Zendai engages community about development

The community was taken through the plan and the guiding principles.

The session included presentations on the details of the framework, project scope and a preliminary roll-out schedule.

The sessions also offered the community from the surrounding areas an opportunity to meet Atkins Global and Arup representatives, the appointed technical consultants on the project.

Atkins’ scope includes the strategic and operational framework for the development; including land-uses, sustainability practices, spatial planning, design and landscaping. Arup’s scope covers services and infrastructure, master planning and traffic impact assessments.

The sessions, held at the historic Franz Hoenig Haus, were attended by among others, delegates from the Gauteng Premier’s office, City of Johannesburg officials, local businesses owners and community members.

Traffic congestion, environmental impact and the status of the Modderfontein Reserve were some of the main concerns raised by community members during the sessions.

Atkins Global and Arup took visitors through presentations in order to clarify informing principles which address these concerns, including the Modderfontein Reserve’s status in the project.

It was explained that the Modderfontein Reserve forms a focal point in the development and is integral to the future of the development.

The master plan will guide the development of the town and sets the principles on which the development is premised.

The plan also allocates and identifies areas for protection (nature reserve, historic buildings), development precincts and provides an indication of the proposed density of development and the types of land uses that are planned.

The envisioned development’s footprint includes various functional zones within the precincts and seeks to encourage a mixed-use approach to achieve the ultimate work, live and play solution, which caters for residential, commercial, logistics and industry.

As part of the master plan, Zendai together with Arup, have assembled a comprehensive evidence base to assess the impact of development on demand for transport.

Mitigation measures that would be required are being put into place to lessen the localised impact and link into surrounding road networks.

These include the completion of the 1.7 kilometre Marlboro Drive extension, the completion of 2.4 kilometres of roads which links to the London Road off/on ramp, the commencement of a section of the proposed K113 which will ultimately link Edenvale to Marlboro Drive and the current 2 kilometre extension to Centenary Road, which is under construction to link through to the Longmeadow Business Estate and ultimately the N3.

Furthermore, several crossings under and over the Gautrain line have been designed for future links through the site. The traffic impact study also takes into account future public transport facilities.

Environmental impact assessments will be carried out for specific developments as planning applications are submitted.

Ms Margot Orr, the project technical lead at Atkins said, “These sessions have encouraged a dialogue with the community whose suggestions and concerns are the bedrock of the development framework. Public comments will be used to refine the master plan,” said Ms Orr.

Ward councillor, Clr Bongani Nkomo of ward 32 who attended July 24 session, said he was disappointed that this was his first interaction with the developers or their representatives.

“As the ward councillor representing the community, I would have expected to have much more of a working relationship with the group,” he said.

He said the last he heard from them was when they requested a list of community stakeholders via email, which he provided even though none of the stakeholders were contacted.

Clr Nkomo said despite a few concerns, the presentation was well-conceived as it provided a list of stakeholders that had been consulted since the project started. However, he said no ward councillor on the list, or the existing local nature conservation body, was on that list.

“The question that quickly comes to mind is who is representing the interests of the immediate community if none of their representatives were consulted?” he asked. Despite a few major concerns, Clr Nkomo said he is positive about this new development.

“Crime is one of the concerns, with over 30 000 new families expected to be housed through low cost housing and the vision being South Africa’s very own “New York”.

“Have the Zendai group or its investors considered the construction of a new police station that will cater for the additional residents and/or new businesses?

“The construction of new road infrastructure although welcomed, will make the Modderfontein community a lot more susceptible and vulnerable to crime,” he said.

Clr Nkomo is also concerned about how many of the 200 000 fixed jobs that were quoted at the session will go to South Africans.

“My other concern is the fact that construction has already begun and how many of these jobs have gone to the immediate community? Surely as the ward councillor I should have been consulted? I would like to think I am the direct line between the Zendai Group and the community. If I haven’t been notified and the community hasn’t been notified, who has been hired?” he asked.