The Deer Park Café demolition case was tabled before Heritage Western Cape’s Built Environment and Landscapes committee on Wednesday June 26.
This follows concerns raised by Vredehoek residents over the application to demolish the 60-year-old building, to develop a four-storey building with more than 30 flats.
The building in Deer Park Drive houses three restaurants – Woodlands Eatery, Con Brio and Deer Park Café.
In November last year, residents were up in arms over the application, stating that the building had been part of the community for decades and there had been little to no communication about this application. They said there was no public participation and the applicant did the bare minimum and gave the community just one month’s notice period before submitting the application.
The community was also concerned about the impact the construction would have on the neighbouring park and the traffic congestion the development would cause.
The owner of Con Brio restaurant, Vennesa Mcnab, said: “This area has historically been this way, single-storey houses going up the mountain. The shops and these restaurants have been serving the community for decades.”
Heritage Western Cape chief executive officer, Mxolisi Dlamuka, told the Cape Times that the committee awaits revised proposals which respond to the committee’s concerns relating to, among other things, massing and landscaping, which are to be informed by the heritage design indicators.
He said the committee reviewed the proposals for the replacement structure and found the structure to not be fully in keeping with the analysis of the heritage design indicators and further requirements include Table Mountain featured in key drawings.
