Sea Point library and civic centre safe from building plan
The City of Cape Town has approved a public participation procedure to release prime property at Green Point for mixed-use development, including affordable housing and commercial space.
The location, 1 Three Anchor Bay Road, Green Point, houses both the Colin Eglin library and Sea Point civic centre.
According to James Vos, the mayoral committee member for economic growth, the City plans to maintain existing community assets.
“The land release process that will take place will help identify parts of the site that may need to remain in public ownership to accommodate this,” Mr Vos said.
Mr Vos said, among other things, a transport capacity evaluation and an impact study on infrastructure services will be done.
“The proposed development concept will then be supported by a full traffic impact assessment, which will be required for the eventual land use application. It is envisaged that infrastructure upgrades will be required for the future development and this will be a condition of the land use application approval,” he said.
“A services capacity assessment will be conducted to determine available sewer and other services capacity within the receiving area, which will inform the viability and development parameters of the site.”
The projected complex plan also includes affordable housing, however, research remains to be done, according to the City.
“Information related to affordable housing will be determined based on the detailed studies which still need to be done. The detailed studies will help inform the best development plan for the site that resonates with the market, while advancing the City’s socio-economic objectives,” he said.
The topic will now be placed on the City Council's agenda on Thursday December 5 for approval to begin public involvement.
“The public, including residents, will have the opportunity to register as interested and affected parties. This is so they can be updated on the public participation process including opportunities to submit their comments on the upcoming proposals. Their feedback will be considered when assessing the proposals to help inform the way forward.
Stuart Burnett, chairman of the Green Point Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association's Built Environment Committee, said the Pinocchio Crèche is also vital to the community.
“We must ensure that the Pinocchio crèche is also identified as a recognised community resource. It provides an essential facility for parents who work in the Green Point/Sea Point area. The public participation process will need to identify and agree the specific parts of the site that will need to remain in public ownership,” Mr Burnett said.
He said the City is proposing significant changes to the Municipal Planning By-Law, which is generating considerable concern among ratepayer associations (“Civics tackle City on planning by-law”, Atlantic Sun, October 31, 2024).
“The ‘Collective Ratepayers Association’ has managed to get the attention of City officials to our many concerns about the proposed By-Law amendments. We are therefore hopeful that we can now also have meaningful exchanges as part of the public participation process for this proposed redevelopment. Our members have mixed views on the subject of ‘affordable housing.’ We are therefore not able to give a united opinion,” Mr Burnett said.
“The mayor continues to emphasise and promote ‘densification’ which is often in conflict with the interests of existing residents. We are optimistic that the CRA can better represent the interests of all the ratepayers associations in preserving our various community identities.”
Pinocchio Crèche director Helen Shongwe-Phillips said they have been serving the community for four decades.
“The current plans raise uncertainties about the crèche’s future and impact. Inclusion is our main objective. There are too many people depending our services, including City of Cape Town, Provincial and National Government employees. Pinocchio Crèche, under the Domestic Workers’ Association Educational Trust, has been a cornerstone of early childhood development for working families who often face significant socio-economic challenges,” said Ms Shongwe-Phillips.
The crèche has 87 pupils, six permanent staff as well as students and volunteers that assist them.
“Inclusion in this development represents both an opportunity and a critical responsibility towards ensuring the essential service Pinocchio Crèche provides remains accessible. While we are cautiously optimistic about the potential benefits this project could bring, we are also deeply mindful of the impact it could have on the community we serve. Inclusion is vital, this development must support and not displace our children, families, and educators,” she said.
Ms Shongwe-Phillips said she has reached out to the City and that engagement is ongoing.
“We are pushing for more concrete commitments and a transparent plan for how the créche will be integrated into the development. We’ve requested a site visit with the development planning team to discuss matters further and our request was received positively,” she said.
Mr Vos said the City had notified all tenants of the site of its intent to initiate the development process.
“The tenants on the site, including Pinocchio Crèche, have automatically been registered on the project’s stakeholder database and will be engaged at several points in the planning process. The City and its development team are eager to work collaboratively with all involved,” he said.
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