Council green lights YWP housing project
Yellowwood Park residents were hopeful that the development wouldn’t go ahead, and many opposed the project in the consultation phase.
THE proposed development of 130 residential units at Yellowwood Park Christian Fellowship (YWPCF) will go ahead.
This comes after the development was put to vote at a council executive committee meeting on Wednesday, 1 April. The outcome of the vote effectively overturned the town planning sub committee’s decision not to approve the development.
YWPCF’s proposal to densify a portion of the land on which the school is sited was first rejected in a vote by the town planning sub committee by four votes to three on Friday 20 March. Ward 64 councillor, Billie Prinsloo who attended the meeting, said the ANC had threatened to take the matter to a higher authority.
Yellowwood Park residents were hopeful that the development wouldn’t go ahead, and many opposed the project in the consultation phase. “We asked for 100 units of only three storeys high, but we were outvoted at council by 109 ANC plus other small parties who always vote with the ANC against 43 DA and a few NFP votes. The EIA is not necessary because the land to be developed is under 5 hectares.The traffic study was done for 12 hours at all points surounding the proposed development (not access and agress from the Park). The density of 130 units is well under the maximum prescribed,” said Prinsloo.
“We have nothing like this development in the area. It’s going to change the nature of Yellowwood Park. The impact on traffic will be quite severe. I’ve advised residents to monitor the construction to see what’s being built. I’ve checked all the documents, everything is correct. This is sad for Yellowwood Park,” she said.
YWP resident Martin Birtwhistle said he’s not happy that the development is going ahead. “I understand the need for additional housing. However, the impact on traffic hasn’t been considered as well as the impact on Stainbank Nature Reserve, which is an important green lung,” he said.
Birtwhistle added that Yellowwood Park would run into problems regarding sectional titles.
In response to the vote by council, Riaan Thomson, town planning consultant acting as YPCF’s agent, said: “We cannot comment at this stage as we are awaiting official notification from the municipality.”
