4th Ave Pavements

We all know about the fuss a few weeks ago when Metro Police moved in and started confiscating and fining traders and restaurants in 4th Avenue.

The Bylaws allow trading on a pavement as long as a 4m wide section is left for pedestrians. However in Parkhurst most of our pavements are narrow and so a special amendment was granted to reduce the requirement 1.5m. Unfortunately several of the traders have not been sticking to this measurement and the City decided that they would now enforce the 4m rule. Hence we had the raid in Parkhurst.

Since then Clr. Lugli has been trying to get the traders to lease the pavement outside their shops which should help with preventing future raids. She has printed forms and instructions which are available from her at a cost of R5 to help with the printing. Tel: 447-4439 or 083-383-4359.

One of the major bugbears of local pavement walkers is the encroachment outside Cilantro, Ruby Grapefruit, the Rose Shop and Batuka in 4th Ave. The City, the traders and the landlord have arranged to widen that section of the pavement outside the shops to allow for easier pedestrian passage (at a cost over R40,000).

Sign Buster

Committee member Cheryl Labuschagne is now the PVRA illegal sign buster. It is her task to arrange for the removal from the street poles and trees of those annoying signs offering Karoo lamb, building or painting services, kitchen installations, etc. Please report any signs you see to her on: 327-1873 (h) or 083-637-0394.

Bundled Wires

Remember the recent horrific butchery of our street trees to clear a passage for the electricity lines? Well, the contractors didn’t cut enough of a hole last time and they are planning to return with even bigger saws!

However, after discussions with City Parks Tree Dept, it turns out we might be able to solve the problem. Apparently City Power can bundle the wires into a much smaller area. This means a lot less cutting as has been done successfully in Parkview and Greenside.

Security

The fight for security operates on several levels which are all interlinked. It is no good just paying a monthly sum to a security company who will react only when you push a panic button. Pressure is needed to get the companies to be proactive with patrolling vehicles, guards on bicycles and guard houses dotted in the suburb. Last year, the PVRA managed just that. Then there is improving the policing of the area - again there are several initiatives in the Parkview Police Precinct area, and which the PVRA have been active participants.

The next level includes you being proactive. You need to know your neighbours - all you have to do swop telephone numbers and know who their domestic staff are. When you hear a noise, see a garage door left open, hear their alarm going off, need support if something goes wrong - then you will know who to call. Keep an eye out for unknown people in the street, report broken street lights, watch out for suspicious vehicles, be wary when waiting for your gate to open, make sure your electric fence is working. These are all common sense things you can do to ensure your immediate area is safe

Building Sites

You know the story. Granny next door suddenly sells her golden oldie for a million rand and the next thing you know, your quiet existence is rudely disrupted by a hammer drill going off at 6am and dust spewing all over your washing. The site is not secured at night. Rubble lies all over the sidewalk and bricks block your driveway. They cut down the trees. Burn rubbish. After 2 weeks, unregistered builder #1 disappears with half the money. A little later, dodgy builder #2 is fired. And it continues with varying levels of intensity for months until you suddenly end up with a “Provençal Splendour” on your doorstep. This lies empty for another 6 months while they try and sell it for R2.5 million to some poor down-sizer or DINK who will be lumbered with cracked damp walls, a leaky roof and grumpy neighbours.

But this process can be made at least a little bit more tolerable if you know your rights. There is a "Builders Consideration Charter” to which all builders in Parkhurst must adhere to, whether they are registered or not. The Charter is based on the 1979 National Building Regulations, the Town Planning Scheme and the Johannesburg City Bylaws. It is not just some voluntary charter, but actually condenses the rules and regulations that builders and ultimately, the property owner must adhere to. If they infringe on the rules, they can be warned, fined and work can be stopped.

And just so you know, any major building work - ie building a high front wall, granny flat, extra storeys, garages, etc - all need a building permit. And they must stick to building what is on the permit. You, as a neighbour, have a right to inspect the permit to see what is going to happen next door.

Make Your Mark

As you all know it will soon be time to vote in the Municipal Elections. Unlike Parliament, these are the people who make decisions that directly impact on you at the municipal or city level. They are the ones who fight for your rights when it comes to illegal building, unwelcome businesses and other problems in your suburb.

You have to register to vote in the area you live. So if you have just moved here or if you have just turned 18, you need to register in Parkhurst. There are three ways of checking if and where you are registered:

Web: www.elections.org.za
Freecall: 0800 11 8000
SMS: Send your ID number to 32810 and you will receive a confirmation of registration.

