"Decisions Made Considering Surrounding Land Use Conditions, Environment, and Harmony with Buildings"
Yongin City in Gyeonggi Province has decided to deny permission for the construction of a data center that was being planned in a low-rise residential area.
On the 14th, Yongin City announced that it had notified Company A of the 'disapproval' regarding the construction permit application for a data center in the area of 155-7 Eonnam-dong, Giheung-gu.
Company A applied for a building permit last April to construct one data center building with a total floor area of 6,512㎡, spanning from four basement floors to four above-ground floors, on a 1,573㎡ site in the area. However, strong opposition from local residents followed, leading to conflicts with the project developer. The city explained that it held a residents' briefing session at the Guseong-dong Administrative Welfare Center at the end of last month, listened to residents' opinions, reviewed relevant laws and regulations, and then made the decision to deny the permit.
The city stated that the area is classified as a Type 1 General Residential Zone primarily consisting of low-rise houses, and after comprehensively reviewing various aspects such as surrounding land use conditions, harmony with the environment and buildings, and the promotion of public welfare for residents, it judged that even granting a development activity permit would be difficult.
The city holds the position that the site for the data center construction is surrounded by existing low-rise residential settlements and elementary and middle schools, and thus a quiet residential and educational environment must be protected. Although the building applied for by the owner meets the floor height restriction for a Type 1 General Residential Zone with four above-ground floors, the height of 23.1 meters raises concerns about disharmony with the average height of surrounding buildings, which is between 12 and 16 meters. The city also added that sufficient safety review documents for the construction of the 30.5-meter-deep basement were not adequately provided.
In particular, since a large-scale housing complex project is underway on the nearby former Police University and Legal Training Institute site covering 901,921㎡, the city judged that the construction of the data center does not align with this project.
The city plans to strengthen regulations related to data center construction permits to promote planned development and prevent safety accidents. Until now, applicants could apply for a building permit after review by the Urban Planning Committee when constructing a data center, but starting from the 28th, data center construction will require review by the Building Committee.
Accordingly, from now on, to construct or change the use of a data center, applicants must meet all seven criteria including floor height restrictions, noise prevention, fire prevention, and underground line installation, and then undergo review by the Building Committee.
Lee Sang-il, Mayor of Yongin City, said, "The city’s judgment is that constructing a data center in the area could cause problems such as deterioration of the residential environment for citizens, traffic inconvenience, and disharmony with the surrounding environment," adding, "We will apply stricter standards regarding data center construction going forward to ensure that citizens’ concerns do not arise from the initial stages."
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