Hout and About

News from Residents’Association of Hout Bay

PO Box 27031, Hout Bay, 7872

August 2006

‘CITY NEWS’

opportunity to be heard

The latest edition of the City’s news letter, dropped off last week, makes interesting reading and helps put our area into a wider perspective. We encourage residents to read this freebie (and not just toss it into the re-cycling) and, especially, to take the time to fill in the ‘voting form’ (‘For City-wide and Local Issues within the City of Cape Town’) and so make your voice heard!

The unofficial grapevine, the Greater Cape Town Civic Alliance (GCTCA) tells us that the rather disastrous proposed ‘Integrated Zoning Scheme’ is to be re-assessed shortly; we intend participating in this revived process and hope to ensure that our concerns are understood and incorporated into the new scheme which is crucial to our every-day environment and well-being.

We are also hoping, together with the many other members of the GCTCA, to press local government into explaining exactly how planning decisions are to be made and to make sure that relevant regulations and policies are used appropriately and effectively in such decision-making. For too long now ad hoc decision-making has continued with disastrous effects. No cognisance is taken of the cumulative effects of development proposals with the result that infrastructure provision is overtaken by unplanned-for development – by the time over-development takes effect, it is difficult or impossible and very expensive to remedy. A ‘growth management plan’ is long overdue.

WETLAND NEWS

the good and the very bad

The long process of rehabilitating the Hout Bay river and associated wetlands has begun. Working for Wetlands initiated work in the valley in 2005 and this year they completed a wonderfully landscaped gabion weir that feeds water from the wetlands into the Hout Bay river. Mandy Nofke co-ordinated the project and most of the people who laboured on the project were drawn from IY and paid with poverty relief money. On behalf of Hout Bay we would like to thank them all for this wonderful contribution to our natural heritage.

Unfortunately the same thanks cannot be extended to the SPA Engineering whose incompetence threatens to scupper any and all improvements to the wetland and river. On Monday 14 August, the sewer system that runs adjacent to the wetland in Milner Rd and then through its lower reaches erupted and disgorged its foul contents into the wetland. The last time we alerted officials to this problem they fobbed us off, but this time armed with video footage of levitating manholes they conceded that the pump station on Princess Rd had once again failed. Anyone walking on the beach last week that came into contact with the waters was essentially in contact with faeces from the whole western side of the valley. The convenient excuse of power failures is no longer available and we are pursuing the issue as a matter of urgency.

SIGNAGE POLLUTION

During the past few months the Association has been targeting illegal and pollutive signage in Hout Bay in conjunction with the South Peninsula Administration’s

Department for Signage Compliance and Enforcement. One case in particular is proving difficult to crack. Soon after the proposed Kronendal Retirement Village was launched, two large and obtrusive signs advertising the project were erected at the junction of Victoria Road and Valley Road on the Kronendal site. After we had asked the SPA to investigate the legality of these signs and compliance with the Bye –laws governing signage, notice was served on the two estate agents who owned the boards, together with the developer/owner of the site, to remove them. These were removed but reappeared soon afterwards. Subsequently the two estate agents, Seeff and Engel & Volkers, made written applications to the SPA to allow the signs to remain which this Association objected to on the grounds that the project is still not approved by Province and the signs were situated on a scenic route contrary to Council bye-law, furthermore, the signs had been erected ahead of any permission from Council in the hope they would be approved. The applications were refused by the SPA recently and notice was again served on the agents and the developer /owner to remove them. The sign erected by Engel & Volkers was removed but the SEEFF sign still remains. When questioned about this infraction the SEEFF franchisee, in an e-mail, submitted that the refused application was under appeal with the council and that the Engel & Volkers sign had only been removed because “they had lost the mandate”. This statement proved to be untrue, as it was later confirmed by both Engel & Volkers and the developer of the site that Engel & Volkers had removed their sign in compliance with the council notice after their application had been refused and after having taken legal advice. They may not have liked the decision but full marks to this estate agent for acting responsibly. It is amazing that another reputable estate agent can erect a sign without an application, have their application refused and continue to flout the notice to remove the sign pending appeal. The correct procedure should have been to make the application first before the sign was erected and appeal the matter later if necessary. In the meantime the developer refuses to ask SEEFF to remove their sign and the matter is now the subject of legal proceedings by the SPA against the parties to have the sign removed. We intend to follow this matter closely.

NEW PLANNING APPLICATIONS

Erf 31, Victoria Ave (between Norman and Albert Roads): application for the subdivision of an 840 sq.m plot into two (this is well below the 650 sq.m minimum for Hout Bay) with a departure from the minimum side building line from one metre to zero to allow for a pair of semi-detached houses. Deadline for comment - Tues 24 August.

