Cape Town - Residents in Goodwood have accused the City of Cape Town of not taking their comments into consideration when approving the C40 Reinventing Cities Programme.
Last month, the City council approved the proposal for four underused City-owned sites to be made available to the private sector for carbon-neutral, mixed-use development as part of this worldwide competition.
But the Goodwood Ratepayers’ Association said that although they had raised concerns with the City, the development would forge on.
The City has identified Tygerdal site at the Monte Vista station in Goodwood, for a development. The site is 7.6ha. It is underused and close to major retail and commercial centres.
According to the City, the site is ideal for higher density transit-oriented development, and could include different housing opportunities for a wide range of income groups.
The chairperson of the ratepayers’ association, Faizel Petersen, said: “The residents of Tygerdal are concerned about how the development will impact on their property values.
“We’ve also raised concerns regarding the access to our facilities because of our poor public transport system. We are aware that the City intends to move around 10000 people into Goodwood.”
Petersen said that although the process of informing the community had been properly done, the lack of transparency was concerning.
“We’re left in the dark and many of the residents are starting to get the jitters because they aren’t sure about what this project will bring to the area. We have a massive problem with grime and crime, and we are scared that having more people in our area will add to that burden,” he said.
The proposed sites that the City intends to develop are the Athlone station car park, Kapteinsklip station precinct in Mitchells Plain and Mouquet Farm in Diep River.
Previously the City embarked on a vacant site in Ottery, the Bishop Lavis Town Centre and a parking lot in Woodstock for the competition. The purpose of the C40 Reinventing Cities Programme is to transform underused urban sites into beacons of zero carbon emissions and resilient development.
Residents had the opportunity to comment on the proposal to make these sites available for redevelopment as part of the C40 Reinventing Cities Programme from August to September.
Mayco member for spatial planning and environment, Marian Nieuwoudt, said: “Once the C40 Reinventing Cities competition has been launched, we’ll call on the private sector and interested parties to submit development proposals for the sites.
“All four sites are appropriate for higher-density developments that will include a mix of land uses and community services. We would like to see plans that include affordable housing opportunities for a range of income groups with a variety of topologies and tenure options,” he said.
“Whatever is proposed must enhance the urban environment and improve the quality of life for residents and contribute significantly to carbon reduction. It must also be safe, convenient and attractive.”
@MarvinCharles17