THE development earmarked for the Durban Point waterfront project has become a reality for Durban water sports clubs who were called to a meeting on 8 June where they were served with two months’ notice by the Durban Point Development Company (DPDC) to vacate their premises for construction to go ahead on the first phase of the project.
In a statement to Durban Undersea Club (DUC) members, DUC chairman Cuane Hall said the original plan was for the DUC and Point Yacht Club (PYC) to relocate to the Durban Ski Boat Club (DSBC) until such time as the promenade was sufficiently completed for the three clubs to consolidate into the Point Water Sports Club (PWC), and set up beneath the promenade giving them a shared area of 180m of beach frontage with width of 35m.
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However, Hall said the revised plans for the construction of the promenade and new clubhouse revealed that the set back line for the construction of the promenade would run through the centre of the DSBC admin office.
This has put DSBC in the same position as both DUC and PYC. He said the reality was that all three clubs would have to set up temporary accommodation and a club house for about two years while the new clubhouse is built, before moving into their final home under the promenade.
Hall said the DPDC had offered a temporary solution for all three clubs to relocate to the area in the vicinity of the Pump Station on the north pier, an area of around 10,000 square metres, bigger than the area all three clubs occupy at present.
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He said the clubs would still be able to launch boats and it would be ‘business as usual’.
“Nothing is set in stone. It all depends on whether we as a club, together with the other two clubs, accept the conditions of the lease regarding our temporary accommodation and the second lease relating to our home under the promenade, on a permanent basis,” he said.
Hall said the club’s legal representatives were looking at the details and a Special General Meeting would be called as soon as possible to discuss the matter with club members.
However, representatives of the PYC and Durban Paddle Ski Club (DPSC) said the proposal was not financially viable. They said the developers had not guaranteed that they could provide temporary accommodation as it had not yet been approved by their board.
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PYC’s commodore, Craig Millar said they were not working against the developers, but that the agreement appeared to leave the clubs unprotected if the development phases didn’t go according to plan.
The clubs announced that they could not sign the agreement within the seven days requested by the developers as the clubs’ constitutions required a two-week notice period to call for a Special General Meeting to make a decision.
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