Gwangju City Councilor Park Sugi: "Regulations Around Bitgreen Industrial Complex Should Be Eased"

Urgent Call for Amendment of Ordinance Prohibiting Warehouse Facilities in 'Gyehoek Gwalli Jiyuk' Planning Management Areas

Park Sugi, Gwangju City Council Member

There have been claims that regulations on planned management areas scattered around the Bitgreen Industrial Complex in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju City are excessive and that related ordinances need to be amended.

Park Sugi, a member of the Gwangju City Council (Democratic Party, Gwangsan 5), emphasized on the 4th during the Gwangju City administrative audit, "Gwangju City must actively take the lead in amending the ordinance that fundamentally prohibits the construction of logistics warehouse facilities within planned management areas."

Councilor Park stated, "The Samdo-dong and Bonryang-dong areas in Gwangsan-gu are Gwangju's only planned management areas. Since the establishment of the Bitgreen Industrial Complex, the surrounding environment has changed significantly, and only 4.4% of logistics land in Gwangsan-gu remains available." He criticized, "The current ordinance that completely bans the construction of logistics warehouse facilities is an excessive regulation and an act that betrays the long-standing wishes and expectations of local residents facing the risk of extinction."

Planned management areas are regions expected to be incorporated into urban areas or areas with usage and development restrictions considering the natural environment, requiring planned and systematic management. However, in the case of Gwangsan-gu, the ordinance enacted in 2006 fundamentally prohibits the construction of logistics warehouse facilities, which is criticized as rigid administration that does not consider the changed surrounding environment after the completion of the Bitgreen Industrial Complex. Nationwide, only Gwangju and Daejeon prohibit warehouse facilities in planned management areas.

Although the environment around Gwangju City has changed significantly due to the creation of the Bitgreen Industrial Complex and the Future Car National Industrial Complex, there are opinions that allowing warehouse facilities such as logistics warehouses could worsen residential environments and cause indiscriminate development. Therefore, the city’s position is that amending the urban planning ordinance should be approached cautiously, considering the purpose and intent of designating planned management areas.

Councilor Park pointed out, "Restrictions on the construction of logistics warehouse facilities lead to increased logistics costs for companies, weakened competitiveness, hindering the revitalization of industrial complexes, and raising concerns about tax revenue outflow and regional economic decline due to companies relocating to other areas."

He continued, "It is contradictory to allow facilities with high potential for environmental pollution, such as gas stations and liquefied material manufacturing plants, while fundamentally banning only logistics warehouse facilities." He emphasized, "This is because the ordinance enacted 18 years ago does not align with the current environmental changes where the industrial complex has become active."

Councilor Park urged, "Residents have long demanded deregulation, but Gwangju City has shown a passive attitude toward amending the urban planning ordinance. For the resolution of citizens' long-standing issues and the revitalization of the industrial complex, Gwangju City must now actively take the lead in amending the ordinance."