If you need to register, then you can do so on at the Parkhurst Primary School in 15th St. No queues, no hassles. Bring your ID book along.

Precinct Web

The recent launch of Precinct Web has caused some confusion in Parkhurst regarding who they are, what they are doing and are they linked to the PVRA? Precinct Web is the initiative of Parkhurst resident Geoff Green. It is primarily a security-based company that collects corporate sponsorship and subscription fees (R100/month for residents and R200/month for businesses) in return for various initiatives that are meant to improve the area they cover, namely the Parkview Police area.

They hope to eventually work with the various resident’s associations and to provide a link between residents/ businesses and the authorities.

To give them their due, Precinct Web has done some clean-ups in the area and do have several employees walking around the various suburbs making lists of things.

What the PVRA would like to see is whether they can get a building site stopped because the owner hasn't submitted building plans. Or whether they can get city officials to actually order their minions to repair roads, fix bridges, prosecute street tree cutters and get pavements repaired.

Furthermore, if you are a Parkhurst resident who takes an interest in maintaining a safe environment and protecting your property prices, you already pay R120-240 a year to the PVRA. You already pay almost R600/month in rates and taxes to the city. You already pay income tax on that goes towards paying the police and MPs. You already pay monthly fees to your insurance and security companies. So why should you have to pay another R100/month to somebody else.
The other costs aren't going to be reduced, so it would be much more productive to work with the systems that are already in place and try to make them more efficient without going through another middleman who is further muddying the water with a good natured, but ultimately ad hoc and reactive approach to municipal governance.

Until they can actually prove their worth we will encourage our residents to stick to the proper democratic procedures that are in place. At the moment all Precinct Web seem to be doing is really just re-inventing the wheel. And you are going to be paying an extra R1200 a year for that.

12th St Bridge

For 2 years, Clr. Lugli has been trying to get a bridge built across the well used rocky section of the Braamfontein Spruit at the bottom of 12th St. There are up to 50 people per hour crossing between Parkhurst and Victory Park, and we can all remember the tragic death during last summer's rains. It is now up to the Johannesburg Roads Agency to put together a business plan to obtain an accurate estimate of its cost before fund scan be found, either by the City, or through corporate sponsors.

Aren't We a Funny Lot?

In my short stint on the PVRA Committee I have come to the conclusion that there must be a recessive gene at work in Parkhurst. Some of the weird happenings that have occurred here have been:

A houseowner in 17th St who blocked the sidewalk with a “nice” set of parapet flower beds threatened to sue a pedestrian who was walking across her garden for trespassing.

A houseowner in 8th St started throwing eggs at the cars parked outside their property.

A houseowner in 7th St wants to start an action group against crime, but won't tell anybody who he/she is.

Two family groups who live on one property in 16th St had a street battle when an irate neighbour, who was sick and tired of the rubbish left on their sidewalk, rearranged the trash so it blocked the entrance to the house. They didn't know it was a neighbour and each blamed each other for the mess.

A resident called Cllr. Lugli to complain about the pornographic lingerie that is displayed by Arwen Corsetry on the balcony above the shops on the cnr 4th Ave and 6th St.

Urban Owl Project

Johannesburg is home to Spotted Eagle Owls and Barn Owls which live and breed within the green belts in the Johannesburg suburbs. Many owls hunt within suburban gardens and although food is available, breeding sites are in short supply.

The Urban Owl (and Bat) Project is a joint venture between Eco-Solutions and the Johannesburg Zoo and will last five years. It hopes that young owls fledged from the nesting boxes to take up residency in boxes of their own.

Pairs of owls begin lay eggs and rear their young in these boxes. Young owls raised in owl boxes have a strong predisposition towards nesting boxes when they reach maturity (2-3 years). The owls occupying the boxes also contribute to the control of rodents and many insect species.

The owl boxes are constructed from weatherproof marine plywood. The thickness of the wood as well as the wood sealant ensures a lifespan of 5 years. Although the box is of a hardy construction an annual maintenance visit is required to re-varnish, replace pea gravel, check for signs of wear and monitor occupancy.

The cost to supply and install the box is R650 and it takes about 45-60 minutes to install. The annual maintenance subscription of R350 also includes the "Night Life" newsletter - a bi-annual publication covering occupancy rates as well as other interesting owl related information.

For more info contact Jonathan on 072-365-9777 or ecosolutions@absamail.co.za