MARGAO
In the midst of the storm kicked up by the mysterious inclusion of a restaurant proposal in Margao Municipal Council’s proposed multi-level parking project, it has now come to light that the ground-plus-five storied parking lot has a parking provision for only 70 four-wheelers and 137 two-wheelers.
Inquiries by The Goan have revealed that vehicular parking is being proposed on the ground floor and the first four floors of the parking lot. There’s no parking provision on the top fifth floor of the parking lot, indicating that the same has been reserved for the proposed restaurant in the project, when the top floor was initially proposed by the Margao Civic body as store room for the Municipal records.
This brings us back to the moot question, whether the greater objective of the proposed multilevel parking lot would be achieved if even a fraction of the parking area is occupied by visitors to the proposed restaurant inside the parking lot.
Even assuming that minimum 20 different customers visit the proposed restaurant at any point of time, officials in private say it implies that around 20 parking lots would go for the parking of vehicles of the restaurant visitors. An official went on say that if 20-30 parking slots in the parking lot are occupied by the visitors to the proposed restaurant, it further implies that only 40 parking slot for four-wheelers would be left open for the general public, thus defeating the very purpose of the project aimed at providing parking space for the visitors to the commercial capital.
A glance at the parking scheduled worked out by the consultant appointed by the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) shows that around 137 two-wheelers and 70 four-wheelers. A further glance at the parking schedule would give an insight that the ground floor area would accommodate around 18 (open) four-wheelers, while the remaining first, second, third and fourth floor area will play host to 13 each four-wheelers.
Incidentally, of the total 137 two-wheeler parking in the multilevel parking lot, the parking scheduled shows that the ground floor area would accommodate 78 two-wheelers, while each of the remaining first, second, third floor area would play host to 13 two-wheelers. The four-floor has a provision for 20 two-wheelers.
A look at the area proposed for FAR shows that the multi-level parking project proposed on Margao Municipal land admeasuring 1,144 square metres, has a total Far area admeasuring 2,215 square metres.
What’s interesting to note is that fifth floor has a FAR area admeasuring 262.69 square metres, and the entire floor is not proposed for the purpose of parking. While the Margao Municipality had initially proposed to reserve the top floor as a store room when the project was designed and planned by the Civic body, a restaurant has mysteriously found a mention in the project, indicating that the vacant fifth floor may be utilized for the proposed restaurant.
