Current community issue

2 bottle store applications in Craighall Park -  June 2010

Download petition form

In the past few months there have been two applications for a bottle store licence, both in the vicinity of Lancaster & Clarence Avenues. Craighall Park. Many residents do not want two bottle stores in the middle of a residential area.  

Objections have been lodged in respect of each application but the first one, in Lancaster Village (applied for as 'Wine & Liquor Craighall'), may have already been granted a conditional liquor licence. We have thus been advised to organise a petition: we urge anyone who is against these developments to obtain as many signatures as possible, by 27 June 2010.

Forms may be dropped off with any member of the CRA executive. 

Examples of previous community issues

1. Beaufort Avenue/North Road

The proposed sale and townhouse development of the ‘Beaufort koppie’ raised the ire of many residents. It also highlighted a number of flawed processes on the City Council’s side.
Over three years (2002-2005) the CRA and the local community used every means to prevent the sale and to keep this small area as a public amenity. This included submitting a petition (with over 400 signatures) to the Mayor’s Office via the Speaker. It was a long, drawn out saga.

A resident also involved the Public Protector’s office. A report was issued towards the end of 2005 which found that…
“…it is the finding of this office that JoProp and Council did not comply with the Land Release Policy and that the procedure followed in relation to the alienation of the road reserve, was procedurally flawed. As the resolution of Council to permanently close and alienate the road reserve is still on record, the Public Protector is of the considered view that Council should take steps to rectify the situation. In terms of the provisions of section 182(1)(c) of the Constitution, 1996 and section 6(4)(c)(ii) of the Public Protector Act, 1994 the Public Protector recommends that-….”

In March of 2006 the City Council finally withdrew the decision to sell the area. What its future will be is still not clear but the CRA applied to lease the area as public open space for the benefit of the community. The CIty never responded.

Nonetheless, the lesson is that we as citizens need to be proactive in civic matters. 

The koppie area today, once an unsightly rubbish tip, is covered in flowers, thanks to several residents, particularly Mr Edgar Droste and Mr Elliot Twala. See also the historical report commissioned by the CRA.

Beaufort Avenue / North Road before the clean up		Beaufort Avenue / North Road after the clean up

  Below: the koppie today

As reported in the Rosebank / Killarney Gazette

TREE lover, Edgar Droste and his neighbours believe they have come to the rescue of the North Road koppie in Dunkeld West by creating a lovely garden on it. The koppie's appearance, however, may not be enough to save it. The garden boasts many different types of plants that are watered and cared for by the residents.

A nearby property has landed in the hands of a new owner who demolished the house and applied for rights to build a townhouse complex. The owner, Sheldon Bakos, is also bidding for the koppie with a view to incorporate it in the development.

This would nullify all the time Droste, his gardener Elliot Thwala, and the neighbours put into creating the garden. "It's ridiculous," said Droste. "Our area has some responsible property owners who take care of the pavement. Taking away the koppie will destroy the character of the area."

The application is still in its early stages but Droste and the neighbours have already objected. Meanwhile, Bakos said he was also "very fond" of the koppie and would retain as much of it as possible. "There were lots of problems on the koppie before, among them littering and vagrants, as the council has not been looking after it," he commented. "Incorporating it to the development will be a way to enhance it."

Bakos added should his application get the nod, there would be a pedestrian walkway to ensure residents continue to enjoy the beauty and use of the koppie.

2. OBJECTIONS TO a proposed filling station on cnr Jan Smuts and Eastwood Road,Dunkeld West (as at September 2007)

The application for a petrol filling station on the corner of Eastwood and Jan Smuts in Dunkeld West has resurfaced after a period of over two years. A revised draft scoping report is available for viewing at the Rosebank Bowling Club, 15 Hume Road, Dunkeld West until Wednesday, 12 September 2007 (or go to http://www.sefsa.co.za). The executive summary is below these explanatory notes. If you objected previously please renew your opposition and if you did not do so before please do so now – the more responses we have, the better. Sutherland Avenue becomes Eastwood and we do not need another filling station in the area.

The Dunkeld West/Parktown North residents who have spear headed the objection campaign have summarised their concerns as follows:

The issues :

1. The procedure which has been utilised is unfair to interested and affected parties.  The application commenced three years ago.  The residents are now given 30 days to comment.  The department has already indicated it has closed its file.  A legal notice which has appeared in the Gazette also indicates that the cut-off date for applications in terms of the old regulations was 30 June 2007.  The revised scoping report was only submitted on 8 August 2007.  The applicant should therefore be instructed to reapply for environmental authorisation in terms of the new regulations.
2. There are no less than 11 filling stations within a 3 kilometer radius of the site.  On the applicant's own evidence, the proposed filling station will take business away from 17 existing filling stations.  There is therefore an over-supply of filling stations in the area.  If the current site is approved, this will have a significant detrimental effect on the urban environment and the social context in general.
3. The site will not be supported for filling station purposes from the point of view of the municipality's current development planning policies.
4. It is clear that people and homes in the area will be impacted upon by reason of noise generated from the filling station.  Examples of noise-generating activities are fuel delivery vehicles, the car wash facility, vehicles arriving and departing, noise created by customers and staff, and the fuel pumps.
5. The applicant has not dealt at all with the clear pollution which will occur by means of light generation.  Filling stations generally have a lot of neon lighting, signage, and general illumination in order to attract customers.  This will have a significant detrimental effect on the social environment.  
6. The applicant's own report indicates that Benzene levels will increase to the extent that cancer risk will be raised from low to moderate.  This is unacceptable in a residential environment.  Clearly the development will be dangerous to people in the area.
7. The administrative guidelines published by GDACE prohibit the development of filling stations in close proximity to residential homes.
8. The site is on an extremely dangerous curve in Jan Smuts Avenue.  Many of the residents have witnessed accidents at the site and the location of the road therefore does not support the development of a filling station.
9. Given the topography of the site, any spillage/leaking tanks etc will drain towards the river catchment area (see extract from consulting engineers).

Objection procedures

Other objectors also believed that the revised scoping report did not adequately deal with many of the issues raised previously, and noted that the environmental consultants, SEF, had also not planned to convene a further public meeting. 

The organisers were:

Kim Rey - kimrey@absamail.co.za Tessa Ziegler - tessa.ziegler@telkomsa.net

Page placed Sept 2007 

The CRA submitted an objection to the filling station – even though it is not in our area, it’s proposed location will have an adverse effect on traffic in parts of Craighall Park and environmental impacts that could threaten the river area. 

 

 

Koppie faces the chop
by: Kennedy Mudzuli 12th March 2004