Always a contentious issue… A public meeting was held at Hillcrest Library on Friday to discuss the proposed rezoning of the Shongweni Farmers’ Market site, making way for the area to be used for residential and commercial use.
More than 50 people attended the session, with 275 objections brought to the table. “A most ordered and well behaved meeting,” according to Lilian Develing, Chairman of Conomirra.
Attorney Norman Brauteseth spoke on behalf of the applicants, telling their side of the story. Supposedly, they have no intention of developing, despite having submitted an application for rezoning. The site is up for sale at R53 million as it stands now, but could be worth R72 million with the new zoning.
Should this go through, this would mean that any commitment to providing infrastructure, such as sewage disposal, water attenuation, road improvements, etc, would be the new owner’s responsibility.
About 8 people actually stood up and put forward their comments. A common theme for an alternate use of the land is that of facilities for practices that would link in to the hospital and the retirement home – step-down facility, doctors rooms, therapists and the like.
It later emerged that, as the sites concerned in the application are not notarially joined, the application is nul and void. Further to this, another technicality means that the applicants will have to re-advertise their plans, effectively starting the process from scratch.
So, it looks like the ever-popular Farmers Market will live to see another day!