(E-mail update from the Save Lamma campaign):

Dear Friends of Lamma,

Much has happened since January. This e-mail gives an update on the campaign's progress.

It looks like the original Phase II reclamation plan is history! Thanks again to everyone who made their views known by writing in etc., you got the ball rolling!

In a meeting on January 27th the government presented a new indicative plan for the Yung Shue Wan waterfront in response to community concerns and Save Lamma's suggested alternative planning approach. The plan is a big improvement over the original one, however there are still some significant issues that need to be resolved.

On March 12th, the Save Lamma campaign submitted a response to the government which outlines our concerns, and suggests alternative solutions. This submission is available at <a href="http://www.savelamma.org/Latest_News.htm">Latest News,</a> as well as additional background material.

We are optimistic that the current spirit of cooperation between the government and community will result in a plan that is truly enhances Yung Shue Wan.<HR>
POSITIVES

The positive features of the new plan include:

i) No new government buildings on the waterfront.
Main Street will remain the Main Street and any new facilities will instead go on the unused space on Phase I.

ii) Existing outdoor seating and sea-views of restaurants retained.

iii) Upgrading of existing entry to the village,
e.g. relocation of building material pile, relocation of refuse transfer station, redesign of small park, etc.<HR>
NEGATIVES

However, some of the areas that we feel still need to be improved are:

i) Size of new waterfront walkway

The government's indicative plan calls for a reduced, but still wide reclamation along the waterfront to provide for pedestrian and vehicle access. We believe that such a reclamation is unnecessarily large and disruptive to the character of Lamma, and instead propose a narrower waterfront walkway on piling (for more detailed descriptions of these points see <a href="http://www.savelamma.org/Latest_News.htm">Latest News</a>.)

ii) Wave reflectors

The proposed plan also includes wave reflectors along whole waterfront, and experiences from Peng Chau and elsewhere indicate that this would have a significant negative impact on the character and visual appearance of the village (See <a href="http://www.savelamma.org/ReclamationElsewhereII.htm">ReclamationElsewhereII</a>.)
We believe that given this impact, alternative solutions such as restricting waterfront access during major typhoons should be explored.

iii) Integration and Interface

We believe that the best result for Yung Shue Wan will come if the integration between the existing village and the new development, as well as the interface between land and water are carefully considered from the outset. The goal is to achieve a contextually sensitive enhancement of the waterfront, that will avoid the tendency towards standardized and sterilized solutions and instead focus on something locally appropriate with attention to both the overall plan as well as design details.<HR>
REQUEST FOR FEEDBACK

We would appreciate any feedback about these considerations, or about the whole plan in general. The full text of our response and the supporting maps and diagrams are available at www.savelamma.org. We will try communicate all of the feedback we get to the government.

Specifically, we would like to get input on the following issues:

1) Is it important to you that the small beach next to the Sampan Restaurant be preserved?

2) What is your opinion on reclaiming land for improved waterfront access vs a raised walkway or boardwalk.

3) Do you think that any new walkway / reclamation along the waterfront for pedestrian and emergency vehicle access should be narrow (3-5 meters) or wide (10+ meters), and why?

4) Do you feel that the use of wave-reflectors along the whole waterfront should be avoided? Wave-reflectors are the standard treatment in such cases, but are they appropriate for Yung Shue Wan?

5) Are there any additional comments or suggestions you have?

Please reply to <a href="mailto:info@savelamm.org">info@savelamm.org</a><HR>
We hope that all friends of Lamma are healthy and well, and that the SARS crisis will soon pass.

All the best,
The Save Lamma Campaign

P.S. The Save Lamma campaign is having some unexpected ripple effects. For example, We recently received a surprising request from the Education Department to use Save Lamma material in high school curriculum material. Also, we have been informed that a book being written about the Hong Kong political process by a university professor will include a section on the Yung Shue Wan reclamation.