organization, to my knowledge there is none.

The area is zoned as appropriate and is an area of outstanding natural beauty, I object strongly to the application.

I am a keen yachtsman and a member of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht club for more than 30 years."

THe QUESTION the developer can answer is;

"what do they have to do with Yachting and which authority/club involved in yacht racing in Hong Kong supports the development of the Facility??"

Related story in the glossy Premier Property magazine supplement of the SCMP the other day, quoting the Baroque developers.

Plus an Artist's Impression of the plans, from the Planning Application link above.

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Sailing is an exclusive sport; expensive and available for few. I agree that the claim of providing such a great facility like sailing centre for Hongkongers looks cynical and is just a lie.
Hong Kong really needs green areas, just footpaths, protected by law, patrolled by rangers. They need to be large enough to become safe habitat for flora and fauna. On the conceptual plan of the Baroque I noticed the boundary stops just before Turtle Beach, probably as a show of developer environmental concern. This is again a hypocrisy. This distance to construction works and future development will destroy the turtles habitat. Creating some form of nature preserves would be in my opinion much better instead of promoting and spending efforts on such an uttering nonsense like Ocean Park. South of Lamma still have a chance to become a some kind of national park.

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The bilingual, comprehensive website just went online, including a Blog of Baroque:

http://www.bol-hk.com/template?series=34

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Noticed that today's "Standard" includes details of a Government Notice re the "Application for Environmental Impact Assessment Study Brief under Section 5.(1)(a)" for "the Baroque on Lamma"
Project profile is available for inspection from 12 May 2011 to 25 May 2011.
May be inspected at various offices including Islands District Office, 20/F Harbour Building, Central or EIA Ordinance website (http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia)

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Alan, the developers actually read your post and replied to me directly before I even saw your post myself just now, coming back from HK Island. Things are really speeding up getting closer to the deadlines....

To clarify, they’ve only promised to answer questions that I'm supposed to collect in this forum. They didn't promise to join this forum and answer questions directly as they're not checking here every day. With all the media and stories appearing in Eng. and Chin. print and online media, I'm surprised they had time to check in here today and respond so quickly to Alan's comment.

Frankly, there have been so few questions raised in this forum - not a single post in the last 12 days - that I haven't collected them yet and put to them to the developers to reply to. There's been so much more interesting and heated discussion been happening every day in other media, especially in local online discussion groups and on Facebook.

So, what are the actual questions to ask the developers??<HR>
I've also just received the first BoL Newsletter. It focuses on green issues and encourages anybody to send in comments to Town Planning and EPD before the deadlines (see Lamma-zine story for details).

The Baroque on Lamma Newsletter: Inaugural Issue 5/2011

Their bilingual "Blog of Baroque" has just published new stories about the former Mo Tat Wan School and the Tin Hau Festival in Sok Kwu Wan last week. You can subscribe to news and updates at their new, comprehensive, bilingual website.

Some of the numerous submissions to Town Planning and EPD might probably be made public soon as well, especially those from Living Lamma and green groups on and off Lamma. Watch this space....

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