Granger Bay Erf 1056

Dear Fellow Community members

I am sure you are aware of all the procedures regarding the B&C fields (Grange Bay Boulevard ) of the Green Point common and all the various presentation meetings that were held.  At no stage do I recall ever hearing that the option was to DISPOSE/SELL it – but it is so cleverly hidden in this advert that nobody would event know this advert is referring to the sale of the precious Public Open Space of the Green Point Common, a crown grant to the people of Cape Town. The council already tried to do something funny with this application and I made such a fuss that they are now following the ‘correct’ procedures :

I stopped it going through on the Sub-council meeting of 18 January – see below, this is what was on the agenda:

PROPOSED CLOSURE AND IN-PRINCIPLE APPROVAL FOR THE GRANTING OF LONG-TERM RIGHTS TO USE, CONTROL AND/OR MANAGE, BY WAY OF PUBLIC COMPETITION, CITY PROPERTY BEING PORTION 2 OF REMAINDER ERF 1056, GREEN POINT, SITUATED AT GRANGER BAY BOULEVARD, GREEN POINT, FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES

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See the explanation from our Councillor in his attempts to rectify the situation:

Hi Jenny

Please see the response sent from our Sub council to the planning department.   

Therefore this item has now been withdrawn and the correct process must run. 

Your request for comments was issued on 18 December, a few days before Christmas in the festive season. Council’s advertising policy as to Planning matters prohibits advertising in this period, and I would say that it should apply to Property matters as well, as many interested and affected persons are away on leave then. It so happened that I was on leave, as well as Ald. Qually and Cllr Weber.

2.     You requested me to circulate it to Ratepayers organisations, and I can assure you that the City would be making itself a target for legitimate criticism to do so in the heart of the festive season, especially in respect of a sensitive matter involving the area around the Cape Town Stadium. It might create the impression that the City deliberately advertises a potentially controversial matter during a holiday period to avoid negative publicity/comments.

3.     What is the purpose of circulating for comments to Ratepayers organisations an advertisement that appeared two months previously in the media and which now is way after the due date for comments? Why is it not circulated to all interested and affected parties during the same time period?

4.     You allowed councillors till 15 January to submit comments. However, the report was finalised and signed on 28 December already.

5.   In view of the above, Ald. Qually has ruled that the report in the matter be withdrawn from the 18 January Subcouncil agenda to allow sufficient time for submission of further comments.

Kind Regards 

Cllr Jacques Weber 

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Please can you help us object to the SALE of this land – the original option was always to lease it.  See advert of  Cape Times of Friday (attached) they are now advertising the disposal with objections due by 22 February to saul.jacobs @capetown.gov.za. 

Thanks and regards

Jenny

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Jenny McQueen

GREEN POINT RATEPAYERS’ & RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

Chairman

Newspaper article ‹‹here››