DISTANCE is a matter of perspective.
Over the last decade, townships along the Gutherie Corridor Expressway such
as Bandar Baru Sg Buloh, Kota Damansara, Bukit Jelutong, Puncak Alam (and
further up, Setia Alam) have developed rapidly.
Further up from Sungai Buloh, a new township – 1,000-acre Bandar Seri
Coalfields (BSC) – is being developed by Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd (KLK).
The property player has a landbank of 6,000 acres there, 230 acres of which
have been developed into the mixed residential and commercial real estate Desa
Coalfields, now home to a middle income population of about 10,000 for the last
decade.
For the average denizen of Petaling Jaya and surrounding suburbs, to that
region – 25-45 minutes depending on traffic – is considered far although it is
about the same distance to the city centre.
While most city residents hesitate to venture out from their ties and
comforts in established townships, these new developments appeal to denizens
from as far as Seremban, who desire to inch towards the city centre. Rather than
uprooting the entire clan, many still opt to live on the fringes to be closer to
Kuala Lumpur and yet be close enough to their families in the outskirts.
Low density
The development of BSC, which has a freehold land tenure, is still in its
infancy.
KLK has planned for 6,000 units of housing and commercial real estate in the
township. Some 900 units from phase one were handed over since last May, and 80
units of commercial lots will be handed over by this December.
“We are converting our plantation into residential real estate to meet
demand,” KLK general manager P.H. Lim says.
Phase one comprises the following: The Bromelia (22x75ft; 4-bedroom, 4
bathroom; starting at RM310,000) and Duranta (24x75ft; 4-bedroom, 4 bathroom;
starting at RM350,000) two-storey link houses; Banyan semi-detached units
(6-bedroom, 5 bathroom, starting at RM688,000); Oleander double-storey link
villas (24x75ft; 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom; RM468,000); and Areca (22x75ft;
4-bedroom+4bathroom; RM400,000) double-storey courtyard homes – all of which
were fully sold within months of being launched in 2011.
Early this year, KLK launched Senna (4-bedroom, 3 bathroom; starting at
RM480,000), a precinct of 261 double-storey terrace housing.
While 90% of these were snapped up within four weeks, Banyan II, the second
phase of its semi-detached units launched in 2012, lags behind with a mere
take-up of 20%.
According to Lim, most who bought into the township were middle-incomed young
families and parents investing in a home for their children.
Taking into account most townships’ emphasis on greenery and the correlation
between people and their environment of living, KLK is integrating a small park
in each housing precinct for leisure and family time.
On a larger scale, there will be the 50-acre central park in the heart of the
township, landscaped and equipped with a full-sized football pitch, jogging
track, cycling path and other game courts.
Lim says the company is not keen on developing condominiums (apart from
low-cost apartments, which are integral in any township planning) so as to keep
density low.
Its varied property is meant to cater to a diverse resident mix.
BSC is planned with 50 ft-wide inner roads, which will hopefully alleviate
traffic and promote more room for residential parking.
The township will include comprehensive proposed public amenities such as
primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, government health clinic, wet
market, petrol stations, food courts, police station, community halls, bus
terminal, church, mosque and surau.
An existing police beat base, community hall, surau and primary school are
available at the neighbouring Desa Coalfields, which can cater to the residents’
needs when they move in this year.
The advantage for BSC is its accessibility via the Guthrie Corridor
Expressway and KL-Kuala Selangor Expressway (Latar), FR 54 and the upcoming
Damansara-Shah Alam Highway (under construction), which leads directly into the
Pencala Link.
“Towns in those areas are slowly but surely coming up,” Lim says. “To the
crowd from that end, BSC is not as far as we imagine. You will see a
transformation along the Guthrie Corridor within the next two decades.”
Investors should bear in mind that progress, as with any township
development, can only be realised over the long term.
“The rate of establishment will depend on the market and economy. In planning
Desa Coalfields, we targeted 12 years but it was established within eight
years,” he added.
Understanding BSC’s neighbouring environment such as Puncak Alam, Meru and
Kuala Selangor can give potential buyers an idea of what to expect in the coming
years.
These sleepy towns are still rather slow-moving but developers and real
estate agents say that development is underway.
Puncak Alam, a stone’s throw away, caters largely to the UITM II
community.
Catalyse growth
Middle and lower-incomed families and campus residents fuel the strips of
roadside stalls and shop lots in the vicinity, and there is a Tesco hypermarket
in the area that will be able to cater to domestic needs in BSC’s early
years.
A community mall for BSC is also in the pipeline, but until then, residents
are just a 15-minute drive from the Setia Alam Mall. Plans for outdoor play
facilities for children are underway.
Further away, there is also the Waterfront community mall at Desa ParkCity as
well as the uncoming commercial area of Arcadia (slated for completion by 2016),
a 11.3-acre freehold project comprising four-storey buildings with retail shops,
offices and SoHos (small office/home office) units.
These amenities will add to BSC’s accessibility to leisure and lifestyle
avenues.
Ultimately and together, these townships catalyse further growth along the
Corridor to connect the outskirts to the city.
