Cape Town plans for a bumper holiday season

CITY OF CAPE TOWN MEDIA RELEASE

In anticipation of a higher than normal influx of visitors to Cape Town this summer, the City has launched a comprehensive safety and cleansing plan for the festive season. The final draw for the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup on Friday 04 December at the Cape Town International Convention Centre is expected to boost this year’s figure to over a million visitors.

Cape Town’s festive season will be officially launched on November 29 when Executive Mayor Dan Plato switches on the festive lights in Adderley Street followed by the traditional carnival parade. Other high-profile events linked to the final draw include a special mayoral welcome for the FIFA executives on 02 December and the Cape Town Final Draw Festival in Long Street on 04 December.

“The City of Cape Town extends a warm welcome to all visitors. The City will do its utmost to enhance their comfort and safety. At the same time, we appeal to visitors and residents to help keep our city clean and safe during the holiday period,” says Mayor Plato. As one of the most popular international holiday destinations, Cape Town offers a 307 km long coastline with 72 beaches and a vast variety of parks and nature reserves which will bustle with recreational and leisure activities over the next few months.

City Manager, Achmat Ebrahim, has established a dedicated Festive Season Co-ordination Committee, representing various City departments, to oversee the implementation of strategies to contribute towards a safe, clean and enjoyable experience for all visitors and residents during the festive season.

The committee, chaired by Richard Bosman, Executive Director: Safety and Security, has devised a co-ordinated plan to alleviate possible high risk eventualities including road traffic accidents, fires, safety and security at beaches, power failures, crowd surges and festival events.

“We particularly urge visitors to slow down and drive carefully at the major road construction sites such as the Koeberg Interchange on the N1 and to adhere to traffic rules at all times,” says Bosman. The following special measures have been put in place to enhance safety and cleanliness:

• The City's Disaster Management Team is on 24-hour full alert and is geared for all eventualities. The public may report any emergency (including medical, crime, fire and traffic) to the 107 emergency number from a Telkom line. Cellphone users need to dial 021 480 7700.
  
  
• Metro Police, Traffic Services, Law Enforcement, and Security and Specialised Services staff will be on duty over the festive season.
  
  
• Regular safety patrols will take place at tourist hot spots and other high risk crime areas. Targeted operations aimed at combating all forms of substance abuse as well as roadblocks will be executed throughout the festive season. The Metro Police's newly established dog unit will also be deployed for the first time during operations over the festive season.
  
  
• These safety initiatives include partnerships with other agencies such as the City Improvement Districts and Displaced Persons Support Unit.
  
  
• Fire and Rescue Services will be on high alert with over 700 full-time firefighters on a shift basis at 28 fire stations on standby across the city. An additional 116 seasonal firefighters will be deployed by December 15 to assist with bush and vegetation fires. Two helicopters, operating from the Newlands forestry station, will assist in aerial fire-fighting. All citizens are requested to heed fire warnings and practice fire safe measures at all times.
  
  
• The City’s partnership with Western Province Lifesaving will ensure that 115 multi-skilled lifeguards are on duty at 44 beaches, as well as at regional and community pools across the city.
  
  
• A total of 19 shark spotters are deployed at seven beaches, namely Muizenberg, St James, Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek, Noordhoek, Glencairn and Clovelly.
  
  
• Over R17 million has been budgeted for cleansing. Refuse removal will continue uninterrupted over this period (even on the public holidays). More than 900 additional cleansing staff will be appointed to clean-up business districts, scenic routes and beaches.

For holiday makers to have a safe trip, motorists are encouraged to ensure that their vehicles are in a sound roadworthy condition. The City’s Traffic Services will conduct free basic vehicle safety checks at the following traffic centres: Gallows Hill, Bellville, Kuilsrivier, Brackenfell, Hillstar, Goodwood and Durbanville, between 10:00 to 14:00 each working day from 11 December 2009 to 08 January 2010.

