New 16-storey building of IAAC breaks standard
A 16-storey building has been built a few centimeters from the pedestrian crossing in 15th khoroo of Khan-Uul District and this issue has been attracting public attention in recent days.
The Independent Authority Against Corruption (IAAC) ordered the building to be built and its construction work began in 2019. It is now ready for commissioning but doesn’t have an appropriate children’s playground or parking lot and there is no available space to build them next to the building.
According to a source close to the matter, the apartment was built to house employees of IAAC. The Ulaanbaatar Urban Development Department permitted such apartments to be built in 2018 and 2019. In other words, the authority issued a permit in violation of the regulation and the requirement that 30 percent of the construction land must consist of a playground, parking lot, and entrance.
A spokesperson for the department said, “If they have a land permit, they get a permit for constructing a building from our organization. That’s how they were given the right to build. We have no obligation to monitor the construction process.”
A spokesperson for the Ulaanbaatar Standards and Inspection Agency said, “The State Commission has not accepted the building. But it has received all the necessary permits and already built the building, so it will have to be accepted.”
The new building also fails to keep the appropriate distance between an apartment and a street/ road. There is also a standard that apartment blocks should be designed with a playground for children.
However, it is not possible to build green areas, playgrounds or parking lots around the building due to the lack of space. The extremely close proximity to the road poses risk of violating the right of citizens to live in a healthy and safe environment.
In addition, the Ulaanbaatar Specialized Inspection Agency denied any knowledge about this issue. Many people criticize them for failing to monitor this issue while the 16-story building was being constructed in the last three years.