Skelm teer sy pad terug selle toe
‘n Ou skelm het Maandag spreekwoordelik in die leeu se bek ingestap toe hy ‘n...
Die gemoedere het hoog opgevlam in ‘n volgepakte munisipale raadsaal tydens ‘n openbare vergadering op 9 Februarie 2015 rakende die beplande ontwikkeling van De Kelders as ‘n toerisme-aantreklikheid. Die vergadering het ten doel gehad om die munisipale owerheid se voorgestelde beplanningsprosesse te verduidelik, asook om die inwoners die geleentheid te bied om vrae te vra, asook die indiening van voorstelle waarvoor reeds uitstel verleen was tot 13 Februarie 2015.
Die sameroeper, Riaan Kuchar, Senior Bestuurder Stadsbeplanning, het vir Schalk van der Merwe, Senior Stadsbeplanner, aan die woord gestel vir ‘n volledige Powerpoint aanbieding oor die beplande ontwikkeling in De Kelders.
“Dit dien gemeld te word dat hierdie slegs ‘n raamwerk-beplanningsproses is en dat voortgesette openbare deelname, asook verdere impakstudies in die vooruitsig gestel word, aangesien dit ‘n 10-jaar projek is,” het Riaan verduidelik. “Die vereiste is egter dat alleenlik skriftelike kommentaar, voorstelle of teenkanting aanvaar sal word, met die afsluitingsdatum wat vir die derde keer na 13 Februarie uitgestel is.”
Daarna is geleentheid vir vrae gebied, wat tot ‘n hoogs-intense bespreking gelei het. Enkele besware wat geopper is, is: waarom word Gansbaai en die hawegebied nie eerder ontwikkel nie en dat omliggende woongebiede “in rus en vrede” gelaat word; wie gaan die kostes van die ontwikkeling dra; kan verdere uitstel vir skriftelike kommentaar verleen word.
Riaan het volledig op die vrae gereageer met verwysing na onder andere die volgende: dat hierdie slegs ‘n raamwerk vir die proses is; dat verdere openbare deelnames beplan word; dat dit noodsaaklik is om vir minstens 10 jaar vooruitbeplanning te doen, veral ook met die oog op parkeerruimtes; dat hierdie ‘n geval is van “gee nie regte nie en neem ook nie regte weg nie”; met verwysing na die kostes sal ‘n deel deur die Overstrand munisipaliteit bygedra word, terwyl privaatbeleggers ook sal intree. Die oorgrote meerderheid van die toehoorders is nie tevrede gestel nie en het aangedring op verdere uitstel vir die indiening van skriftelike kommentare. Intussen is Gansbaai Courant meegedeel dat verdere uitstel vir die indiening van skriftelike kommentaar tot Maandag, 23 Maart 2015 toegestaan is.
Munisipale motivering: “The tourism attraction of De Kelders is not only the wonderful whale watching from the seaside cliff tops, but also the natural wonder and history under your feet. De Kelders (“The Cellars”) was named after the series of caves that are found from Die Plaat to Perlemoen Bay. The Klipgat cave is a site of World Heritage Significance. The caves were formed by fresh water from inland dissolving the limestone formations and have long been used as a source of fresh water. In fact, Overstrand Municipality still uses fresh water from the spring at De Kelders as a supplementary water source. The purpose of the De Kelders Nodal Development Study is to investigate and propose how development in this town should be guided in order to maximise its potential as a tourism destination. To this end, it is proposed that the land use along Guthrie Street - the main artery from the Provincial R43 down to the coast - should be changed to commercial or tourism-related activities over time, with architectural guidelines being introduced for new residences around the Guthrie Street corridor and along the seafront. A landscaped area will be provided on the corner of Guthrie Street and the R43 to serve as an environmentally friendly and aesthetically plea-sing parking area and entrance feature to the town. The public open space to the north of Guthrie Street is currently under-utilised and its potential will be maximised through the provision of small-scale commercial and tourism facilities, with coffee shops and pavement cafes. The character of Guthrie Street will thus evolve from the current vehicle-orientated, featureless road reserve to a vibrant, pedestrian friendly corridor, leading down to the cliffs. Here, the existing whale watching platforms and pedestrian ways will be maintained and enhanced where necessary, while public access down to the cave system will be improved and signposted. Through these engineering and urban design interventions, the full tourism potential of De Kelders will be unlocked, to the benefit of residents and visitors alike.”
Hardus Botha