End

Issued by: Jan Kruger, Media Liaison Officer, Tel: 021 400-1292 or Cell: 084 300 0630

Media enquiries: Operational: Richard Bosman, Executive Director: Safety and Security, Tel: 400-3355 or Cell: 079 269 2239
2010 World Cup: Pieter Cronje, Director: Communication and 2010 WC spokesperson, Tel: 021 400 4592 or Cell: 082 465 4965

Road Closure Final Draw 2010 FIFA World Cup

The Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be held at 19h00 on Friday 4 Dec 09 at the CTICC. Prior to and during the event a number of road closures will be in place. Your particular attention is drawn to the road closures for the Long Street Festival as well as for the area around the CTICC. Your tolerance of any inconvenience caused will be appreciated and thank you for your co-operation in this. For information specifically regarding road closures contact 072-324-2476.

Click on the table below to enlarge ››



THE first official event to launch South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ takes place in Cape Town on December 4 and the City of Cape Town is pulling out all stops to demonstrate its readiness to welcome thousands of soccer fans and dignitaries.

The FIFA Final Draw, which will determine the match schedule for the 32 participating teams in next year’s soccer tournament, will be held at 19:00 on Friday, December 4 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

"About 3 000 international dignitaries and media representatives are expected to attend this milestone event which will be televised live to an estimated 150 million viewers across the globe. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Cape Town to put its best foot forward," says Lesley de Reuck, the City’s Director of 2010 Operations.

"To welcome VIPs at the CTICC, the City of Cape Town will host a ‘Red Carpet’ event as from 16:00. Although the Final Draw ceremony will be closed to the public, the City has organised a one day festival in Long Street where Capetonians can view the Final Draw on large TV screens," says De Reuck.

"Prior to and during the events, several roads will be closed temporarily to enable event organisers and various City and Provincial services to prepare and secure these venues," says De Reuck.

For the Final Draw event at the CTICC, there will be intermittent road closures on the Foreshore in the area of Lower Long Street, Coen Steytler and Cullinan Street, from 09:00 on Monday November 30 to 05:00 on Monday December 7.

For the Long Street Festival, there will be a full closure of Long Street, from Buitensingel to Buiten Street, and Loop Street, from 13:00 on November 30 to 05:00 on December 7.

From 01:00 on December 4 to 12:00 on December 5, there will be road closures in the area bound by Queen Victoria Street, Green Street, Buitensingel, Loop Street and Dorp Street.

Buiten Street, Bloem Street, Pepper Street, Leeuwen Street, Wale Street, Keerom Street and Vredenburg Lane will also be affected.

On-street stopping or parking will not be permitted on Long Street from Buitensingel to Buiten from 17:00 on Sunday 29 November.

Access control measures will enable businesses and residents entry to the affected areas.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused by these street closures and wish to thank all Capetonians in advance for their co-operation.

"To minimise traffic disruptions, Cape Town Traffic services will be on duty to redirect motorists and pedestrians. There will also be sufficient signage pointing towards alternative routes," he says.

For more information on the Long Street road closures only, please contact 072 324 2476.

Ends

Issued by the Communication Department, City of Cape Town

Media queries:
Lesley de Reuck, Director of 2010 Operations, City of Cape Town, Tel: (021) 401 4001
Pieter Cronjé, 2010 Spokesperson, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 400 4592 or Cell: 082 465 4965

The Crystal

THE CRYSTAL” - ANOTHER TOWNPLANNING CHALLENGE FOR THE CAMPS BAY RATEPAYERS AND RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION (CBRRA)CBRRA ?

In recent years, CBRRA has been singularly successful in fighting excessive and unsympathetic developments in Camps Bay and environs.

To date, CBRRA has won five High Court cases against the Cape Town City Council in which it has applied for an urgent interdict for work on a project to be stopped until the High Court could review what it considered to be illegally passed plans on various projects in the area. These projects were on First Crescent, Camps Bay Drive, Geneva Drive, Blinkwater Road and Woodhead Close.

The ultimate success in the various projects have been varied, largely as a result of the City Council’s perceived support for the Developers / Owners.

What generally happened was that, having been interdicted and forced to stop works, Developers submitted rider plans which purported to legalise the project. With two significant exceptions (see one below) the Council almost immediately passed the rider plans and CBRRA was faced with having to reapply for the revised plans to be reviewed – a very expensive exercise and not always successful. The Blinkwater Road case has reached the Appeal Court and the judgement is pending any day now.

