News
from Residents’ Association of Hout Bay
PO
Box 27031, Hout Bay, 7872
rahb@houtbay.org.za
November 2004
FIREWORKS!
It is with regret that we have to report
that we have received many complaints about people letting off fireworks
illegally on Friday the 5th and Sunday 7th Nov –
especially on the beach. Hout Bay is
not a designated area for fireworks so it is not possible for anyone to have
“got permission” from the police or anyone else to let off fireworks. On Saturday, the SPCA again described how
fireworks affect animals and how so many dogs run away in terror, often never
to be found again. It would seem that
the fireworks, if Sunday night is anything to go on, are getting louder and
louder. We are of the opinion that the
Guy Fawkes festival has nothing to do with South Africa and it is time it died
a natural death here.
NEW
APPLICATIONS
COTE
D’AZUR - Remainder erf 247 and Erven 248 & 250, crn Victoria Ave / Oxford
Street: proposed rezoning from
Commercial to General Residential in order to extend and upgrade the existing
block of flats. Flats are proposed on
the ground floor, hence the rezoning.
The following departures are sought:
(1) relaxation of the 8m building line to 6m on Royal Ave, (2)
relaxation of the height restriction of the building from 3 to 4 storeys, and
11m to 11.9m (existing height) and (3)
relaxation of the parking requirement from 51 to 41 parking bays. Deadline for comment: Fri 26 Nov 04. Details are available for inspection at the Hout Bay Library or
the SPA offices in Plumstead.
Objections to be sent to City Manager, Private Bag X5, Plumstead 7801,
or faxed to 710-8283 (tel 710-8202), or emailed to moosa.barnes@capetown.gov.za.
Erf 652
Worcester Street (entrance to Albert Street): proposed subdivision, rezoning and sale
of portion of public street (306
sq.m) to AC Anderson (166 sq.m) and CM Urquart (118 sq.m) or their successors
in title. Deadline for comment: Fri 3 Dec 04. Details are available for inspection at the SPA Property
Management Services in Plumstead (tel. 710-8382 - Ms B. Isaacs). Objections to be sent to City Manager,
Private Bag X5, Plumstead 7801, or faxed to 710-8283 (tel 710-8202 – Mr. M. Barnes),
or emailed to moosa.barnes@capetown.gov.za.
Erf 3639, 18 Louisa Way:
(1) proposed removal of restrictive conditions from the title
deeds to allow the erection of a second dwelling on the property, and (2) a
proposed departure from the 6 m rear building line to 1.5 metres. Deadline for comment: Fri 10 Dec 04. Details are available for inspection
at the Hout Bay Library, the SPA in Plumstead (tel. 710-8202 – Mr. M. Barnes)
and the Provincial Admin, Land Development Management, 27 Wale St, Cape Town
(Mr. C. Browne, room 801, tel 483-3009 fax 483-4372). Responses: (1)
Objections to the removal of restrictive title conditions are to be sent
to the Provincial Administration, Director: Land Development Management,
Private Bag Z9086, Cape Town 8000 or faxed to 483-4372, or emailed to
cbrowne@pgwc.gov.za) with a copy to the City Manager, Private Bag X5,
Plumstead 7801 or faxed to 710-8283 (tel 710-8202 – Mr. M. Barnes), or emailed
to moosa.barnes@capetown.gov.za. (2) Objections to the rear building line
departure are to be sent to the City Manager’s address above.
The Record of Decision (RoD) on the first Imizamo Yethu
application (Erf 6355, Parcels 2B, 5A & 8C) was issued on 18 Oct by the provincial Dept of Environment
Affairs and Development Planning (DEADP) regarding the application by the City
of Cape Town represented by Roger Carney (tel 400-2398, fax 419-8845). The City has been exempt from appointing an
independent environmental consultant (normally required by the EIA
legislation), and has been authorized to execute the relevant ‘listed
activities’ (which had required an EIA), provided certain conditions are
complied with as contained in the RoD.
In addition to the standard RoD requirements, a buffer zone must be
allowed for on the shared boundary of Parcel 5a of the proposed development and
the Council owned land that will soon be incorporated into the Table Mountain
National Park (TMNP) to manage the threat on encroachment of the proposed
development into the TMNP. Strangely,
DEADP also recommended that the buffer zone referred to above (Condition
G5) be in the form of a “fence with a few pedestrian access points, allowing
residents access to the TMNP”. This
recommendation is against the Park’s policy of limiting access to a few
designated points.
In addition many points raised by the
public seem to have been dismissed, e.g. requests for a broad public process
that will look at the overall development of IY in an holistic manner and in
the context of Hout Bay; also legitimate concerns regarding the very small erf
sizes (some are as small as 49 sq.m) – these are highly likely to entrench slum
conditions and prevent the natural upgrading of the area that would be possible
with larger erven (this is short sighted because in the long term will cost the
City far more than doing the job properly now by providing more and alternative
land in the greater Cape Town area); disregard
for the Peninsula Urban Edge Policy, which dictates low-density development
merging into Public Open Space at the Urban Edge has also been
disregarded. Some sort of balance needs
to be achieved so as to protect our natural assets that create the special
ambience and character of Hout Bay, which, in the end, is what draws prosperity
and a positive life style to the area.
Notice has been given re the opportunity to appeal against
the RoD. Any appeal should be signed
and certified and submitted by Wed 17 Nov 04 using an Appeal
Questionnaire obtainable from the Minister’s office (tel. Mr. de Villiers
483-3915, email jedevill@pgwc.gov.za,
or URL http://www.capegateway.gov.za/text/2003/eiaapeal.pdf,
postal address: Provincial Minister of
Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Western Cape Province, Private
Bag X9086, Cape Town 8000 or fax 483-6081).
BEACH
FRONT
Erven 1126-8, Beach
Road (in front of The Spur): Once again
we have received notice that the above properties are to go through an
Environmental Impact Assessment for the purposes of consolidating them and
rezoning them to commercial. The
developer wants to put up a three-storey self-catering holiday complex with two
or three restaurants on the ground floor.
These are the last beachfront properties that have not been
developed. It would be a great shame if
something were put up which would detract from the natural beauty of the beach.
Len Swimmer
Chairperson, Residents’ Assoc of Hout Bay
Tel 790-0268 lens@telkomsa.net
MEMBERSHIP:
(R50
per couple, R30 per individual)
Forms from Chairperson or Library or
rahb@houtbay.org.za