News – Page 13

Robert on the Central SRA

Robert’s opinion on the proposed Central SRA:

Some people are of the opinion that the SRA will take over from the Municipality and other institutions and that these will not provide the services we pay for. This is far from the reality.

Firstly, the SRA is set up and controlled by property owners who have property, or who stay in, or who have businesses in Central and St Georges. The SRA is a collective voice to hold accountable and to work with the relevant authorities and departments to ensure we get the services we pay for. The SRA, once adopted, by the majority of property owners, will be a legal body with an elected management committee and board of directors. An annual general meeting will be held and the whole process will be transparent. Up till now the interim committee has just spearheaded the process and has laid some groundwork upon which can be built.

Once the SRA has been established, only then can the real process of negotiation begin with the SAPS, Metro Security, MBDA, the Municipality, area forums, ward councillors etc. This is an inclusive process and is not to the exclusion of anyone or any organisation. Once discussion have been held the committee will be able to ascertain where the gaps are and what is need to ensure a safe and secure area.

The SRA has a five year plan, at which point the property owners will revalue the concept and take appropriate action. The hard work will be in the first few years and once we are satisfied with the results, it should be a lot easier to maintain, and possibly cost increases will not be necessary.

There is no price to high, to have a safe and secure suburb, where we can feel free to walk about, where we can feel proud to stay and work. Central is the heartbeat of the City, if we do not take care of it, who will!

Robert is a proud Central Resident in Cuyler and can be contacted here: https://www.facebook.com/jikeleza.lodge/.

Mrs Claw on her beloved Central

Carole Law writes:

Lots of very exciting things are happening in Central these days! As you know Mrs Claw has always been and always will be passionate about her beloved stomping ground.

The Valley is the very latest hip and happening hot spot in PE! Whoop whoop!!

What with the craft beer breweries, restaurants, markets and other exciting projects all now finding a new home there, it certainly is one of the Bay’s best kept secrets!!

The beautiful Donkin Village is an awesome newish enclave where many young creative minds have chosen as their new home, conveniently close to the CBD which is part of the urban revitalisation project so skilfully being managed by the MBDA.

On “The Hill” the gracious Edward hotel stands majestic as always, overlooking the stunning Donkin, where Mrs C in her younger days happily ran the many functions as her job as banqueting co-ordinator for the late great Roy Lombard!

Whites Road is home to the beautifully and stylishly renovated Opera House which Mrs C believes is one of the oldest if not the oldest theatre in the country.

Across the road from the Edward you have the newly renovated grand old lady The Grand Hotel! Many happy memories here Skatties and ready to make many new ones!

Along Belmont Terrace the magnificent Atheneum beautifully restored, housing an Art Gallery, small restaurant and the little Theatre amongst other things.

Bird Street is fast becoming the “Art Route” of this beautiful part of Central envisioned by the MBDA, home not only the NMMU Art Department & Artec but many other art Galleries including Anthony Harris’ Gallery at the top of Bird Street and if rumour is to believed, shortly, Colin Wells famous picture framing business!

The majestic High Court previously Mrs Claw’s old School – Collegiate (let’s not go there dolls lol) is at present undergoing major renovations – (also situated in Bird Street) – this is where where Shirl and Mrs C tend to while away the day almost daily, hoping not to miss any drama at present unfolding ………

Anthony Adler has chosen his beautiful property in Russell Road as the newish home to his extremely successful National Glass Distribution now expanding into the space previously home to Colin Wells Framing …….

Kudos to all who have made and are making Mrs Claw’s dreams come true!

The Gutsche family with the PE Club, Ken Denton with Donkin Village, Anthony Adler for always keeping his properties in pristine condition , Mark Stemmett for the Grand Hotel and many others who are all making a huge and positive contribution towards establishing Central as an area to be proud of (thanks Tony Jones for your assistance with this last sentence!!)

The next step towards really making Central the most desirable place to be is obviously the creation of their very own SRA! Successful cities globally are now being run by SRAs!

