Florida Road rejuvenation off to a good start

THE Florida Road Urban Improvement Precinct (UIP) which started operating on 1 Octrober 2013 has already gone a long way in the rejuvenation of Florida Road thanks to the efforts of local property owners and community groups who together form the UIP.

The Florida Road community has, over the past two years, motivated, lobbied and planned for the formation of the Florida Road UIP which was officially legislated in July this year. The aim behind the formation of the UIP is to sustain and grow property values, ensure business prosperity and create a high quality of life for all the area’s users. Key businesses and individuals were instrumental in together raising R185 000 to set-up the UIP, which will drive the positive management of the area’s public space.

“It has been a mammoth effort by some dedicated people, who have been real champions of Florida Road, and I can’t emphasise enough how positive we feel about the future of this area,” said UIP chairman, local property owner and driver of the UIP formation, Wayne Stainforth.

Organisations, businesses and individuals who have driven the process inlcude: The eThekwini Municipality, Wayne Stainforth and Greys personnel, Western Star temporary and permanent staffing, Kenmore properties, Smith and Winfield decorators, Cecile & Boyds, – Elizabeth Gorden Gallery, Michael Holland and Europa, Interdeco, Mark Gold and Vida E, Ross Roger and the Olive Tree Church, Quarters Hotel, UAL Group, Newlyn Investments, Community Chest, Design Workshop, Whalley & Associates, Alfred Sudheim, Pat Brown as well as stakeholder groups such as the CPF and We Are Durban.

Urban decay is a reality of most cities throughout the world, and the creation of public space management structures is one way to ensure that this phenomenon does not negatively affect an area, but instead shifts the focus to growth and urban renewal. The nature of a UIP structure is to partner with local municipalities to improve the quality of an area’s public space and has a proven track record of combating urban decay.

“The positive effects of UIP type structures, are being felt all over KZN where property values are enhanced, business activity is supported and the environment and quality of life for all users is greatly improved,” said Brian Wright, owner of UrbanMgt, the company contracted to establish and manage the Florida Road UIP. Under this management, and through the direction of a UIP board, the Florida UIP is tasked to manage the public space along the full length of Florida Road from Lilian Ngoyi Road intersection in the south to Mitchell Park in the north and includes properties on both sides of the road.

Levy collections began in July and were collected into a reserve of funds that allowed for services to be phased in from 1 October. Since then, the regular services delivered by the UIP include:

– Security through the employment of two capacitated security officers in a dedicated vehicle that patrols the area 24/7

– An extra weekend foot patrol service of two officers 6pm-6am on Friday and Saturday nights

– Direct links to private patrols who manage the residential initiatives in the surrounding areas

– A team of three cleaning and greening staff working on a rotation basis seven days a week

– General precinct management, which includes continual fault reporting and follow up with the municipality. Faults are logged on a UIP management system and followed up on a regular basis until repaired.

– Lobbying for municipal infrastructure and optimising service delivery through the establishment of operational partnerships with the various municipal departments

As levy collection increases, and more contributions come in via voluntary residential levies, and the expansion of the UIP boundary, so the services provided will increase to meet the demands of the area.

Over and above the daily services provided by the UIP, there has been a strong focus on visibly improving the look of Florida Road in order to inspire confidence and trust in the UIP structure. To this end, the UIP:

– Implemented a car guard management structure which included a security vetting process, new uniforms and ID cards

– Ran a cleaning blitz in November by a team of 20 UIP staff who, with the support from Durban Solid Waste, eradicated weeds and overgrown vegetation along verges and roadways; removed graffiti, broken bricks and rubble; removed illegal posters and cleaned-up legal posters falling off poles.

– Got commitment from Durban Solid Waste to add an extra pick-up to the Florida Road route and to add more staff to help in the general clean-up of the area.

– Requested the re-tarring of the upper section of Florida Road by the municipality roads department

– Undertook an audit of damaged paving and tree planters, submitted it to the municipality and is overseeing the current repairs of these areas

– Undertook an audit of defective and missing street signage, submitted it to the municipality for repair and replacement and is overseeing the team that has started working on the signage.

These successes are just the beginning of the work to be done by the UIP with future areas of focus including:

– The continual management of car guards and better formalisation of the system

– The clean-up of the alleyways around the area which adds to the general feeling of area management

– Better lighting for pedestrians and the removal of dark spots

– Supporting SAPS / Metro Police to reduce the recreational drug problem in the area

– Management of vagrants and vulnerable people through work with the municipality, local church groups and We Are Durban.

– The establishment of a security forum for the area

– A full audit of infrastructure upgrades for the area including pavement, lights, dustbins, benches, way-finding, traffic calming measure, bus shelters and other key issues

Precinct manager Gary Braatvedt said the first weeks of operation had shown the value of having a dedicated driver working with the community of Florida Road who are eager to see their node reach its maximum potential. “I encourage all property owners, businesses, residents and users of Florida Road to be part of the collective rejuvenation of this wonderful area by identifying what you can do to improve aesthetics and maintenance of premises bordering on the Road – jointly we can make a significant change to the look and feel of the area,” he said.