As you drive down Camps Bay Drive, just before you get to Woodford Avenue, you will observe on the right hand side, what is arguably one of the biggest structures being erected for forty one flats on the old “Troben Heights” Flats site.

In this instance, the Developer had plans passed in the latter half of 2008 without, in the Council’s opinion, having to have any zoning scheme departures or title deed restrictions modified or removed.

It is CBRRA’s legal opinion that the project illegal in respect of a number of alleged transgressions, namely :

* The building has five in lieu of only the three “floor levels” permitted
in the title deed.

* Certain facades are higher than the zoning scheme permitted 10
metre height above existing natural ground levels at any one point.

* The basement area exceeds the permissible “built upon “ area.

* The project has derogated the value of surrounding affected
properties (an adjacent residence lost a sale as a result of the
erection of the new building and the Seller could only sell
subsequently for ± R400 000 less). This was pointed out in a
written report by Valuer John van der Spuy, as being a striking
transgression of Section 7 of the National Building Regulations.

* Certain isolated retaining walls, erected to legalise the so-called
“basement” by the introduction of earth fill between them and the
basement (contrary to the spirit of the zoning scheme regulations)
are over the permitted zoning scheme heights..

What has compounded the problem, however, is that the Developer submitted rider plans at the beginning of 2009 which altered the design drastically. In September, the Council rejected these rider plans as being illegal, but has permitted the Developer to continue constructing the building not in accordance with the (now incorrect) original passed plans.

Apart from contesting the above issues, CBRRA strongly objects to this situation and has had a crucial meeting to clarify the above matters with the Council and the Developer postponed / cancelled four times by the Council over a period of six weeks - on the pretext that the Council was awaiting legal opinions before responding. It took CBRRA four days to obtain its legal opinions.

Every attempt by CBRRA to convene this meeting with all the top Planning Officials / Politicians has proved absolutely fruitless. In the meantime, the Developer is proceeding apace with the construction and this is a situation where clearly the Council appears to be on the side of the Developer and not the hugely affected neighbours or the community at large.

This experience supports the Peoples’ Post’s recent article which highlighted the unacceptable manner in which the City Planning Department conducts its duties in respect of planning matters.

Trudi Groenewald
Chairperson
CBRRA

Objection to Proposed Cellular Base Station

Objection to Proposed Cellular Base Station on Erf 4 Camps Bay Beachfront by Camps Bay Ratepayers and Residents Association (CBRRA).

SUBMITTED TO THE GOOD HOPE SUBCOUNCIL ON 19 NOVEMBER 2009

Thank you Mr, Chairman for this opportunity to object to your committee in respect of this proposal.

We have perused the highly detailed justification from the applicant and the Council officials as to why the base station should be allowed.

CBRRA is astounded that, although the Council has just proudly and widely announced that the centre portion of Camps Bay beach is now to again become an internationally recognised Blue Flag Beach with all the worthy qualities required for it to become so, it now proposes to place at a very low level a new cellular base station and mast in the very same area !

I would hazard a guess that this must be the first Blue Flag beach in the world with such an added attraction. You can imagine the public outcry when this fact becomes general knowledge.

So attractive is this installation that the financially well-healed applicant has offered to place a public bench and planters nearby which not only looks out at absolutely nothing but is situated within the five metre radius which the Council has stated must be a no-go area !

If there is absolutely no danger, why is there a 5m access restriction by the Council which the above park bench ignores.

Mr Chairman, much is made by your Council Officials and the Applicant that there is “a lack of scientific evidence to suggest that there is a health risk associated with cellular base stations. Both international and local medical and environmental authorities including Council’s Medical Officer of Health, are of this opinion”. This is a nice general spin statement which covers all and is intended to crush all contentions to the contrary.

It is CBRRA’s contention that the onus is NOT on the objectors to prove that the installation is dangerous, but that it is on the Council and the Applicant to produce irreversible proof and test results that such installations are NOT dangerous to humans, animals and plant life in any form or at any distance whatsoever.

