Are our Sports Field at Risk? Monday 3 March 2014 at 6.30 pm

Camps Bay & Clifton Ratepayers

PUBLIC MEETING

ARE OUR SPORTS FIELDS AT RISK?

Protecting the Camps Bay Green Belet and Public Open Space

ALSO:

• Slope Stability on Victoria Road

• Councillors & Manco report backs

Monday 3 March

The Rotunda, The Bay Hotel, Camps Bay

6.30pm - 8pm

Be There! It is in Your Hands!

Declaration of the street block bound by Strand, Buitengracht, Bree and Waterkant Streets

Please support the application by The Habitat Council for the: 'Declaration of the street block bound by Strand, Buitengracht, Bree and Waterkant Streets, Cape Town, comprising ERF 9245 CT – (The Lutheran Church Complex, the Evangelical Lutheran Church office, and two 20th century buildings), and ERF 174009 CT – (Melck/VOC warehouse) as Grade 1 Heritage Resource'. In order to assist those who are not aware of this historical site, please find (ATTACHED) a copy of a very informative presentation prepared for last November's appeal hearing. A refusal of a previous application for a 4 storey office block application was confirmed by the Cape High Court, and, in November 2013, by the Planning Appeal Board of the City. This application to now have the defined area declared a Grade 1 Heritage site is prompted by the likelihood that a new application may now be submitted for the development with respect to the 18th century warehouse on this street block. Letters of support can be sent to the Executive Officer: Habitat Council, 1 Bertha Court, Exner Ave, Vredehoek 8001 email address: mlroux@mweb.co.za OR The South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) itself if you prefer : PO Box 4637, Cape Town, 8000 email: info@sahra.org.za - please also send a copy to the Executive Officer: Habitat Council, 1 Bertha Court, Exner Ave, Vredehoek 8001, email address: mlroux@mweb.co.za •       We fully support the application to SAHRA and the stand taken by the Habitat Council to have the complete Lutheran street block declared a Grade 1 Heritage site, prompted by the likelihood that a new application may now be submitted for the development with respect to the 18th century warehouse on this street block. The refusal of the 4 storey office block application having been confirmed by the Cape High Court, and, in November 2013, by the Planning Appeal Board of the City. •       We also fully agree and support the reasoning of the Habitat Council in this application to SAHRA in that you declare the complete street block a Grade 1 Heritage Resource, so that the principle that this block reflects 18th century scale and style of construction may be strengthened. •       We do not want to have to fight against anything like the four plus two storey block which would totally destroy the integrity of the site, - the only remaining street block representing 18th century buildings of the VOC period. Kind regards Len Swimmer Chairman

Appeal to Camps Bay residents

Dear Camps Bay resident / owner

Many of you may not know about the CBRRA or what it does.  The CBRRA has been around for many years.  The Executive Committee offers their time and expertise free of charge for the mutual benefit of ALL owners and residents of Camps Bay.  It is through the tireless work of Exco Members over many years that Camps Bay is what it is today – arguably the most desirable place to live in South Africa.  You should consider the CBRRA as your community friend looking after your interests in the Camps Bay community.

Some of the main objectives of the CBRRA are:

1. To bring back a sense of community to residents.
2. To work in the best interests of all residents and owners.
3. To assist and guide owners with planning matters.
4. To work with Council and Councillors in order to preserve / enhance the beauty of Camps Bay (eg maintenance of open spaces) for all residents and owners and restrict control of Liquor Outlets.
5. To ensure only suitable events within the community are held. 
6. To work hand-in-hand with Camps Bay Watch (CBW) and other community bodies. 

We would like to invite you all to join CBRRA and assist Exco in making the Camps Bay community even better.  It is only with the support of the community that we are able to achieve our objectives and protect your interests.

If you would like to join, please can you e-mail us and we would be pleased to welcome you.  All we ask for is a nominal contribution of R300 per annum.  Alternatively, you can make a combined contribution of R500 for 2014 and 2015.  This can be paid either in cash at Herbert Properties office or alternatively by means of an EFT.  The bank details are as follows:

First National Bank
Branch code: 201709
Account No: 62062797934

For those of you who are already Members, we would like to thank you.  If you could forward this post to anyone you may know that would like to join, we would be most grateful.

The Future of Camps Bay and Clifton in Your Hands

• Have you ever needed advice with Building Plans?
• Have you ever needed help with controversial issues with neighbours?
• Have you ever wondered how the Beaches, Parks and Green Open Spaces are improved?
• Do you know who to contact at the Municipality with issues you are experiencing in its jurisdiction?

Camps Bay Ratepayers and Residents Association

incorporating Clifton

Visit www.cbrra.co.za 

or call Gus Millner (021) 438 8983 or 072175 5458

to find out how you can help.

Household Waste and Recycling Services

Think Twice is the City of Cape Town’s free door-to-door municipal recycling collection service.
This proven method has been operating successfully in The City of Cape Town for over five years.
In previous pilot phases, many lessons have been learnt which have been put to use as the
Think Twice system gains in efficiency and popularity.

