AMONG various issues raised at a recent community meeting in Cresslawn, the proposed Esther Park housing development was the main issue strongly opposed by residents.
Other concerns brought up at the meeting with regards to the proposed development were that Con Amore School’s future could be in the balance, wetlands, service delivery, crime and safety fears and police and metro police capacity in the area, a drop in property values, carbon impact on the area, traffic and a lack of schools.
Oversight environmental development spokesman and DA ward councillor Tracey Butler said residents were not happy at all with the social housing development, which would be four storeys high.
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“The proposed plan is to build on either side of Esther Park, along Gifboom Street and Giraffe Street,” she explained. ”Portion 276 and 277 and part of the remainder of portion 24 of the farm Zuurfontein 33JR. The proposed housing will cover about 19ha of land. Current figures indicate about 1 813 units of about 40 to 43 square metres.”
Butler pointed out that information had not yet been given as to whether the project had been approved or not, and how much it would cost.
“They are still busy with the basic assessment report, as there are too many concerns that have not been addressed,” she said.
She was also not sure when construction was set to begin. One thing Butler was sure of, was that residents were not happy at all with the project. The main objection received from the community, she said, related to schooling.
“There are currently not enough schools in the area and the current schools, Edleen, Cresslawn and Kempton Park Primary, are, in some cases, almost double over capacity,” she added.
“There are no high schools near the area. The closest high school is Sir Pierre van Ryneveld.”
Traffic implications were also raised.
“The traffic impact will be dire. Parkland Drive is already barely handling the current flow of traffic and will have to handle every vehicle from this development, as the only entrance and exit will be from Gifboom and Giraffe into Parkland.
”Furthermore, with the Modderfontein Zendai development to build another 100 000 residential units in the new city they have planned, this will severely impact on the Modderfontein traffic to Parkland Drive.”
Butler said storm water was not at all efficient in the area and residents in Gifboom Street were still feeling the burden of the non-effective attenuation dam from the town houses built a couple of years ago.
“Residents have to permanently drain their back yards during the rainy season, with completely saturated gardens and mouldy homes,” she added.
”When I approached the storm water department to assist residents I was told it was not a municipal problem. Storm water drains are broken and blocked despite many requests to have them attended to.”
Despite these problems, Butler said, she was aware that there was a need to provide more homes but not at the cost of the environment and residents.
“I am most concerned that many issues were not taken into account and when I requested a public meeting with consultants they were not able to answer many of the residents’ concerns,” she added.
”My biggest concern is that they plan to build on a wetland and have not considered the Hyperion area of the wetland. ‘Another serious issue is the fact that there is a special needs school, Con Amore, situated next to the proposed development.
”Sadly this will have a severe impact on the learners, who are not used to any change in their daily routine, and this can have dire effects on their well-being.”
