A two-storey block of flats planned for the Morgenster Hoogte neighbourhood in Brackenfell is unwelcome as it will lead to more traffic congestion on the N1 and other main roads, say residents.
A Kraaifontein developer, Johan Nigrini, submitted a land-use application to the City of Cape Town to rezone a 72m2 plot at 77 Boog Street in Morgenster Hoogte, from a single residential (SR1) to a general residential (GR4) for the development of 41 flats and the sub-division of the property into two portions with a turning circle at the entrance to the development.
Monday December 10 is the deadline to submit all comments and objections around the development.
Boog Street is next to the N1 and further down the street there is a cul-de-sac, which only allows road users to exit via Conradie Street and Richard Street.
According to Mr Nigrini, 40 flats in the block, Isabella Villas, will each have two-bedrooms, including an en-suite bathroom, with a shower and hand basin, for the main bedroom, an open-plan kitchen and lounge and a bathroom with a bath, shower and hand basin.
The extra flat – with only one bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen and lounge – will be used by a “permanent maintenance man.”
Each flat on the second storey will have a private balcony, while the bottom flats will have a small yard big enough to hang laundry.
Each of the flats could accommodate a family of four, he said.
Two parking bays per flat, will be situated under each block of flats.
The land-use application seeks consent for a building line set back 10m from the N1 and a relaxation of the 500m radius surrounding the Okavango interchange.
Mr Nigrini said the block would be a duplex-style development: a duplex has two living units next to each other.
“I have been doing developments all around Cape Town for many years. This new project will be a secure complex with a 24-hour security guard station at the entrance gates.
“Rose gardens and trees will be part of the development, the ground will have cobble paving and the windows will be aluminium,” he said.
There is an old free-standing house on the plot at the moment. Mr Nigrini said it had no historical value and would be demolished to make way for the development.
Morgenster Hoogte Neighbourhood Watch chairman, Johan de Lange, said the community was against the development as it would aggravate traffic congestion. Several watch members and residents would be lodging objections, he said.
“As it is, traffic is already a main concern for residents. We stand in hours of traffic, queuing to get to the Brackenfell Boulevard so more use of cars will worsen traffic congestion.
“The neighbourhood watch team and some other members of the community will get legal assistance before submitting our objection,” he said.
Brackenfell Community Police Forum chairman, Werner Victor, said the forum had not submitted objections yet but would do so, citing concerns about traffic.
“The biggest concern is traffic.Brackenfell is already crippled under extreme traffic congestion, especially over peak morning and afternoon times.
“Boog Street is no exception to this. Adding 41 residential units to this will worsen this even more. Let’s work conservatively and add only 41 cars to the already congested system.
“This will add 41 cars that either need to enter Brackenfell Boulevard or Okavango,” he said.
He said infrastructure needed to keep pace with housing developments.
Ward 102 councillor Rhynhardt Bresler said he had not checked the land-use application yet but he had had five phone calls from residents in the past week saying they planned to object to it.
“Traffic in that area is always problematic,” he said.
“The only reason I would be unhappy with the development is because I feel that the space the developer wants to build on is too small for a block of units to be built there.”
On Tuesday November 20, the City’s Mayco member for transport and urban development, Felicity Purchase, said no objections had been logged yet.
“A traffic assessment has been done and internal departments are evaluating the application, including electrical reports and engineering services, such as sewer and water.”
She claimed Heritage Western Cape had given the go-ahead for the site to be developed and for the old house there to be demolished as it had no heritage value.
Heritage Western Cape did not respond to questions by the time this edition went to print.
Comments and objections can be sent to Comments_Objections.Northern@capetown.gov.za
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