Comment deadline looms

South Africa - Cape Town - 16 May 2019 - 135 Ocean View Drive in Sea Point is said to be demolished. Photographer: Armand Hough/African News Agency(ANA)

Green Point residents have until Tuesday June 18 to weigh in on the application for deletion of restrictive title deed conditions on 32 Ocean View Drive.

A four-storey building with a total height of 10m above base level is proposed for the property, which currently has a double-storey house on it.

The applicant wants to demolish the house, which is older than 60 years, and develop a modern building with two “upmarket” residential units.

The conditions that must be deleted from the title deed state that: not more than one dwelling can be erected on the lot and that not more than half the area of this lot may be built upon.

The other condition states that all buildings to be erected on the lot, which abuts Ocean View Drive, may stand back not less than 3.15m from the line of that road, the intervening space may be used as gardens but must not be built on.

The property is not situated in a Heritage Protection Overlay Zone but an application to Heritage Western Cape for the demolition is required and this process will be done by a heritage consultant.

Vehicle access is directly from Ocean View Drive onto a covered platform at street level and the vehicles currently reverse into the road. The proposal states that three onsite parking bays will be provided.

The garages and layout were specifically designed to enable cars to exit in forward gear.

They said the development would enable more efficient use of land, a very scarce resource in Cape Town and highly-sought after along the Atlantic Seaboard.

It was also argued that the development of the property with two new upmarket units would increase the value of the property and property values in the area.

The proposal motivated that deletion of the restrictive conditions would enable the creation of one additional housing opportunity in an area that is well located and near to good economic, institutional, social and recreational opportunities and major transportation infrastructure.

The chairman of the built environment committee of the Green Point Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association, Stuart Burnett said: “Whilst the built environment committee has not yet reviewed this specific application, we do always object to applications for deletion of Title Deed restrictions for number of dwellings and built upon areas. However, we can be amenable to limited amendment of such TDR’s (Transferable Development Rights) as opposed to deletion.”

The application is open to inspection at the office of the District manager at Media City Building, 2nd floor, corner of Adderley Street and Hertzog Boulevard, Cape Town 8001 or readers can view it on: http://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Have-your-say/Land-use-applications/70438596