A proposal to convert the major avenues in the Gwarinpa II Estate, Abuja to mixed use is soon to be forwarded to the Development Control Department of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
The proposal will go along with the estate’s updated layout, which is currently being prepared by the Authority. The Assistant General Manager, Town Planning, Hajiya Aminat Salawu made this known during a joint inspection visit to the estate by Development Control officials and staff of the Town Planning Unit.
The inspection took the officials to the areas of concern identified when the Director of Development Control and his officials visited the Authority recently. They included floodable areas and the major avenues where change of use have been a major cause for concern. On the floodable areas, it was agreed that allottees of plots should construct retaining walls to create a continuous water channel in such areas. The Development Control officials warned that Gwarinpa Estate avenues should not be converted to multi-functional corridors where buildings can go beyond four floors.
They were of the view that the present road hierarchy in the estate would not be able to cope with the large volume of traffic such conversion would generate.
Rather, they advised the Authority to consider the mixed use arrangement which would have a limit of four floors for buildings. Meanwhile, a technical committee has been set up by Management to update the layout of the estate.