New bid for Arum Road

A property developer has made a fresh bid for high-density development in Arum Road, Table View, weeks after its applications in the same street were turned down by sub-council (“Arum Road plan gets a no,” Tabletalk, August 23).

Elco Property Development has submitted another application for consolidation of erven 3739 and 3740 at 85 and 87 Arum Road, and rezoning from single residential to general business to allow for a six-storey mixed-use development.

Residents have until Monday October 16 to comment or object to the application.

In the earlier applications, which were rejected by Sub-council 3 on Friday August 25, Elco Property Development wanted rezoning for 181 Arum Road from single residential to general residential for a three-storey block of flats with ground floor parking; and rezoning of 89, 91 and 93 Arum Road where they want to build a four-storey block with 75 units. Both applications were refused, and Ward 113 councillor Dr Joy McCarthy put her foot down, saying she would not support them because residents did not want the development.

Arum Road resident Eric Joffe said the “unwanted” high-density developments were out of keeping with existing homes and would impact on decades-old infrastructure, such as water reticulation and electricity supply.

“We have, up to now, felt safe in the knowledge that we have made provision for our future retirement, and in some cases, for our children but now are threatened by this over densification, which will destroy the nature of this part of the area and create the slums of tomorrow, while the developers, who do not live in the area, and do not have to live with the sequelae, take their profit and move on to other targeted areas,” said Mr Joffe of the latest bid by Elco.

Mr Joffe, who is a former chairman of the Table View Ratepayers’ Association (TVRA), said while densification was inevitable, council rules were put in place for a reason.

“No departures should be envisaged other than the owner of a residential property wanting to do an alteration subject to certain parameters which do not impact on the neighbours,” he said.

Last month, Dr McCarthy said she would not support the earlier applications because she had to speak up for the residents whose lives would be intruded upon.

“Why are they particularly targeting Arum Road?” she asked.

Dr McCarthy said such development was neither “appropriate or kind” to residents.

On the Greater Table View Action Forum (GTAF) Facebook page, residents vented their frustration saying the infrastructure, and schools could not cope with an influx of people to the suburb.

“Crazy. Densification what a money-making machine for the City of Cape Town,” said one resident. Another called the City “insensitive”.

Tabletalk sent questions to Elco Property Development and called their Durbanville offices to follow up. Director Eldred Smith did not respond by the time this edition went to print.

* Residents can send comments and objections to comments_objections.blaauwberg@capetown.gov.za by Monday October 16.