Erf 3348, 7 Peterhof Road: application for subdivision into two portions and departure from density regulations. Deadline for comment – Thurs 7 Sept. It seems that this applicant is taking advantage of the previous SPELUM committee’s lax attitude on the original conditions of development for the area.

UPDATE ON PREVIOUS ISSUES

Erf 2574, Milkwood Crescent (next to Library): We received a copy of a letter to the City Council (SPA) from DEADP (the provincial department of environment affairs) asking for the Council’s input regarding the application to rezone a Single Residential erf to General Residential (i.e. flats) even though the size of the erf in question is smaller than the required minimum erf size for flats (900 sq.m). We have written a short letter reminding Council and Province of this fundamental point and suggested that the application be refused and taken no further, as it does not comply with regulations. We have also urged that the issue be dealt with as soon as possible.

CORRECTION: In the July ‘Hout and About’ we stated that it that the ‘Upper Berg en Dal’ developer (Target Shelf CC) was a certain developer know as ‘Costa’. This is incorrect – in fact, it is a ‘Mr. Lapinski’. Our apologies to both gentlemen for any confusion that this may have caused. And thanks to Mr. Costa for clarifying this and telling us that there are different components comprising Target Shelf.

Chapman’s Peak Drive: Despite promises by provincial government that there would be no increase above the annual Consumer Price Index, Entilini have increased Chapman's Peak Drive toll tariffs by up to 19.5%, in some cases, effective as of 1 June 2006. Those worst hit are those registered as frequent users and especially those frequent users who are in possession of a SA National Parks/Cape Nature Conservation Wild Cards (see our website for details).

Victoria Ave / Victoria Rd intersection: Recently we followed up on a suggestion from one of our members that the traffic lights at this intersection should be replaced by a circle, so as to improve traffic flow and also alleviate the problem of anti-social behaviour by loiters at the traffic lights. SPA Senior Planning Professional (Transport, Roads & Planning), Mr Sean Glass, responded that this suggestion is not likely to be processed or implemented in the near future partly, it seems, because of a shortage of engineers. He explained further that "It is also worth noting that the intersection is currently equipped with an acceptable (even if it isn’t the optimal) control measure, being traffic signals. A project to replace the signals with a circle to improve capacity would, therefore, not be treated with the same priority as a project to implement an acceptable control measure at an intersection that is not currently equipped with one.” In plain language, he said “at least there is something in place and intersections at which nothing is in place must take priority. I am sure that you will understand the need for this approach.” "Furthermore” he added “while we appreciate that the congregation of people at the traffic signals may be a problem to the community, the real solution to such social problems is not an engineering one. The replacement of the signals with a circle may make it more difficult for loiterers to harass motorists but this would not, in itself, constitute sufficient reason to change the control measure. Any decision to change control measures would be based on the normal needs of road users which would include cyclists and non-loitering pedestrians."

Hout Bay Police Capt van den Bergh has advised motorists not to employ persons gathering at this intersection and not to open car windows to accept any pamphlets or give donations. Potential employers should rather use the employment agency in IY.

Council: Comments and objections may be sent (before the specified deadline in each case) to: The Municipal Manager, Urban and Environmental Services, South Peninsula Admin, City of Cape Town, Private Bag X5, Plumstead 7801 or faxed to 021 710-8283 (tel.-8202); attention Mr. M. Barnes. The general telephone number for the SPA is 710-8000.

DEADP: Comments to be sent to Dept of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning: Directorate Integrated Environmental Management, Region B1, Private Bag X9086 Cape Town 8000 or fax to 483-3098 (tel. -2700 for Environment and -4789 for Planning) in time to arrive by the deadline.

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Please remember that your subscriptions were due on at the beginning of March 2006. They may be paid electronically (use your full name as a reference on the payment – to ensure that we correctly credit your membership as this information appears on our Bank Statement.

Banking Details: First National Bank, Hout Bay Branch (branch code 204 009), Account name - Residents Association of Hout Bay, Account Number – 5345 1027 173. If you prefer, payment can also be dropped into our wooden box at the Library (next to the Hall doors) or posted to our Post Office Box: 27031 Hout Bay, 7872.

Len Swimmer

Chairperson, Residents’ Assoc of Hout Bay

Tel: 790-0268, Email: lens@telkomsa.net

MEMBERSHIP

(R50 per couple, R30 per individual)

Forms from Chairperson or Library.

August 2006