The development is planned along the entire length of Ken Muir and Boundary roads, across to Countryview and Fairleads, with the aim of “creating a demand” for the planned R6-million Mega Mall.
The association objects to the development on the basis that the application is getting “very close to the Sandpan (and Countryview) conservancies and is now infringing on the forage paths of the Giant Bullfrog”.
“It is with great concern that these re-zoning applications are being erected in areas marked as environmentally sensitive,” the association said.
The association warned residents that if they don’t object then they won’t have a leg to stand on when the developments start popping up and destroying “our current lifestyle and the protected environment that we currently have”.
The Ekurhuleni Metro gave notice in terms of section 69(6)(a) of the town planning and township ordinance, 15 of 1986 that it has received an application to establish the township in Valkhoogte Extension 22 on 100 erven for special residential two (2), four erven for special special residential 3 (three) and one erf for special roads and storm water.
The land is portion 47 of the farm Valkfontein 30-IR.
Particulars of the application will lie for inspection during normal office hours in room 601, at the office of the area manager, city development, at the intersection of Tom Jones Street and Elston Avenue.
Objectors have 28 days, from October 2, to lodged their objections.
The metro said that objections to or representations in respect of the application must be lodged with or made in writing and in duplicate to the customer care centre area manager at the above address, or Private Bag x014, Benoni 1500.
The association further asked residents to add relevant and vital information and facts and to then forward their objections, in order for the association to consolidate them and hand them in at City Planning and at Planit Planning Solutions cc, the company behind the application.
They also urged the chairmen of the various conservancies to submit their objections, as the development is now infringing on the conservancies.
For more information, the association can be contacted on rynres@gmail.com.
The association has always been opposed to the entire development and the Mega Mall itself, on the grounds that it will badly affect the environment.
It said the mall was “bulldozed” through, via the Development Facilitation Act (DFA), which is no longer valid, and did it not go through via the correct re-zoning application.
The metro responded by saying that, at that time, the DFA was still an applicable legislation.
“The application was submitted and approved during 2009 and January 2012, by the Gauteng Development Tribunal (GDT), which falls under the Gauteng Provincial Government, in terms of the DFA, and the court’s decision on the applicability and validity of the DFA was made only in June 2012,” Modiba said.
The association also accused the metro of excluding ratepayers in the immediate and surrounding areas of the proposed mall, to which the metro said: “The application was submitted, evaluated and finalised by the GDT, and various departments of the Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality were requested to comment on the application only when it was submitted in 2009.
“The DFA specifies public participation and advertisement procedures that have to be complied with, and the applicant/developer has to satisfy the GDT that those requirements have been complied with, prior to considering the application.”
