ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
23 November 2005
Chairman's report presented by Wynand Dreyer
2005 has been a year of strategic review for the Association. There has been continuing pressure on the Committee members of the Association to provide greater and greater levels of service to the Community. We have had to employ the services of a Town Planner to support the planning activities of the Association. Everyone on the Committee has been very busy and with changes in personal circumstances, it hasn’t always been easy to achieve everything we would have hoped for, however, we prioritised what we believed were the key issues: the CPF, planning and communications.
Committee
The small band of residents, a total of eleven, did their best to contribute to our Committee and the Task Teams of the Association. Their work makes things better for all of us in Parktown and we thank them all most sincerely. Special thanks go to Trevor Buckland and our Vice-Chairman, William Gaul and Fiona Coleman.
As has been our practice in recent years, Task Teams or sub-committees were empowered by the Committee to represent the Association and to make decisions in terms of the constitution and general policy. They handled the day-to-day tasks effectively and brought complex and issues of principle to the Committee. This approach has again been effective and has streamlined the workings of the Committee.
Our representatives on the Parktown and Westcliff Heritage Trust (the Trust) have been Flo Bird, who still chairs the Trust, William Gaul and Henry Paine.
TREASURY
the Treasury Team managed our finances professionally under the direction of Trevor Buckland. Elaine Persona kept the books and ensured that monthly reports reached the Committee. Further detail will be provided later under the Treasurer’s Report, but in brief:
For the year ahead we are proposing increases in membership fees in line with inflation.
Plans
The Joint Plans Committee (JPC) was led by William Gaul who was supported by Parktown residents Flo Bird, Henry Paine, Trevor Buckland, in the latter part of the year by Fiona Coleman, Mike Fleming of Westcliff, and William Martinson, on heritage issues. Rob Taylor stood down as our town planner and was replaced by Steve Baylis. Henry Paine recently resigned from the JPC and will move on to fresh pastures. We acknowledge and thank Henry, a past chairman of the Association, for his unstinting service to the Parktown Community over many years.
The JPC has met regularly over the year to review various applications and proposals in the suburbs which are represented. As a co-operative body established jointly by:
the JPC has focused on a wide range of issues affecting the City in general, and Parktown in particular. Not the least of the City issues which have exercised the collective mind of the Joint Plans Committee has been the proposed Zoo Tower as well as the conversion of the area around the bandstand to parking and the introduction of 2500 square metres of specialised shopping and restaurants to be constructed on the raised ring above the bear pits. : Meetings and deliberations on these proposals have taken many hours, and the matter is as yet not resolved. The proposed conversion of public open space at the Zoo Lake to commercial use has also been of concern to the JPC, as has the new public square and demolition of 10 heritage buildings of the so-called government precinct in the city centre.
In Parktown itself, the JPC has been largely successful in its commitment to conserve the Parktown Ridge, particularly in opposing the development proposed for 19 Rockridge Road. The developer has conceded a very much less obtrusive plan, and for this, Parktown and the wider community owe a particular debt of gratitude to three residents: Flo Bird, Rob Taylor and Advocate Paul Kennedy.
The JPC was very pleased to note that its objections to the erection of advertising hoardings – on the motorway bridge over Oxford road, and on the Parktown Boys’ pedestrian bridge over Jan Smuts Avenue – have been upheld. These monstrosities would have had a major impact on the neighbourhood, seriously degrading some very sensitive vistas and precincts.
The Donald Gordon Medical Centre development continues to be of concern. The University of the Witwatersrand has so far refused to accept an amendment to the title deeds undertaking no further development without the consent of the Parktown Association. They call for us to trust them, yet in the past their actions have not warranted such trust as they have been in breech of the town planning scheme all along. The Committee understands that a change of control in this organisation is imminent, and awaits the approach of the new management with the hope that a more satisfactory relationship can be established so as to foster the protection of the environment south of the ridge.
Yet another matter as yet unresolved is the dispute between a resident in The Valley Road, and the new owners of the subdivided portion of their erf as this matter is still sub-judice, the less said, the better - except, perhaps, to observe that owners contemplating sub-division would be well advised to remember that in proposing stringent controls the Association endeavours to protect the area as well as adjoining neighbours and the new owner. Of course stringent controls may well reduce the market value, but any subsequent legal action will definitely have financial implications on all parties involved.
Negotiations with KPMG regarding the building of a parking garage in Empire Road resulted in that organisation getting rather more than less of what it intended; the effect of the final product, now in the process of being erected, remains to be seen. We are, however, gratified that with the resolution of this matter, KPMG have committed to remain in Parktown for the foreseeable future.
