Makro puts up fight

The day started with a site-visit to the location where the proposed store will be established and then the hearing started in the City Life Church in Lonehill. Only Makro’s side of the debate was heard during the day and proceedings will continue on 27 September.

Advocate Fanie Grobler, representing Makro, said the store was different from other Makros in that it will have an urban design and its aesthetics will fit into the area. He said the mall developments in the area such as Fourways Mall attracted more commercial developments in the regional node such as Fourways Crossing, Hirsch’s and Lighting Warehouse. He said it was logical to extend the existing nodal boundary to include the site where the proposed Makro store falls into.

Grobler proposed that extending the nodal boundary to include the area that the Makro store would fall in. He said this would not alter the medium to high density node of the area.

Market researcher Hein du Toit said qualitative and quantitative research in both the primary and secondary affected areas of the proposed development had been conducted and the findings were that individuals responded positively to the development.

Traffic engineer Gary Hayes said a traffic impact assessment studied the intersections of Merrow Lane and Witkoppen Road and William Nicol and Leslie Avenue East.

His findings revealed that it is necessary for the roads surrounding the proposed development to be upgraded such as William Nicol Drive up to the N14, Cedar Road and the development of the K56 for the proposed store to be fully accessible.

The people opposing the development questioned Hayes on where the taxis and trucks will access the store. He said there would be a drop-off zone within the Makro development for taxis and trucks to use.