Parkhurst
Post
September 2005
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
Contact the Editor
Tim Truluck
072-238-2790, 011-442-5201
info@parkhurst.org.za
.