The Groenkloof Residents' Association has expressed concern over a proposed property development in Totius Street, Groenkloof, which could see the iconic bowling green and sports fields replaced with a shopping centre, office complex, and 1,800 low-cost residential units.
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The Groenkloof Residents’ Association in Pretoria East has cried foul over the City of Tshwane's consultation process regarding a proposed property development threatening the existence of local sports fields and bowling greens, which are highly valued as iconic landmarks in the area.
The association called on the city to conduct a thorough investigation into the proposed property development, submitting petitions that express concerns about potentially compromising beloved sports fields and bowling greens.
Residents cherish these facilities as part of the area's identity; they also contribute to preserving the local green belt and property values in surrounding suburbs, including Lukasrand, Groenkloof, New Muckleneuk, and Brooklyn.
Association deputy chairperson Carla Ferreira explained that the community is not against development "but right now what they propose is untenable".
"It is not feasible. We have not been consulted. We want to understand what they are going to do out there and they need to understand our concerns, " she said.
She emphasised that the land earmarked for development is a thriving sports club and part of the established green belt, hosting various community activities, rather than being a vacant plot.
"One of the buildings that they want to put up in that area is a 12-storey building. They want to build 1,800 apartments and remember the 1,800 need parking on that tiny piece of land.
"The roads are tiny. The sewage and water infrastructure is outdated. Electricity is another big issue. We have regular electrical outages in that area. And the developer has not updated any one of those things," Ferreira said.
She reiterated that the community is not opposed to development, but has many questions about the city's plans that need answers.
"We just need to understand that this is the process that the City of Tshwane has established and that all parties comply with and that all parties have recourse to. We just want to understand what now?" she said.
She said in 2019 the city received an unsolicited bid proposal from a developer and that last year an outdated unsolicited proposal was presented during a community meeting.
"We all sent our comments and concerns but nothing came out of it," she said.
The association is backed up by Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) in Tshwane, which stated it has joined forces with residents to have a controversial property development project in Totius Street, Groenkloof, investigated through submitting a formal petition to the city council.
Party mayoral candidate Willie Spies said the disputed site is currently leased by the municipality to Vriendekring MSW, a non-profit organisation operating a well-established bowling green.
He said: "According to information from public consultations, the metro plans to terminate the long-term lease with the bowling club and replace it with a new long-term agreement with commercial developers."
According to him, the proposed development encompasses a shopping centre, office complex, and a 12-storey apartment building housing around 1,800 low-cost residential units.
Spies noted that FF Plus councillor Anne-Marie Sparg, who sits on the metro's Standing Committee on Petitions, is highly concerned about the apparent lack of transparency and procedural irregularities surrounding the development project.
"There was no formal tender process to publicly make the property available for lease or purchase nor have any land-use or rezoning applications been submitted to amend the current uses and rights.
In addition, a traffic impact study assessing the possible effect of 1,800 additional households on the already busy Totius Street-Magnolia area has not been conducted or submitted. Despite this, the project is presented in public information sessions as a done deal, as though the development has already been approved," he said.
Spies slammed the metro's plans, saying they show a widening gap between the city administration and communities, calling it a betrayal of residents.
"The Freedom Front Plus fully endorses the Residents’ Association's demand for a lawful and transparent process that thoroughly considers all community submissions, environmental impact studies and the conservation of Pretoria’s green heritage," he said.
The City of Tshwane is yet to respond to a request for comment.
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za