A City plan to build a retirement home and frail-care centre in Vredelust, Boston, has ignored community objections, says a resident fighting the proposal.
The development, funded by the private sector, is planned for Muller Street, and according to Eddie Andrews, the mayoral committee member for spatial planning and environment, it will have 28 rooms for the aged and 20 beds for frail-care residents.
Last month, the municipal planning tribunal approved a land-use application to rezone the site from “single residential” to “community zone 1”, clearing the way for the centre to be built. Residents are now appealing that decision.
“The application is currently within the appeals process where objectors are afforded a right of appeal against the decision of the municipal planning tribunal,” Mr Andrews said.
Boston resident Janeen van Heerden said she had first submitted an objection in 2020.
“For the first time, we objected as a community we had 25 objectors, for the second time we objected we had 30. There are about 56 homes in this area – that’s a lot of objections for such a small area. There was also an online meeting held on 14 March without any of us being invited,“ she said.
Muller Street was the only area in Boston that had limited road access, she said, which was one of the reasons why she and her neighbours had bought in the area.
“I live in 3rd Crescent road in Vredelust, which is a couple roads down, and will be affected by increased traffic as I am also accessing the only road in and out of Vredelust,” she said.
“This development is not practical here. In this area, there is only one-road access. There are many other appropriate properties where access is much easier and without additional negative impact on the immediate neighbours.”
Mr Andrews said that objection documents made it clear how to request an oral submission at the municipal planning tribunal, but no such request had been received.
Furthermore, all objections against the land-use application that had been received during the public participation process had been considered by the tribunal before it had made a decision, he said.
Mr Andrews added: “There is a demand for housing for the old aged, inclusive of frail care, across the entire city. In terms of this proposed development, the need and desirability for such a development within this area was identified by the owner/developer.”
Mr Andrews said the development was still in the planning stages.