▲ The site for the proposed wedding hall near an apartment complex
Residents are opposing the construction of a wedding hall equipped with a large-scale parking lot near an apartment entrance in Incheon, citing concerns over traffic congestion.
According to Michuhol-gu, Incheon, on Tuesday (June 16), the project developer applied for a building permit in March to construct an eight-story wedding hall on a 7,691-square-meter site in Hagik-dong, Michuhol-gu.
The building is planned to house a parking lot with 635 spaces on floors 1 through 5, with the wedding hall and a buffet restaurant located on floors 6 through 8.
The site faces an apartment complex with 616 households, separated by an 11-meter-wide road, and the wedding hall's vehicle entrance and exit are planned to use this road.
A large supermarket with one basement level and four floors above ground is also scheduled for completion right next to the wedding hall site this coming September.
Previously, the Michuhol-gu Architectural Committee issued a decision to "re-examine" the wedding hall construction during its first review in November last year.
In response, the developer submitted a request for re-deliberation after incorporating supplementary measures, such as a plan to expand the existing two-lane road to three lanes by incorporating private land. The district's architectural committee conditionally approved the plan in January.
However, residents are protesting, arguing that expanding the road by one lane will not be enough to resolve traffic congestion once the wedding hall and the large supermarket open.
A representative from the apartment's residents' council, located next to the proposed site, stated, "It is difficult to accept the re-deliberation result of conditional approval when severe traffic congestion is expected every weekend," adding, "The entrance and exit for the wedding hall should be moved toward the main road, not near the apartment's back gate."
The representative added, "If the district grants the building permit without preparing appropriate measures, we will mobilize all possible means to respond."
However, Michuhol-gu maintains that it is difficult to install an entrance and exit on the side requested by residents because that section of the main road is restricted for vehicle access under the district's urban planning guidelines.
A Michuhol-gu official said, "We have met with the apartment residents twice and conveyed their concerns to the developer," adding, "While installing an entrance on the main road is difficult, we are discussing with the police a plan to block left turns to prevent wedding guests' vehicles from entering toward the apartment's back gate."
The official added, "Under the Building Act, it is difficult for administrative agencies to arbitrarily block a permit if the legal requirements are met," and noted, "We plan to make a final decision on the permit after comprehensively reviewing relevant laws and resident opinions."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.