A NEW public park overlooking the sea will soon take shape in Tanjung Bungah as part of Penang’s push for greener coastal spaces.
The Seaside Pocket Park, to be built by Lone Pine Residence Sdn Bhd beside Lot 4658, forms part of the company’s planning approval for a five-storey wellness suite project on its land.
This site is behind The Cove condominium.
State infrastructure, transport and digital committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said claims that the coastal greenery was being cleared for a luxury development were false.
“The ongoing work is for the construction of a public seaside park, required by the state government as part of the development conditions,” said Zairil, who is also Tanjung Bungah assemblyman.
He added that the park would remain a public facility and that the developer was told to build it before any private construction.
The park will include jogging tracks, a children’s playground, rest areas, exercise facilities and a seaside promenade lined with trees and plants.
It will be maintained by the developer after completion.
Zairil said the project reflected the state’s goal of increasing green and recreational areas, adding that it would benefit both residents and visitors.
Artist impressions that he shared showed landscaped lawns, a pet-friendly zone, an amphitheatre and open seating areas shaded by palms, with a view of the beach and horizon.
However, some residents have voiced concern over tree-clearing on the site, claiming the work had gone beyond the developer’s boundary.
In an e-mail to the state, Tanjung Bungah Residents Association questioned why trees on state land were being cut and urged the government to halt the work.
They said the area, known locally as “Sore Thumb”, was once proposed as a green lung and was home to wildlife such as sea otters and eagles.
“We requested for a natural park with minimal intervention, not another urban concrete park,” the group wrote.
