Plans for collapsed George building changed to add floors
Developers of a partially built apartment block that imploded, killing at least eight and trapping many others, applied for and got permission to raise the flats from an original three to five storeys. By
Twenty-four hours after a partially built multistorey block of flats collapsed on 6 May, 48 people remained unaccounted for and six were confirmed dead. (Updated figures are in the story below.)
Before the tragedy occurred, the building was due for completion and occupation on 1 August. Seventy-five people were employed on the site.
Emergency teams and various services were at the scene in Victoria Street on 7 May in a frantic attempt to recover the artisans who remained entombed. At least 23 workers have been rescued so far.
The police cordoned off the precinct and declared it a crime scene, while engineers, forensics and other experts attempted to piece together what led to the implosion.
History of Erf 15098
While many are seeking answers as to who might be responsible for the tragedy, it will take months to determine what exactly went wrong and who will be held to account.
What is in the public realm is the history of the development of what was to be called “75 Victoria”, as records were filed with the George Municipality.
In August 2020, the owner of a 1,228m² plot of land, Erf 15098, located on Victoria Street, sold the property for R2.07-million in a private sale to a company, Pacific Breeze Trading 91.
The deal was finalised on 4 November 2020, according to the Deeds Office. Directors of the company are Anton Booysen, Carel Swanepoel and Annette Swanepoel. Pacific Breeze was registered in 2005.
In November 2020, the George Municipality held a pre-consultation meeting with an official, Ilane Huyser, and town planner Jan Vrolijk, as the pre-applicant for rezoning and deviations for the development.
Records show that applications were made by the owner, through Vrolijk, who was given power of attorney by Swanepoel, for changes to the original plans. These included an extra level, turning an original three-storey plan into a four-storey block, as well as adding basement parking.
Earlier, in September 2020, a land use planning pre-application consultation form was resubmitted at the November meeting with the municipality.
Discussions then were about rezoning as well as various deviations, including building line relaxations, height, coverage, floor space and parking requirements.
Pacific Breeze proposed that the building be increased from four to five storeys to include ground-floor parking, over and above the basement parking.
The building would be 14.45m tall and a roof garden (2.72m high) was proposed, which would raise the height to 17.17m.
The proposal also contained 66 parking bays with a ratio of 1.25 per unit and 0.25 per visitor, which would be housed in the basement. There were also proposals for the adjustment of building lines.
Approval
On 1 January 2021, Vrolijk was informed by Clinton Petersen, senior manager of town planning in the George Municipality, that the application for various changes had been approved.
Petersen then set out the conditions of his directorate and stated that, because of the changes, “development charges” totalling
R1,533,848.06 would have to be paid to the municipality by the developer. The plans, Petersen added, would still have to be submitted for approval.
In March 2021, Vrolijk, on behalf of Pacific Breeze, applied for the development’s number of floors to be increased from “four to five”. In the same month, a local conveyancer certified that the title deeds contained “no conditions restricting the contemplated land use in terms of the land development application”.
Apartments were pre-advertised for R1.7-million for a two-bedroomed unit by one agent in the area.
Legal contractor
George mayor Leon van Wyk told the George Herald that the developer on the project was the Neo Trend Group Ice Project, which had submitted plans in December 2022, which had been approved in July 2023.
Theuns Kruger, director of the contracting firm, Liatel Developments, said the company would offer its full cooperation to the police and was helping with the continuing rescue efforts.
The Western Cape government has since appointed engineering firm V3 to investigate what led to the collapse of the building.