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Property agents once touted Yishun condominium Skies Miltonia as "standing tall amongst the tranquil haven of tropical greeneries and glistening waters" and "towering above the picture-perfect precinct as a landmark of the North."
Image via
Seven years later, after its completion in 2016, residents are now complaining about an upcoming Housing & Development Board BTO project, Miltonia Breeze, being built in their "picture-perfect precinct".
Some 66 residents scrutinised the BTO's blueprints when it was released on November 2022 and were unhappy that HDB decided to build the BTO's centralised bin centre and car park driveway entrance right beside their condo.
Image via HDB
They said they were worried about the smell and noise.
Bin centre right beside the condo
An unnamed resident told Shin Min Daily News that she moved to the condo because of its serene environment.
While she understands the need to build new flats, she said she feels there is no need to point a bin centre at another residence.
In response to Mothership's queries, HDB clarified that the location chosen for the bin centre and the multi-storey car park next to it were intended for them to shield noise for the BTO residents away from the busy Yishun Ave 1 and also enabled the bin centre's discharge air to be released towards the road.
However, HDB emphasised that it was designed so that the air would not be discharged toward Skies Miltonia or any other residential developments.
Bin centre uses enclosed system and will filter discharge air
HDB also pointed out that the bin centre will use the pneumatic waste conveyance system (PWCS), which unlike conventional refuse collection systems, features an enclosed system with reduced potential for waste spillage and pest issues.
In addition, HDB said they planned to take special care by treating the discharged air through four sets of filters, regularly replacing filters, installing sensors to monitor odour levels, and placing dense planting between the two developments.
HDB highlighted that the bin centre is about 32m away from the nearest residential block at Skies Miltonia, where in between, there is a tennis court, boundary planting, and in the future, another service road.
It added that the distance complied with regulatory requirements and pointed out that Skies Miltonia bin centre is also closer to the nearest future HDB block than the BTO's bin centre would be to Skies Miltonia's nearest residential block.
HDB says Yishun Ave 1 is noisier than internal driveway
Regarding the driveway, HDB said it is not uncommon for an internal service road to run along the boundary of a residential development.
It pointed out that the noise generated by slow-moving vehicles using the driveway is expected to be significantly less than existing traffic noise from Yishun Ave 1.
HDB also highlighted that the BTO project has two MSCPs.
Thus the number of vehicles will be split between the two. The refuse truck will also only appear on alternate days and for short periods.
HDB emphasised that the driveway's design ensures a more contiguous space for the BTO residents, making for a more convenient and liveable environment while enhancing their safety.
Bin centre will be reorientated and made more visually pleasing
Despite having explained its reasons to the residents, HDB decided to implement additional mitigating measures.
HDB will re-orientate the direction of the bin centre and provide an additional access road to it to divert refuse trucks away from the service driveway fronting Skies Miltonia.
The bin centre's exhaust duct will also be extended so that the discharge point is further away from the condo.
HDB will also provide more landscaping to screen off the bin centre and service road from Skies Miltonia.
It will also improve the aesthetics of the bin centre, including providing a green roof and trellis, among other measures, to soften the visual impact for Skies Miltonia residents living on the higher floors.
Some residents still insist on bin centre and driveway to be moved away
HDB said it has been working with Nee Soon GRC MP Derrick Goh and grassroots leaders to engage the residents for the past few months, and most residents appreciate the measures.
However, some residents insist the bin centre and service driveway be relocated entirely to locations away from their condominium.
HDB said they will continue to update the residents and seek to balance the interests of future BTO residents and the concerns of Skies Miltonia residents.
MP involved
In a Facebook post on May 6, 2023, Goh said residents were delighted to hear about the changes and were "touched and appreciative that HDB took feedback, demonstrated flexibility, and put in effort to address concerns".
He pointed out that a few residents remained unconvinced and concerned about the service road even though HDB showed that new access from Yishun Avenue 1 would lead vehicles directly to the BTO's car park.
He said HDB told him it will study the requests further and continue to work on the concerns.
Goh wrote: "While I empathise with the condominium residents and am sorry to see the forest removed, I know we have little choice in land-scarce Singapore so that we can build more flats that Singaporeans want. I sincerely hope that through this process, we can find ways to give and take so that our community as a whole is better off. "
Top image via Google Maps & HDB