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Tuesday 1 March 2011
Tel: 021 713 9440 Fax: 021 713 9481
Association objects to development GERDA VON BENECKE
T
HE PROPOSED development of Constantia Uitsig farm will not only have a negative impact, and establish appalling precedent in the area but the proposal is also said to fly “in the face of almost every planning police”, while offering “no spatial or environmental public benefits”, says the Constantia Property Owners’ Association (CPOA). In a 27-page report prepared by consultants hired by the CPOA to provide “professional and expert comment on the planning, heritage and land reform issues” surrounding the development, a number of objections were raised. These, together with comment and objections from other interested and affected parties, have been sent to the City of Cape Town, which is expected to pass it on to Doug Jeffery Environmental Consultants employed by the Constantia Uitsig owners. Doug Jeffery Environmental Consultants will use these to draw up a Draft Environmental Assessment Report for the development. The development of the site entails the construction of 30 single residential units, a new winery, 12 new guest rooms, a new farm manager’s house and the relocation of the stables and workshop. In what is planned to be the first
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land reform project in the Constantia Valley, it is also intended that workers become owners and shareholders of the farm. The accommodation part of the proposal, thus, depends on whether the land reform participants choose to stay on the property according to limited tenure conditions, or move to Westlake where they will have their own plots. The plan also includes moving the urban edge, as well as “formalising” the commercial zoning of the existing hotel and spa, two restaurants and the cricket field. The CPOA objects to the development on the grounds of it having a “significant negative impact” on the area. The report suggests that the development appears to “only serve the narrow interests of the owners of Uitsig and, to a questionable degree, at best 20 farm workers”. The CPOA also says the proposed land reform initiative is “misdirected” as the applicant’s motivation for the proposed Land Reform lacks detail as to the structure of the Land Reform transaction, its funding, the liabilities to be incurred by farm workers, measures to ensure their meaningful participation in decision-making, or the timing of the transaction. Residents questioned the motive of the initiative, considering it “nothing more than a covert attempt to advance the commercial activities of the Uitsig Farm”. The CPOA also accused the Uitsig owners of trying to “short circuit the decision-making process and avoid full and proper local input by the subcouncil
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Cooling off Asmah (8) and Shakirah Ariefdi en (5), seeking some relief from the blistering heat, at the Sea Point public swimming pool yesterday. Weather servic es forecast ex tremely hot weather for the rest of the week after the temper ature was ex pected to hit 37°C yesterday. Photo: Danielle Karalis
and other municipal structures” in their request that Council not exercise its delegated authority but submit its recommendations to provincial government to take the necessary decisions. “This application involves amendments, departures, rezoning, subdivision and policy decisions which are at the heart of the municipality’s core business,” reads the CPOA’s objection. The CPOA also believes the farm’s heritage and cultural significance has to be taken into account. It wants a survey of all heritage resources on the farm and an assessment of its relation to the Constantia-Tokai Valley and the Cape Winelands undertaken on behalf of the applicant. The CPOA objects to the possible commercial rezoning of the cricket field, the restaurants and the extension of the hotel complex due to the possible noise nuisances and traffic congestion. According to Lawrie Mackintosh, chairperson of the Constantia Uitsig Wine Estates, the workers will be made shareholders of the farms whether they decide to live on the
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farm or not. Mackintosh says the request by the consultants to sidestep certain planning administrative processes in relation to the development was made to “streamline” the process so that decisions that needed to be made by provincial department did not have to go through the city too. In reaction to the objections raised by the CPOA, Mackintosh says that while he understands it is normal for the public to have an emotional response to change and development, he wants to assure them that the impact of the development on the area will be minimal. Mackintosh says there would be no nett loss in agricultural land due to the development. Also, as they are opening a new winery, they have no interest in scaling down on farming. The extension of the hotel, says Mackintosh, would also help grow the farm as a tourist site, in turn providing employment and benefiting the Constantia area. As for the objections that the development will detract from the rural lifestyle of the area, Mackintosh says a map of Constantia shows the
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area is already largely built up, with complexes where the same people objecting to the development are residing. Doug Jeffery, of Doug Jeffery Environmental Consultants, says the draft report will be made available for public comment for a period of 40 days, when the public will also have the opportunity to discuss concerns and issues with the various specialists. Jeffery says the objections and comments received on the draft report will be assessed to decide whether further work needs to be done or answers need to be provided in the Final Environmental Assessment. This final report, says Jeffery, will be made available for public comment for 21 days and will be handed to the Provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEADP) with all other objections and comments. The DEADP will make a decision on whether the project will be authorised with conditions, or refused, and inform the applicant of its decision.
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