Bowling club woes continue
MELROSE – The Melrose Bowling Club, which is owned by the Johannesburg Property Company, has stood vacant for almost a year after the tender for use of the land was awarded to the Boston College franchise, which is still waiting for council approval before development on its computer training centre can commence.
Although Boston has put up a perimeter fence around the property, at their own cost, local residents remain irked that the property is still standing empty, which they fear is a welcome playground for vagrants and, possibly, criminals.
“As residents of Melford Manor, we feel paralysed by the [lack of] progress which just drags on forever,” said Gerald Harvey.
“We are no further than we were over a year ago to reaching closure. The old bowling club remains a big security risk, is derelict, it is an absolute eyesore and disgrace to the greater Melrose and Birdhaven suburbs. If we do not get some form of satisfactory answers to our requests soon, we will be forced to take a more forceful stance to get the situation resolved,” Harvey warned.
The property was originally zoned for sports and recreation, but it was eventually conceded that an educational facility could also benefit residents living around it, who simply wish the property could be developed in a secure fashion in order to deter any further vagrancy issues.
Boston College representative, Craig Stollard, responded by stating that the wait for council approval and delayed progress was also to their dismay.
“We erected a perimeter fence, we cleared the weeds, which have unfortunately grown back, evicted vagrants and we engaged the services of an architect and builder to assist us with our plans, all of which has cost us a few hundred thousand rand,” said Stollard.
“The residents have benefited directly from our investment without having invested at all themselves.”
Harvey, in the meantime, has sought legal advice in order to outline the ‘status quo’ of the situation, as well as the demands of his fellow residents.
It would seem that without the necessary interaction from Johannesburg Property Company and intervention from City council, this issue will remain unresolved until further notice.
Johannesburg Property Company was approached for comment but was unable to reply before publication.