Waste Control has recently been contracted to the City of Cape Town to provide a domestic and
recyclable waste collection services to residents of

• Clifton
• Bantry Bay
• Camps Bay
• Llandundo
• Hout Bay
• Bakoven

The free service will collect your recyclable materials each week on the same day as your refuse removal.

All you need do is get your waste sorted! 

Get sorted for recycling it's as easy as 1, 2, and 3!

Follow these simple steps to get into the recycling routine.

One:
Collect all your 'dry` recyclables (paper, bottles, tins, plastic containers) in the clear plastic bag you will regularly receive

Two:
Each week on your refuse removal day, place your clear bag of recyclables on top of your black bag inside the wheelie-bin.

Three:
Waste Control will remove your recyclables first and leave a new clear bag for you to start collecting the next week's recyclables.
Please help by remembering to:

• Remove lids and caps and rinse out containers and bottles
• Squeeze plastic bottles and containers flat
• Prevent glass items from breaking
• Flatten big cardboard boxes and place beside the wheelie-bin.

Other wet and non-recyclable waste in your wheelie-bin goes into the refuse truck in the usual way before being compacted and disposed of at the landfill site.

Where do your recyclables go?
Your bag of recyclables is collected and loaded into a separate vehicle. From there it is transported to a specially built recycling facility for separating and made ready for later reprocessing into new materials.

MyCiti Launch Hout Bay Route

MyCiTi services launch on Saturday, 15 February, linking central Cape Town with Hout Bay via Main Road in Sea Point. Commuters must get their myconnect cards to use these new services.

Both routes run from Civic Centre station in the city centre along Main Road through Green Point and Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay and on to Llandudno and Hout Bay. The routes split in Hout Bay with one route running via Hangberg(108) and the other via Imizamo Yethu(109).  

The new services are:
108 Hout Bay - Hangberg - Sea Point - Civic Centre
109 Hout Bay - Imizamo Yethu - Sea Point - Civic Centre

Passengers travelling to Camps Bay, the upper city bowl and central city area will also have the choice of transferring at two beachfront stops in Camps Bay to the MyCiTi routes that travel over Kloof Nek (106 and 107).

With the launch of the new services, Golden Arrow bus services and minibus taxis currently operating along these routes will be withdrawn. This means that users of these public transport modes need to get ready to use MyCiTi by getting a myconnect card loaded with enough money to travel.
Get your FREE myconnect card

Everyone four years and older needs their own myconnect card loaded with value to travel with MyCiTi. Get your card for R25 from MyCiTi stations and participating retailers.

MyCiTi will also be holding free myconnect card promotions from 1 February 2014 at the Hout Bay public library where you can get a free card loaded with 30 Mover points for travel. You only pay R30 for the points and save on the R25 card cost.

Anyone can get a free card. All you need is R30 in cash and to present proof of identity (ID book, driver's licence, passport or birth certificate). Parents of caregivers applying on behalf of children under 18 must sign on their behalf, and the child must be present.

Passengers can also load Mover packages at these libraries.

The free card promotions will take place in Hout Bay as follows:
Hout Bay Public Library, Melkhout Crescent    
From 1 February 2014    
Mon, Tue, Thu: 10:00 - 18:00
Wed: 10:00 - 13:00 Friday: 10:00 - 17:00 Sat: 09:00 - 13:00

Cape municipal valuations apply till 2015

MONDAY FEB 03, 2014
Cape municipal valuations apply till 2015

The City of Cape Town won't publish a municipal valuations roll this year, so the results of the previous roll, published in February last year, will apply to all properties until at least February 2015.

Municipalities are only required to publish a new roll every four years, so it's likely these values will apply until early 2016.

The exception to this is properties that have substantially changed during this period or are deemed to have been incorrectly valued to a large degree. To update information, a supplementary roll is published every year detailing properties that have had their valuations amended.

'Most homes won't be revalued until the next general roll, but it's good to be aware in case a change does come,' said Claude McKirby, southern suburbs principal for Lew Geffen Sotheby's International Realty.

'The change in question is your rates, which are calculated according to the municipality's valuation of your home, minus a R200 000 rebate. You should be aware of the value the city has put on your property, as an incorrect value could result in rates being higher than they should be.'

Rates for residential properties are 0.0059 percent of the municipal value minus the rebate, whereas commercial properties attract rates that are 0.0118 percent of the value. There is no rebate on commercial property.

'Over the years, the system has improved and most valuations now are quite accurate, but with 800 000 properties to value, there are bound to be errors,' said Steve Thomas, False Bay area manager for Lew Geffen Sotheby's International Realty.

'There is an objection system for owners who think their properties have been overvalued; however this is only available for a certain time after the roll has been published.

'Each supplementary roll also opens a new window for objection, but only to properties that have had their values changed. In general, the valuations are below what your home would fetch on the open market and shouldn't really play a role in the sale process,' said Thomas.

'Nevertheless , buyers should be aware of why their rates are as much as they are and, if necessary, be prepared to lodge objections when the opportunity arises.

'If you are carrying out extensive work on your property, you need to factor in the likely rise in rates in the next supplementary roll,' said McKirby.

Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)