Hout and About

News from Residents’Association of Hout Bay

PO Box 27031, Hout Bay, 7872

November 2007

HOLDING THE CITY ACCOUNTABLE

A year has passed since the residents of Hout Bay learned that the storm water emanating from IY had such high levels of E.coli that it was effectively raw sewerage. Flowing into the Hout Bay River and on towards the beach, this contamination constituted a serious health hazard to the entire community of Hout Bay and with that perspective our Association took the fight to the City’s health officials and the Director himself – Dr Ivan Toms. Promises and plans were made by the City officials to alleviate the situation and we agreed to hold the city accountable to both.

On Monday 22 October the RAHB working group met with a delegation from the City of Cape Town including Dr Ivan Toms (Health), Gavin Heugh (Water quality) and Noahman Hendricks (Project Coordinator). The meeting started with a slideshow to the officials detailing the over crowding (the root cause of the problem) and the lack of waste and toilet facilities. Alarmingly the slide show included pictures of the land around Hout Bay’s fresh water Reservoir being used as open-air public latrine. The fence around the reservoir had been breached and the inspection covers on top of the Reservoir had been vandalized. This reservoir holds all of the water for Hout Bay and thus these breaches in security constitute a very real and serious threat to the integrity of our drinking water.

With Councillor Marga Haywood present, the City began their defence. They had placed signs on the rivers and in public places within Hout Bay warning residents of the health risks of contact with the river. They had attempted to divert the storm water into the sewerage system but it had been clogged with eroded sand and rendered defunct. That was it… Mr Heugh confirmed that the storm water run off from IY was still a health risk. Mr Hendriks confirmed that the City had to service over 400 informal settlements and with only 4 staff members to assist him, he said that simply did not have the manpower to effect the changes that we had requested. It would appear that the previous managers of the city had ‘retired and hired’ in such a manner as to ensure little relevant expertise remained to effectively manage the City let alone health disasters such as IY.

Fresh promises were made on the basis that the council was again hiring relevant expertise and formulating management strategies. Mr Hendricks informed us that the storm water would soon be collected into a specially made sump from whence it would be pumped into the sewerage system were it belonged. Furthermore, many more flush toilets are to be installed to reduce the current practice of defecating in the open areas near the shacks. The reservoir fence has been re-secured and the mechanism securing the inspection covers upgraded to prevent further acts of vandalism that compromise the safety of our drinking water. On 6^th November we received from Gavin Heugh, photographs showing some sanitation improvements in IY and information that Mr Mario Links from MR N Hendricks's office has implemented the much needed work improvements. This is a start.

RAHB would like to thank those officials who gave of their time after hours to meet with us, explain the lack of delivery and describe how they propose to improve the health conditions within IY and prevent the continued pollution of the Hout Bay River. We will be sure to follow up and hold them accountable to their deadlines and in the meantime can assuage any fears of polluted water getting into our drinking water.

Planning Contribution for Dec 2007 ‘Hout and About’

KARBONKELBERG UNDER ATTACK

Two proposals for hard development on the slopes of Karbonkelberg above the Peninsula Urban Edge have recently come up for discussion and comment. These are for Erf 3477 (above and along side Hout Bay Heights) and for Erf 4870 (above Harbour Road cliffs). These are two of six large erven (greater than 20 hectares), which are zoned ‘rural for nature purposes’ on the ‘Peninsula Guide Plan’ and this statutory usage is being threatened, as is the integrity of the Peninsula Urban Edge!

Erf 3477, the proposed development currently is undergoing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and is subject to a City planning assessment (as per Land Use Planning Ordinance or LUPO) both at the same time - deadline for comment is 26 Nov 07 (comments to be sent to the City – contact details below). The two documents are in the Library, a disc is available over night) and on a website http://dbass.biz.

