A proposed housing project on the corner of Kromboom Road and Seventh Avenue in Rondebosch East has sparked significant public outrage, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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The City plans to rezone seven hectares of municipal land, currently designated for single residential use and public open space, and sell it to a developer for the construction of 800 residential units.
The development will feature a mix of duplexes, three-to-four-story buildings, and five-to-10-story towers.
Of the 800 units, 500 will be allocated for social housing and the remainder for the open market.
The project will also include retail spaces. The City is finalising a traffic-impact study and expects the proposal to be open for public comment in September or October.
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Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis praised the project as part of the City’s initiative to increase affordable housing.
‘In the first two years of this programme, we have already released sites with a yield of over 4 200 affordable housing units, including in Cape Town’s inner city and other well-located economic nodes,’ he said.
Faizel Bardien, chairperson of the Civic Association of Rondebosch East, expressed concerns that the development would worsen traffic congestion, particularly given the presence of several schools in the area.
‘The residents are very much concerned about the potential negative effect the development of 800 residential units plus commercial trade will have on the area in view of congestion, overcrowding and security,’ Bardien said.
Rashard Davids from the Lansdowne Rondebosch Neighbourhood Watch acknowledged support for social housing but questioned the suitability of the site.
‘If there are 800 units and each unit perhaps consists of a family of four, it can be over 3 000 people moving to the area,’ he noted. He also highlighted existing traffic issues along routes to local schools and criticised the City’s plan to add to the area’s density without providing new job opportunities or business facilities.
Long-time resident Zelt Marais questioned the City’s traffic management plans for the already congested area.
‘Is the mayor able to determine how traffic is going to flow in this already congested area?’ he asked. Marais suggested that the City should invest in community centres or sports facilities instead.
Residents are also unhappy about a separate City plan to auction a large parcel of public land on the corner of Smuts Road and Windsor Road in Lansdowne for low-cost housing, which has also faced criticism.
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