Over the past year, the JPC has dealt with many other issues, some in which residents have sought advice, and others where owners have simply undertaken building operations without the appropriate authorisation. In such cases, the JPC has had no option but to record its objection. The Committee wishes to point put that the JPC does not have the authority to approve plans; but are asked to comment on them. It is true, however, that the authorities do seem to put a great deal of store by the JPC’s comments, which are always based on thorough consideration by our professional and highly experienced team. We encourage residents to bring their plans to the JPC at an early stage to help obviate problems later in the approval process involving either/or the Council and the Provincial Heritage Authority.
Early discussions have assisted several applicants this year where adjustments to their applications have met the Association’s policy requirements, and have resulted in the applications proceeding through the various stages with no objection.
The Committee remains very concerned that illegal building continues in the suburb. As a response to a number of disadvantaged neighbours of such activity and to the Council’s lack of enforcement, we propose a new sub-committee of the Parktown Association to be established to enforce the by - laws against residents who break them. At the same time, this group would lobby the Council to take responsibility for enforcement. It is not acceptable that many properties are being destroyed and that this heritage is thus lost to us forever. It is the responsibility of all property owners to abide by the law.
In working with any particular application or case, the JPC bears in mind the implications for the new Precinct Plan which is being prepared by Stephen Baylis; the success of this plan will be largely dependent on community input. We believe that such input is critical for the protection of our environment. The Council’s new strategies which include key development nodes (shopping and transport hubs such as Rosebank) and mobility spines (such as Jan Smuts and Oxford) which connect the nodes will have a significant impact on Parktown, with increasing pressure to concentrate traffic on these major spines. There are government initiatives such as the Soweto-Rosebank bus lanes along Empire road, Victoria Avenue and down Oxford Road which have implications for everyone, not only the street trees and the properties alongside the roads. Most of these are positive, and we support the principles which govern the project, but we can contribute considerably by drawing attention to the environmental and security considerations.
The JPC takes its decisions whether to object or not, what comments to make on building plans etc on the basis firstly of the adopted policies of the Parktown Association as spelled out in various documents over the years, but most importantly the Local Neighbourhood Development Plan, the Strategic Framework for Empire Road extension, the Conservation and Development Framework for the Parktown East Ridge and the By-laws for the Parktown Ridge Heritage Area.
Where no specific policy exists the JPC refers back to the Association’s constitution and the stated objectives. For conservation issues the JPC uses the Burra Charter, an internationally accepted statement of Conservation Principles.
As the JPC’s influence in these matters has grown, there has been a concomitant increase in the tendency to ask where our legitimacy arises – and the Committee would therefore strongly appeal to those present this evening to consider carefully whom it is that they want representing them on the Association, and thus on the JPC. It is in this forum that the Association’s, and the JPC’s, legitimacy originates.
The Neighbourhood Group was not effectively activated this year as all our attention in this regard was devoted to resolving the 2004 crisis in the Community Policing Forum (CPF).
Parkview Community Policing Forum:
Over the past year the Parktown Association has been centrally involved in Community Police Forum activities and the promotion of neighbourhood security issues.
Of the 8 members which formed the Parkview Precinct CPF committee, 4 were from Parktown: Landi Dreyer, Geoff Klass, Faisel Randera and John Rivett-Carnac. Three are still actively involved, Faisel Randera having stood down due to pressure of work.
In the wake of the disturbed state of administration following the problems associated with Sup. Ian Laubscher and the Parkview Police Station, only Richard Dancer and Landi Dreyer of the previous committee, were prepared to stand for re-election. This left a gap which had to be filled by the incoming members. Under the dedicated chairmanship of Richard Dancer and the continuity provided by Landi in the treasury, the new CPF committee has welded into an efficient unit.
The transitional period at the beginning of 2005 was one of settling in until the permanent appointments were made. The complete upper echelon at the Parkview Station was changed and Superintendent Nanda Moodley appointed as Station Commander, with 4 other Superintendents under his command, each with dedicated functions. The station has been revamped both administratively and physically, with the CPF facilitating much of the physical restructuring of the Client Services Centre (the old charge office).
Sector policing and crime prevention are high priority, there is an active Victim Support unit, a new Complaints Register procedure is in place, and the general drive is to make the interface between community and police more user friendly. The police have also invited the public to accompany them on some activities in order to better understand how they function.
