A PUBLIC meeting, where city officials from the department of Land Use Management (LUM) were to address the concerns of local residents, failed miserably when the departments officials did not bother to turn up to the well-publicised and highly anticipated meeting, leaving resdients frustrated and angry.
The meeting was organised by ward councillors, Nicole Graham and Martin Meyer, in response the concerns raised by residents regarding the many applications for the development of high-rise buildings in and around the Berea.
Residents were encouraged to attend the meeting, where they were to be addressed by LUM officials, on development planning and management issues, including zoning, enforcement and land use management.
Staff from the Development Management Department, Building Inspectorate Branch, General Advertising Branch and Enforcement and Prosecution Branch were however in attendance and addressed residents about the various responsibilities of these divisions, however many residents felt this was merely the municipality pointing out what it was officially required and tasked to do, but not what was actually happening on the ground.
Kevin Dunkley from Save Our Berea said the fact that officials from LUM had confirmed attendance and no one had arrived, showed the meeting was missing its key component from the beginning. In response to questions from residents on rezoning, councillor Geoff Pullan, who was part of the town planning sub committee, said the committee considered rezoning applications to see if they were obeying rules, however the majority of these applications were approved as they were voted on by the majority.
Regarding the completion of illegal buildings, a resident suggested the city should demolish the buildings where these transgressions occurred which, would 'stop them in their tracks', and felt the municipality was going about things wrong.
Abdul Domingo from the Enforcement and Prosecution Branch, responded by saying the municipality had in fact done this on the Berea, but illegal building still occurred.
Resident, Wayne Webb, who has fought the rezoning of a property in Poynton Place, said for 50 years, from 1964 to 2012, not one rezoning application was made.
“The zoning scheme is a by-law, you don't just apply to change a by-law. Why are residents fighting to uphold municipal schemes?” he said, to applause from those present.
Another resident said he had started an organisation, Professionals Against Haphazard Town Planning, and urged residents to fight back.
“This is war! Where's the legal authority that councillors can change the law through a voting process?” he said.
Cheryl Johnson from Save Our Berea said the anger and frustration demonstrated by ratepayers towards city officials at the meeting validated what Save Our Berea had been saying for over a year.
“When is City Hall going to listen to the people? The picture painted by Abdul Domingo of an Enforcement sector that runs like clockwork is far from the reality that we at Save Our Berea have had to deal with. People are very angry. We are very angry. We are even more angry now that Head Architect Jonathan Edkins has resigned. He was the only person in City Hall who listened to us! There are serious issues to be addressed in Land Use Management and they, out of all the officials who were at the meeting, failed to turn up. We believe LUM should be investigated with utmost urgency by an independent body like the Public Protector’s office,” she said.
