Abu Dhabi: Property owners in Abu Dhabi’s Marina Square on Reem Island are angry with the management company for introducing parking measures that they say might scare away tenants and reduce their property value.
Residents are furious as the popular residential complex with around 4000 housing units in 13 towers has no Mawaqif or street parking available and the management company is removing a free visitor parking area with around 200 spaces. Residents with more than one car have to either pay a yearly fee of Dh9,600 for an extra parking space or pay a hefty hourly rate.
“They are driving tenants away with these actions. It is mostly a family environment, usually families have more than one car,” said M.J., who owns more than one property in the area.
“Cost of living is already high for families, now they have to consider around Dh10,000 for parking too,” added M.J.
As per a notice served to tenants by Three60, the company that manages the property, a parking system that will charge Dh5 per hour and Dh15 overnight will be introduced in place of the Visitor Parking. The system will also be implemented in a retail parking area that residents have been using in the absence of adequate parking.
“I was paying around Dh800 as Mawaqif parking in the apartment I was living in previously. When I moved here, I was told I had free parking for both my cars. But now this has come as a nasty surprise,” said S.G., a three-bedroom home owner.
“It’s not our fault they don’t have anything other than covered parking here. They have completely tied people’s hands,” said D.H., a two-bedroom property owner.
In a statement to Gulf News, Three60 confirmed the visitor parking and retail parking will be replaced with a paid parking system. However, the company said: “This area was never designated as a visitors parking area. It is a secured parking area which was previously opened as a temporary parking area. The area incorrectly referred to as visitors parking is and remains a private secured parking area as per the approved design,” said Three60. This is despite a number of signs in the area that direct people to Visitor Parking.
“This is completely untrue,” said K.T., a property owner. “When I was in the process of buying my flat, Three60 voluntarily showed me the visitor parking and said that’s where I can park my extra car.”
“They have never told me it was temporary,” K.T. added.
K.T.’s comments were echoed by other homeowners who said they had not been told the parking was temporary.
“They can operate a system similar to what is on the main Abu Dhabi Island where you pay around Dh900 a year but they won’t do it,” said H.F., a property owner.
“They are bullying people into paying massive charges for parking because they know people have no alternative here,” said M.C., a homeowner.
Three60 statement also said they offer discounted rates for three-bedroom units and they have an area designated as a “first in first use basis” at a rate of Dh3,500. “This has all been done to provide numerous affordable options with regards to parking.”
The company added there is an external visitor parking area but would not confirm the number of spaces, stating, “The visitor parking and numbers are within the approved municipality design.”
Homeowners Gulf News spoke with were not aware of the mentioned external parking area.