The application is for rezoning from Rural (for nature purposes) to Sub-divisional for Single Residential (35 houses), General Residential (3 portions), Private and Public Open Space and Road, plus departures for street building lines, erf size (to less than 650 sq.m), and minimum erf frontages. These usages are completely against what is stated as appropriate in the Urban Edge Policy. Much of the argument below (for Erf 4870) also applies to this proposal.

Erf 4870: We participated in the Public Meeting on 23 October and submitted some written comments on 5 November. In essence, this proposal is to rezone and subdivide part of this mountain side erf (which is totally outside the demarcated urban edge and is zoned rural for nature purposes) to build 17 houses and a hotel with 35-40 suites and restaurant, spa, pool, function room, lounge, reception area and administration.

The Heritage consultants gave us an opportunity to comment on the heritage value of the site. We first pointed out that approval of this proposal would violate not only the Urban Edge Policy but a host of other policies and regulations. Hard development is just not appropriate for the area and would make a mockery of all the effort and time spent in developing such planning and environmental tools including the participation of the public in these processes, all in the name of protecting our single most important heritage asset -the natural environment and especially the world renown fynbos biome. The flora of this particular area is representative of an unusual subset that is not well represented generally. There is no compelling reason to impose a housing development or a hotel complex in its place – the area is not and never was intended for such use and we are obliged to call for its protection.

The heritage value of this site follows from its biodiversity value coupled with the relative rarity of the veld type as well as the remarkable visual asset (and ambiance) that the undeveloped peak-to-shore natural swathe of mountain constitutes for Hout Bay. There is little doubt that the World Heritage value of the Cape Peninsula is built from gems such as this. To piece-meal destroy it, by allowing such hard development is not welcomed, especially when there is no good reason to do so.

In addition, the proposed large expanses of glass widow and walling will exacerbate the negative visual impact with both reflections in the morning and interior lights at night creating negative visual impacts on the mountain slopes. Disturbing the vegetation is likely to result in difficult-to-control sand movement caused by gravity, water and wind bearing in mind the extreme weather conditions often experienced here. Traffic currently accessing Harbour Road will increase considerably and this is not to the benefit of other road users, making it a lot more dangerous. We welcome environmentally-sensible architecture and methods of building and landscaping but this should not be used as a reason to support whether a development goes ahead or not. In this day and age, it should be expected and required that development is responsible in that respect.

There is really no urgent need for more hotels or luxury housing developments in Hout Bay and certainly not outside of the urban edge – on the contrary, there is a plentiful supply of holiday accommodation including the many B&Bs already available and often unoccupied. Approving the application would benefit the proponents at the expense of the Public. Such continuous attempts to ‘over-develop’ (so often in inappropriate areas), is not sustainable particularly with respect to overloading the road system and other infrastructure. Approval will further exacerbate traffic congestion and compromise the mobility (and safety) of people living in Hout Bay, and those trying to move through, as the traffic densities have already increased beyond levels that can be properly accommodated or are sustainable. Inevitably this will lead to (and is) creating infrastructure problems which will be increasingly difficult to deal with in the future. Surely planning, environmental or otherwise, must take this as a primary consideration.

Support of this proposal, is neither appropriate nor desirable from a public perspective, and, it seems that the only reason for it to go ahead would be for the convenience and enrichment of the owner, which is not an appropriate reason. It would make a mockery of the extended efforts (by the authorities and the public) to establish the Urban Edge at considerable cost to the tax payer and with the specific purpose of protecting the natural rural environment (our valuable natural heritage) from exactly this sort of proposal.

