Sibaya changes hurt trust

Umdloti residents were shocked to find out, almost by accident, that major height changes are planned for node one of the Sibaya Development between Umdloti and the M4.

In the special consent application, which is available at the Umhlanga Rocks Library, the developer Tongaat-Hulett wants these changes: two buildings doubling in height from four to nine stories (108,3 metres) and three to six storeys; four from three to five stories and one from three to four stories.

Three portions of Erf 3 would also be changed from residential to mixed use.

According to the application, the proposed amendments are “primarily driven by the need for development excellence and positive design refinement ensuring the original vision is maintained.”

Umdloti residents however feel sidelined by the developer, as they said the changes have not been communicated to them in an open and fair way.

Also read: New school for Umdloti

Umdloti’s Mandy Courier shared the frustration of the community and said this behavior is typical of a giant developer.

“Devious and underhanded, they will quietly sneak it through and yet there are those who support Tongaat Hulett and who advocate that they have the interests of Umdloti and its conservancy at heart,” said Courier.

Fellow resident Brian Gibson was outraged about the changes.

“The developers appear to be acting in bad faith and I am fearful that this application sets the tone for the rest of the scheme. This could mean that we will spend the next few years having to challenge applications that are poorly motivated and communicated. I no longer trust the developer. If they took the trouble to explain the rational behind their desire to change things, we might be less alarmed and more tolerant,” said Gibson.

He has applied for an extension of the deadline for the public to comment from January 22 to February 22.

“An advert was placed in the Mercury on December 15 and in Ilanga on December 18 in the midst of the festive season, which is patently unfair. My deadline extension request to Tongaat Hulett has not yet been acknowledged.”

Umdloti UIP manager Terry Rens said that the developer has indeed communicated its intentions.

“Notices have been sent to various residents via registered letter according to the town planning law which ensures the immediate neighbors within a 100 metre radius are notified. Public notices have been displayed and Tongaat Hulett development have shown the UIP their plans,” said Rens.

Rens said the team of Umdloti representatives who have been working together since the original EIA of the development, have seen the proposed changes.

“It is important to understand that this develop – ment has been through due process in its entirety and has been approved for 6500 units. This is merely a different distribution of the 6500 units.

“The team were of the opinion that the further these units were from the forest the better, therefore an increase in height on the western side (closer to the M4) is better.”

She said the team’s professional architects and environmentalists Wade Holland and Nick Proome are in favour of the change from residential to mixed use near the M4.

“They agreed that the units closer to the M4 should be mixed use to ensure life is brought into the streets day and night to avoid dead areas and therefore a tendency towards criminal activity.”

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