Jazz on the Lake, an annual problem for our residents, was better controlled by the Police this year. They will, however, not issue permits next year, and have thrown the ball back in the organiser's court.
The CPF has issued several Newsletters. The first of these was sponsored by Eskel Jawitz, was entirely a print-medium issue, and was distributed door-to-door. Subsequent issues have been both print and electronic, and the intention is to go more electronic as this cuts down costs. We have also been given two pages in Geoff Green's Precinct News, a glossy free-distribution periodical which is allied to Precinct Web, another community orientated organisation which has started operation in the past few months.
Neighbourhood Domestic Workers Watch is not progressing well, and will be restructured in the coming year. The accent needs to shift more towards an integrated community approach rather than the historically still-present "us and them". In general the crime statistics for Parktown are down on the previous year, especially in respect of serious crimes.
In passing one should note that crime prevention is a two way process, and that vigilance and normal careful attention on the part of residents will do much to cut down and prevent many criminal acts.
There has also been an important development in respect of Parktown, in that residents are looking at an integrated security system along the lines successfully implemented by Forest Town. A task team consisting of Geoff Klass, Margie Petherick, Trevor Buckland has met with representatives of SAPS, the company currently responsible for Forest Town, to assess whether this type of scheme is feasible for Parktown. We await their report and will inform residents of the options as they emerge.
Our City Group consisted of Jennifer Tselentis, Eddie Khosa, Hennie Pretorius and Rick Menell.
Business Integration: The process of making contact with well-disposed business organisations in our suburb has again stagnated. The Business Initiative headed by Jennifer Tselentis hoped to bring together the business people in Parktown but the Tselentis’s are moving out of the area and Jenny resigned from the committee. Our thanks to Jenny, whose new ideas helped us formulate a vision for this task team. We hope to develop the PROUDLY PARKTOWN theme.
The Council: We have always counted on our Councillors to keep us up to date on City matters. Clr Mohlala of the ANC, represents the eastern section of Parktown and Clr Ed Jordan of the DA, represents the areas west of Jan Smuts Ave. Both have attended our meetings and we thank them for their time and effort.
Ward Committees: We have participated at the fourth level of democracy as part of the Ward Committees. William Gaul is representing our civic interests and perspective on Ed Jordan’s committee.
COMMUNICATION
Our Communications have been managed with great enthusiasm by Fiona Coleman, who has done our newsletters and set up the Association’s website.
During the year the Association has produced four newsletters which were distributed to all residents in Parktown. The Committee took on an initiative to create more active communication between the members and residents of Parktown. The Association’s sub-committees, Business Integration and Communications, worked together to build a website for the Association. We are appreciative for Hollard’s sponsorship of the development which was used to design and construct the website. The construction has used new web technology which will allow the Association’s Committee to update the site with most new information at no additional cost.
The intention of the website is to provide residents and prospective residents information on Parktown. The website is to be self funding through the sale of advertising so the Association is not out of pocket for the day to day running costs. Advertising costs have been pitched at an extremely affordable level to ensure many businesses in Parktown and those serving Parktown residents will list on the website. Hollard’s sponsorship will continue for the next 12 months with their banner advertisement on the website
Membership reminders and notices will be more personalized next year to help in achieving our revenue target for 2006.
CONCLUSION
Thanks to all who helped and made our association function through this year. Elaine Persona has continued play an important part by running our office and accounts efficiently.
We have spoken about “The New Parktown Plan”, about how we want to communicate better and be more pro-active in our streets and in holding the City’s service providers accountable, how we want to take on enforcement (we used to call it “Illegal Uses”). The question is “Do we really care about these things, and plan approvals and title deed restrictions and so on and so on?” and if so “How do we go about attending to them?”
The workload on our voluntary Committee members is already extremely high. We had to prioritise activities this year and without more members participating in the workload and/or more funding for professional services to support our activities, they will have to be prioritised again this year.
We want the Parktown Association to play its part in our community and the greater city of Johannesburg. We have owners, tenants and employees as well as business and institutional owners and occupiers in Parktown.
To play the role we believe is necessary to maintain our desirable and beautiful suburb we need the people of Parktown to decide either to reduce our community input, mandate us to outsource more to professionals, which will require much higher membership fees, or put up their hands and participate on the Committee and its task teams in the administration and activities of the Association.
It is the Committee’s desire first and foremost to recruit more members onto the Committee and maintain the current subscription levels. However, this is dependant on the outcome of the meeting this evening.
Thank you all for your interest in the Association and for your attendance here tonight.