Concerns raised about apartments
received about 100 comments online about the block of flats proposed for the corner of Marsh and Muir streets, opposite Milkwood Primary School. It will be a three-storey, 36-unit block. Some people posted that Mossel Bay did not need more expensive housing, but rather housing for middle income earners.
Others raised concerns about increased traffic congestion around Milkwood Primary.
Some were disappointed that the character of Mossel Bay, with its quaintness and milkwood trees, had changed. They said highrise, modern buildings had spoilt the town.
Town planning
The municipality's town planning department has approved the block of flats and it has been supported by Heritage Mossel Bay and Heritage Western Cape.
The Advertiser approached the municipality for comment on traffic congestion.
It noted: "With all developments, strict prescripts dictate parking requirements. In this instance, parking will be provided off-street and undercover."
It said one-way traffic arrangements during certain hours near the school alleviated the congestion during peak hours.
Orange cones are placed on the street during these times to prevent cars from entering.
When asked for comment on traffic congestion, Milkwood Primary School principal Van Wyk Dames said: "The school governing body would rather not comment at this stage."
'Uplift CBD'
The municipality stated that residents often complained that the central business district (CBD) in Mossel Bay was run-down. It noted that the planned flats had "the potential to help uplift the CBD".
Regarding the sentiment that Mossel Bay needs middle-income properties, not expensive flats, the municipality noted that the type of housing in Mossel Bay, as in many other places, was highly market-driven.
Currently, the market segment for middleto high-income housing in Mossel Bay was active and attractive and targeted by developers, the municipality noted.
"The price of housing units is impacted by high construction costs, land costs and the market demand, driven by semigration.
"The municipality, through its various policies and frameworks, is committed to a balanced property market that allows for all types of residential developments, from lower-end market (government-subsidised houses) to high-income developments.
"The municipality's core function is not to provide housing. It facilitates the development of low-income (affordable), government-subsidised houses with the national and provincial departments of Human Settlements.
"The Mountain View development (opposite Heiderand) is an example of a subsidised housing programme. In future, similar projects may be provided for at different locations, as reflected in the Housing Pipeline Framework of the council."
Social housing
The municipality stated that social housing was blocks of middle-income rental flats. The monthly rent of the lessor is partially subsidised by the government, based on income levels.
It noted that it had released three portions of land for this purpose and a social housing
company had been appointed and was registering the project for implementation, hopefully later in the year.
Another example of affordable housing was the FLISP (Finance Link Individual Subsidy Programme) houses developed adjacent to Mikeva shop, opposite Heiderand, as part of the Mountain View project.
The municipality said the Western Cape Human Settlements Department intended to start releasing these units into the market within the next few months.
In the past, the municipality developed individual erven in Great Brak River and Mossel Bay for middle-income earners and released these serviced sites at a subsidised price, the statement read.
The municipality stated that the Louis Fourie Corridor Precinct Plan (vacant area
south of Louis Fourie Road, opposite KwaNonqaba, behind the horse stables) makes provision for various types of residential homes. "Affordable housing developments (middle income) will be a significant component of this future town expansion," the municipality noted
Environmental authorisation
"The municipality is busy with the environmental authorisation applications for this development and will hopefully soon be able to provide more clarity on how and when the various residential typologies will be implemented."
It noted that comments received from the public during planning processes "are critical and of high value to the municipality to enable informed decision making".