petition to stop the building of
a pcf kindergarten at my block



yesterday, some residents of this block went around to collect signatures to petition against the building of a kindergarten at the void deck of block 544. lay bee was downstairs and so she put her name down on the list.


we all came to know that some construction was going to take place when they started erecting hoardings around the void deck on thursday. i had wondered what was going on. i had no idea that they would be constructing something of a permanent nature.


this evening, when i was walking along the corridor, someone whom i presume initiated the petitioning asked if i would be attending the meeting with the rc chairman that evening. to give my support to their cause, i told him i would.


when i walked to the lift landing area, there were about thirty residents standing around and the one who initiated the petition was talking to the rc chairman. he was quite agitated and his voice was raised. someone came up to me to enlighten me on what was involved.


i asked him if there was any suggestion or proposal for an alternative site/location for the kindergarten. his response was that that would be 'their problem', meaning the problem of the town council.


i support the cause because i feel that the residents should have been consulted before the go-ahead to build the centre was given. also, the residents have quite strong reasons to oppose the building up of the place. already the surrounding void decks have been used for the same purpose. although there is a community hall, it does not have enough space for holding wedding receptions and funeral wakes. they have always spilled onto the very void deck that they are going to take away.


the resident also argued that the space below the block serves as an access for residents from the surrounding blocks to get to the bridge, to the bus-stop and to the plaza. i pointed out to him that they could still use the covered passage by the side of the block.


i heard some residents questioning why the town council did not consider building it at the other nearby blocks. 'why must they pick this block?' it seems to me that it is a case of self interest over-riding everything.


i learnt that about 90% of the residents in this block had signed the petition against the building of a kindergarten at the void deck.


on the other hand, i can also understand why they pick this particular block. the proximity to the existing kindergarten, which is in the next block. blk 544 is next to the access road and it is at road level. it is convenient for parents to drop and pick up their tiny tots. there is also the safety factor as the little children need not have to climb stairs.