Effects of Beach Village renovation

Here are some things that have happened to us and our neighbors in Beach Village, D.B. since the beginning of this useless renovation:

Bamboo scaffolding:
This, and the accompanying green construction netting, went up across the entire phase at the about the same time. For months this ugly contraption has hindered access to balconies, blocked views, rendered doors and windows inoperable, and also provides easier access to HK’s notorious “cat-burglars” and peeping toms.

Construction workers:
The contractor’s workers that are swarming all over our apartments are very dirty and loud. They have been peeing under (and on) our buildings, and there have been several reports of them "peeping" in our wives and daughters bedroom windows and bathrooms. The whole area is littered with their cigarette buts and construction debris.

Unlike other construction sites in more-advanced cities, these workers were not provided with on-site, convenient portable toilets, and as such the workers have been urinating right under our buildings in the open cellar crawl-spaces underneath each Beach Village building.

Take a look for yourself: simply go into one of these areas under our buildings, (where we all store our kid’s bikes and sometimes baby strollers) and you will immediately notice the strong smell of urine. We have also noticed the smell of urine on sheltered ledges and balconies around the top floors of our units. The workers are likely too tired to bother climbing down the scaffolding and simply pee on the building when they are working near the top.

You might have noticed that the first thing that was installed were boards over the open crawl-spaces at the bottom of our buildings, these have become little ‘clubhouses’ for the workers in which they take naps, urinate and eat, and at night dry out and store their clothes and equipment. As small enclosures like these afford the opportunity for sexual assaults and rapes, we think that women and girls are at risk as a result of these areas.

Security:
There have been reports of peeping into windows and some break-ins. You should be aware that in 2000-2001 when there were external renovations on Headland buildings, there was a series of break-ins, as many as 35, that were perpetrated by workmen, returning to the site at night, and using their intimate knowledge of the buildings to break in and commit robbery. DB management tried to cover up the extent of the crimes then (the police ultimately insisted on posting notices) and we suspect that this is the case now. Previous break-ins have often been AFTER the renovation work has been completed, so it is possible, that for the Beach Village residents, the worse has yet to come.

Safety:
How would you like to come home and find a dead or injured man in your courtyard? Tough to explain to the kids that in HK there is little regard for poorly paid construction workers safety, and thus the blood on your floor. This has happened at least once that we are aware of, but likely there have been more instances of worker injury, breakage and accidents. Again, DB management has tired to ‘hush’ it up and won’t release figures or information on this. we know there have been instances of personal injury and pet injury to residents as well, not to mention damage to property. Our balconies are littered with rubbish and dirt, and there are smears of new plaster across balcony floors, rails, windows and walls. The insides of our units are very dusty from the internal blasting, which kicks up large amounts of dust in the hallways, which then bleeds into our homes.

Noise:
In HK it is acceptable to make as much noise as possible when constructing or renovating. This means that hand-held pneumatic jackhammers are being used to “hack off’ the concrete and tiles on the walls and floors. Since the buildings are made of formed concrete, the vibrations and devastatingly loud noise generated by these machines reverberates throughout the entire building. As you all know it is almost impossible to live and function in the apartment when this is occurring, and it is very stressful for our families, helpers and pets.

Several residents have also reported that the loudest and most disruptive work is being done on the weekends, on Saturday, with often little or none being done on weekdays during school and office hours, when most residents would be out. Why this is so is completely baffling. In a luxurious, resort styled community like DB, with mostly families and high-earning professionals, why would HKR/DB Management allow this to occur?

The answer is, that as residents WE HAVE NO RIGHTS, and even owners have little influence. As such the developer/management allows the contractor to carryout the work in the most cost-effective way for the sake of the contractor’s profits.

NOTE THAT HKR/MANAGEMENT HAS NOW GIVE THE CONTRACTOR PERMISSION TO WORK ON SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS BECAUSE THEY ARE BEHIND SCHEDULE, AND THE CONTRACTOR IS FINED HK$15,000/DAY OVER SCHEDULE.

Perhaps this money should be coming directly to the residents as compensation for our pain and suffering.

Destruction of community lawns, shrubs and garden areas :
You will have noticed the devastation to the gardens and lawns around Beach Village. I pay a lot of rent and undertake a long commute everyday so that my family and I can live in a peaceful, green environment, but this construction has ruined that.

General Inconveniences:
With workers scurrying around the unit many of us have taken to keeping our blinds and drapes closed. We have in effect been living in the dark for many months now.

Those of us with balconies have not been able to use them for all the debirs and dust left behind.

There has been an increase of bird droppings and insect infestation related to the scaffolding and construction debris. Rats have been spotted in the piles of debris outside the buildings.