New rules begin for “Niseko” resort development; Kutchan Town enforces three ordinances in October; certain restrictions on large-scale development

Niseko real estate News

[Kutchan] New rules that were being considered by the town of Kutchan in the Shishi District will go into effect from October 1, in order to harmonize resort development with the environment and landscape. Three related ordinances were passed at the regular town council meeting on the 14th. The main pillars of the law are restrictions on the size of newly built accommodation facilities and the requirement to secure green areas, which will place certain restrictions on large-scale development in the Niseko area.

The new rules aim to concentrate accommodation facilities by maintaining regulations that make it easy to build medium-to-high-rise buildings in “base areas” near ski resorts in the Hirafu and Hanazono districts, while preventing the disorderly spread of development by tightening regulations around these areas. the aim.

According to the ordinance, the total floor area of accommodation facilities in wide areas other than base areas will be limited to 10,000 square meters, and the ratio of total floor area to site area (floor area ratio) for most buildings will be kept to 50% or less. In order to ensure that buildings are surrounded by greenery, a minimum development area will be set, such as ensuring that if the total floor area exceeds 3,000 square meters, the development area must be at least 10 hectares. There will be a three-year grace period in cases where development permission has been obtained and construction work has already begun.

Part of the Hanazono district in the northern part of town, where new development is increasing, allows buildings up to 33 meters in height under certain conditions. In addition to the ordinance, the town’s announcement on October 1 will strengthen regulations on minimum lot size to prevent vacation homes from crowding together.

The upper limit of 10,000 square meters of total floor space itself makes it possible to build buildings on the same scale as major condominiums in the Hirafu area, but regulations on floor area ratios and minimum development area will be tightened, and the real estate industry says it will make large-scale construction difficult. There are many views.

Hokkaido News Papar2023.9.14

Niseko real estate company CEO’s perspective

In the same Niseko region, Niseko Town, which falls under the same jurisdiction, is also creating guidelines that require buildings to be considerate of the environment and landscape.

Protection of the landscape and development of the town. Attracting tourists and overtourism (a situation in which excessive numbers of tourists crowding into a tourist destination have a negative impact on the lives of local residents, the natural environment, and the landscape) Attracting and investing in international brand companies suppressive effect. There is no single answer to this question, depending on the situation of the person looking at it. We have taken the first step toward reform. I would like to see how things change in the future.