The draft LSDF relates to the areas adjacent to Blaauwberg Road, known as one of the most important routes in Table View. Picture: supplied
The City has extended the comment period for the spatial development vision for Blaauwberg Road corridor by another month.
The draft local spatial development framework (LSDF) became available for public comment on Monday September 9, with a deadline for comments suggested for Wednesday October 9, but civic groups and residents, including the Greater Table View Action Forum (GTAF), called for an extension. The City at first denied this request, but it has since extended the comment period to Monday November 11.
The draft LSDF relates to the areas adjacent to Blaauwberg Road, known as one of the most important routes in Table View.
The corridor covers about 5km from Marine Circle in the west to the intersection of Koeberg Road and the east of Potsdam Road.
Mayoral committee member for spatial planning and environment Eddie Andrews said he had realised there was a need to extend the deadline following a public meeting at Table View Primary School on Saturday September 14.
“The intention of the LSDF is to address the challenges posed by historic planning dating from the 1980s, changes in the surroundings over the past 40 years, limitations on the corridor’s development potential, increasing congestion, and infrastructure challenges.”
The draft called to develop Blaauwberg Road into a thriving urban corridor with world-class destinations, walkable precincts and quality public spaces, he said.
According to a City document, Blaauwberg Road was developed in the late 1980s for low-density housing, but over the past 40-odd years, the urban footprint has spread northwards with the creation of Parklands, Dunoon, West Beach, Sandown, Big Bay, Sunningdale, and Rivergate, bringing with it increased traffic congestion.
According to the document, the City aims to follow plans from the Blaauwberg Road growth management strategy, dating back to 1998, which refers to “mobility function” of the Blaauwberg Road east-west route.
The City proposals for the Blaauwberg Road corridor include:
• Creating employment and exploiting the potential for a greater mix of businesses beyond the service and retail offerings that are dominant in the area.
• Improving access to the Marine Circle area and the coastline, which is a destination for sport and recreation, and tourism.
• Developing the western section of the corridor between Marine Circle and the R27 as a mixed-use economic area.
• Being cognisant, when considering development, of the surrounding natural assets such as Rietvlei and the coast and the capacity constraints of the current infrastructure
• Increasing densities in the surrounding corridor to give more people access to opportunities along the Blaauwberg Road MyCiTi trunk route.
• Ensuring new developments offer a range of housing opportunities for varied income levels to build a more inclusive city.
GTAF planning portfolio head David Ayres said the LSDF seemed to be a credible document, but the City had failed to implement the Blaauwberg Road management plan and all other district plans, allowing unsustainable densification that favoured profits for developers and the short-term revenue boosts for the City coffers.
He said the City had approved at least eight developments on Blaauwberg Road, which he believes is against its own transport policy.
The City claimed it would support mixed-use development to promote both densification and economic growth, but it had failed to do so on Parklands Main Road, where there were commercial activities but no housing opportunities, he said, adding that the City put densification ahead of sustainable development,.
A Table View resident, Jake Tellestio, said on Facebook that the LSDF would aggravate traffic congestion, strain infrastructure and service, and drop property values.
Comments can be emailed to BlaauwbergRoad.LSDF@capetown.gov.za