To register as an Interested and Affected Party (IAP), contact Jeremy Blood, CCA Environmental, PO Box 10145, Caledon Square, 7905, Cape Town, email jeremy@ccaenvironmental.co.za, tel. 021 461-1118 (fax -1120)

Erf 5625, Main Road (opposite and just below Oakhurst turnoff): Application to permit 726 sq.m coverage in lieu of 300 sq.m (150 % increase!), and a temporary Land Use Departure to permit a Guest House with 8 bedrooms and a Body Clinic with oversleeping / recovery facilities for two clients. A 150% increase in coverage is being applied for and yet all the buildings already exist – does this mean that some of them are unauthorized? Also it appears that the building line has been completely ignored. As a result, there seems to be a dense cluster of buildings at the top end of the property. It is not apparent whether the owner is to be resident on the site or not; nor how much of the accommodation is for staff purposes. In any event, it seems as if two totally separate companies want to set up business on one property. This would not be in line with the policy which requires that the residential aspect of the usage predominate, that the owner lives on the property and that only limited supportive staff work there. Deadline for comment: Friday 9 November 07.

Comments and objections directed at the City may be sent to: The Municipal Manager, Strategy & Planning –Directorate: Town Planning, South Peninsula Region, City of Cape Town, Private Bag X5, Plumstead 7801 or faxed to 021 710-8283 (tel.-8202); attention Mrs D. Samaai. SPA general tel. no. is 710-8000.

Erf 7885, Longkloof Weir: Cellular Base Station

Dr John Gardner of the Cape Wetlands Trust alerted us to an application by Vodakom for a base station and 20 m mast (to be disguised by an imitation alien Pine tree) with antennas and microwave discs in the wetlands near the weir.

Dr Gardener wrote: “There will also be 3 equipment containers of 3 by 2.4 m and a 2.4 m high fence around a 100sq m area.
There has been a 25 year project to ensure that this crucial area of wetlands adjacent to the Orangekloof reserve be kept out of development and allowed to function as a wetland buffer zone adjacent to the Orangekloof .The weir prevents erosion from sweeping back into the Reserve . With time this area may be included in the Table Mountain Park and is part of the corridor from the table mountain to the sea where in time there may be a walking trail. The area surrounding the weir has long been an outdoor classroom and mid November a class is actually doing an exam in the area. It is inappropriate to have microwaves in high concentration in the classroom setting.

The frog population is booming and this includes micro-frogs and there is a growing indigenous forest on the banks of the river together with the regenerating palmiet reeds.
The last thing that this beautiful nature area, where many people spend time recreating, needs is a massive cell phone tower with its imitation exotic pine! The Cape Wetlands Trust owns land within metres of Erf 7885 and this was paid for in part by the local community. The Trust is a charitable environmental educational trust. Please respond as an interested and affected party (IAP) to admin@enviroafrica.co.za
and quote E 12/2/3/1-A5/235-0246/07”.

The Longkloof residents have collected over 60 signatures in a petition protesting the proposed erection of this cell phone base station mast. A resident has this to say to the Consultant: “I might mention that people are vehemently opposed to this proposal, both from a health and aesthetic point of view, and feel that an EIA must be carried out, particularly when one considers that this reservoir area is immediately adjacent to the Orangekloof Nature Reserve. The thought of a mast, microwave discs, antenna plus accompanying equipment in this beautiful area which is enjoyed by the residents in the area and their children is totally abhorrent.” RAHB has written a strong letter of objection to the Environmental Consultant, EnviroAfrica, and asked for a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to be undertaken. Letters of objection should be faxed to: Lieuwe Boonstra, EnviroAfrica Fax: 086-512-0154 Tel. 021-8555338; e-mail admin@enviroafrica.co.za

We invite you to join the Resident’s Association by sending an email to rahb@houtbay.org.za and we can send you details re membership and alert you to some of the important issues that might affect you as a resident of Hout Bay in our monthly newsletter.

You might also want to use your skill to help the Association operate and participate in community affairs

MEMBERSHIP

(R50 per couple, R30 per individual)

Forms from Chairperson or Library. Please Note: As from 1st March all Membership fees for the year 2007 were due and payable. No accounts will be sent out.

Association Banking Details: First National Bank, Hout Bay Branch (branch code 204 009), Account name - Residents Association of Hout Bay, Account Number – 5345 1027 173.

Subscriptions 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

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