Durban - Newlands West residents have more than a month to file objections to a housing development in a park in the Fosa area.
A meeting to discuss the development was disrupted last week when residents claimed they were not consulted.
Valencia Gardens Home Owners Association chairperson Dilkee Radhakissoon said they wanted facts and figures of the development to protect their property values.
“We don’t want a downgrade of the area. Our religious site in the park is our heritage site. We do not want it removed. We are not against low-cost housing units. The houses must be in-sync with the environment around it. We don’t want a slum,” Radhakissoon said.
She said the community used the park for sports and recreation.
“There are many discrepancies with the rezoning. We don’t want our property to be depreciated. We have put our heart and sweat into developing these properties.”
eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the portion earmarked for development was a vacant piece of land and not a park, as claimed by the complainants.
He said developers planned to build 237 housing units on the land, situated between Runton Way, Sooklall Drive and Inanda Road.
Mayisela said it was untrue that the land would be developed for low-income housing.
“Applicants will be people earning between R3 500 and R22 000 per month through the Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme. The development is consistent with the surrounding context and in promoting Newlands as an area suitable for general residential housing options, which do not detract from, nor negatively impact on, the surrounding neighbourhood and amenities.
“It is untrue that the city has decided to go ahead and implement the rezoning without consulting the residents,” Mayisela said.
He could not divulge further information regarding the actual construction of the units. He said all information would be made available once other processes were finalised.
Mayisela said eThekwini Housing had identified a need for additional residential housing within the metropolitan area. As a result, several vacant and undeveloped sites were identified for the provision of housing and had been prioritised.
Objections must be lodged before January 6.
The Daily News