If they are not dangerous, why does the Council want to impose a distance restriction and why did it reject the recent application for a similar installation on erf 355 in February 2004 (Application 152379) at Marine Heights Flats in Upper Tree Road Camps Bay ?

I would like to table a photo of the density of people which congregates around this building on occasions and I would like your Council and the Applicant to look me straight in the eye and guarantee unconditionally, without any shadow of a doubt, that not one of these people will ever suffer from the harmful effects of this installation.

Of course you cannot, otherwise why is the Council putting conditions such as ;

Should any further research link electromagnetioc radiation to health issues, this approval may be revised.

There is therefore some niggling doubt in the Council’s mind that something may not be entirely quite right and it is keeping its options open in case things go wrong. In the meantime, the public is at risk, no matter how small and this is not good enough for CBRRA.

I also wish to hand in 14 pages of research which contends that this type of installation IS harmful to humans, gathered from all around the world.

With the greatest respect, Mr. Chairman, I query your Subcouncil’s credentials to be the ultimate judges as to whether there should be a cellular base station in this position or not. It is not your fault that you are not qualified to make this ultimate final or semi-final judgement.

CBRRA accordingly hereby urgently requests that this application becomes the subject of an EIA public procedure process and also the necessary procedures which have to be executed in terms of the new Act / Bylaw which has recently been promulgated which requires an equally rigorous public participation process particularly on buildings which are situated within 100 metres of the sea shoreline.

Aesthetically we are going to be faced with an industrial installation, surrounded by a 2m high fence and razor wire on arguably one of Cape Town’s most picturesque beaches , which will also need maintenance and possibly vehicles travelling over the lawns to and from the area.

The other real problem, as you will readily acknowledge, Mr. Chairman, is that, let Vodacom onto this building, you will immediately get applications from MNnet and Cell C and what justifications will you have to refuse their applications as well ?. This will result in even more unsightly and yet more possibly dangerous installations appearing around the building in the future.

CBRRA fully understands the Applicant’s eagerness to provide an ever-better service (remembering always that this is ultimately always to increase profits and overcome competition) but fails to accept that this site is the only site which will solve its problems. It must therefore investigate other sites which are further away from human habitation or use – especially one as congested as this. Living and health standards cannot be subordinated to aspirations for commercial gain. There are plenty of ither open sites available.

Please therefore, Mr. Chairman, reject this application just as you rejected the previous (and hopefully the next) Upper Tree Road application for a cellular base station.

John Powell
For CBRRA

Heritage Site on Auction

Please note the date for the Stone Cottage Auction is on
19 November at the Grand Westin Hotel.

CBRRA CAMPAIGNS TO ENSURE THEIR PRESERVATION



Read the full article ‹‹here››

Savile Row Auctions announced that its inaugural Cape Town auction will to be held on 19 November at The Grand Westin Foreshore in Cape Town.

The auction will offer a unique opportunity to the discerning property buyer with seven original stone cottages coming under the hammer.

Kim Faclier, Managing Director of the Savile Row Auctions Cape Town operation comments, "The cottages are more than 100 years old and have significant value in terms of their heritage. Based on research done and correspondence with the Camps Bay Rate Payers Association the property is protected as a heritage site under section 34 of the NHR Act as well as a Grade 3 (b) grading as per the Karin Strom survey."

Situated at the intersection of Camps Bay and Geneva Drive, the property enjoys prime locality to the Camps Bay beachfront as well as its CBD commercial area.

1-5 Geneva Drive is a freehold property that is a single erf improved with three separate dwelling cottages. The size of the erf is 887sqm and each cottage is approximately 85sqm. Cottages comprise of three bedrooms, outbuildings and a covered stoep.

13-19 Camps Bay Drive is also a freehold property that is a single erf improved with four separate dwellings. The stand is 707sqm and each cottage is approximately 70sqm. These are one bedroom cottages which include a covered stoep and staff quarters.

"As such, this beautiful property will appeal to a very specific type of buyer – a buyer that has an interest in heritage sites and has a passion for wanting to restore these historic homes to their original glory," says Faclier.

For more information contact Kim Faclier on 082 554 6295.

Article from property24.com