The owner of Amazing K School for children with autism, Ilse Kilian-Ross, started her school more than two years ago. She subsequently started the school when she could not find placement at a school for her child who is autistic.
She then turned her property into a small school to accommodate children with the same condition. Now the school accommodates 30 children from the suburb and other areas as far as Alberton and Midrand.
To date, there are more than 30 children on the waiting list. “This is one of the very few schools in the country which offers this service and is also still affordable.Children cannot even walk to the streets as we keep our gate locked. This is a unique service that not everybody offers,” she said.
Kilian-Ross recently applied to the City of Johannesburg for rezoning in order to accommodate about 30 more children but residents are objecting the application. Although she is not extending her premises since it could accommodate more pupils, she finds herself in a difficult position. Residents are opposing the proposal and claim that a notice of intent to develop was simply stuck up on the boundary wall and not in a very conspicuous place.
According to the residents, this school does not belong in their suburb and the rezoning application transgresses the existing zoning rights.
In an objection letter addressed to the City, residents were demanding to see the plans for extensions to property and insisted that they will continue to oppose the application as it would increase traffic in their suburb, create dust, noise, pollution and congestion beyond what the area is zoned for.
“Northworld is a boomed off area, which has been created by residents out of desperation to reduce crime. There are only two accesses. Both are very busy streets, particularly in the early mornings, and increased numbers of non-residential motorists into the suburb to drop off children will make a way out of the area intolerable,” the objection reads. It further indicates that the proposal should be rejected.
Siobhan Durand from the Northworld Resident’s Association (NRA) claimed that the school opened while residents were not aware but have had to live with it. “The residents were not notified it has nothing to do with the fact that it is a school,” she said.
She explained that the main problems from the residents were security issues, noise and traffic congestion.
“Disturbance during the day is quite unacceptable. What the owners are doing there is phenomenal but the premises is a residential property not a business,” she concluded.
Related articles:
Developer ‘will include’ those opposing koppie development