This concept, as residents of Richmond Hill will confirm, is definitely not structured to replace the work the municipality is responsible for and what ratepayers pay for, but to enhance the area putting in place very necessary additions such as manned security cameras, proper waste management i.e recycling, dedicated Crime Prevention patrols etc etc not included in the municipal responsibilities. SRAs are run by the homeowners and are completely non political/racial/sexual etc etc!

To this end Mrs Claw is urging and imploring all property owners to attend the vital meetings arranged to inform the uninformed about the proposed SRA for Central which will be hosted by a very hardworking dedicated, enthusiastic passionate interim (note interim) committee who have worked extremely hard nearly every week for over a year to come up with an awesome plan which will not hurt your already overburdened pockets! The small amount of money it will cost you will be worth spending as it will also increase the value of one of your most expensive assets!

Keep an open mind and BE THERE – you will be surprised and inspired!

First Central SRA Press Release

The first Central SRA press release was sent out today, ahead of the first Public participation meeting at the union Cricket Ground on 29 November 2016 from 17h30.

Please visit and share ON the sites that publish our Press Release (list below):

The Actual Release:

* PE’s Historical Heart to receive a jumpstart from the community
* Resident support for new SRA
* SRA’s supports historical heart of Port Elizabeth
* Making St Georges Park and Central safe again
* Unique Online process enables Central owners to consent to SRA
* Call for Central SRA

Desirous of forming a Special Rates Area for Central, at a meeting held at the Mandela Bay Development Agency on 11 November 2015, Central residents, property and business owners appointed an interim committee to take the necessary steps towards the establishment of the Central SRA. Based on a fundamental need to improve the area that the residents of Central reside in, the property owners within the Central area will now formally apply for the registration of the Central SRA.

A Special Rating Area is a geographic area within the jurisdiction of a Municipality, determined or to be determined by the Municipality Council in terms of Section 22 of the Municipal Rates Act 6 of 2004 as an area within which an additional rates amount shall be levied by the Municipality and paid over to a community owned Company for its sole use in improving aspects of service delivery within that geographic area.

A number of Public Participation meetings are planned for residents on 29 November at the Union Cricket Club and 1 December at the MBDA, Tramways Building. Both meetings will be from 17h30 to 19h00.

The Central SRA website (www.centralsra.co.za) is active and allows residents to quickly determine the exact amount that each will contribute towards the Special Rated Area as well as allowing each owner to complete and sign an online consent form.

Feedback from the Public Participation meetings and via the web site will allow residents and owners to gain clarity on the formation of the Central SRA.

Speaking from personal experience the Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay gave the Central SRA the thumbs up saying; “The Richmond Hill SRA has been a huge success, mostly ridding the area of serious crime & grime. The rejuvenation of this suburb has resulted in improved cleanliness, massive property value appreciation and the establishment of a popular restaurant hub. For just a small rates increase, the residents of Richmond Hill have benefited immensely.”

Interim Central SRA committee member Kenrick Brown says; “Applying best practice from lessons learned in the formation of the Richmond Hill SRA the creation of the Central SRA will ensure that the residents of Central achieve a unified and cohesive voice. This coupled with an independent budget will allow for a pro-active and aggressive approach to improving security, cleanliness, and maintenance within the central area. Furthermore it will allow for better cohesion in working towards complementing the various urban renewal services and infrastructure projects being implemented by government and their various agencies.”

The demarcated area for the Central SRA comprises a total of 4 131 properties all falling under Ward 5 on the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality.

Ward 5 Councillor Sandile Rwexwana welcomed the proposed establishment of a Special Rated Area in Central saying, “As a resident in Richmond Hill I have seen the benefits that an SRA brings to an area. For example, during the recent Municipal Workers strike the SRA mobilised to clear the streets of rubbish – a direct benefit to residents and business in the area. As the DA Ward 5 Councillor for the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality I support the establishment of the Central SRA and welcome the benefits that it will bring to property owners and tenants in this vibrant and historical area of Port Elizabeth.”

“SRA’s are not politically driven and empower neighbours to decide for themselves what improvements or additional services they would like to see implemented in their suburbs – as a consequence SRA’s could also be seen as an importance agent for dialogue and understanding within the broader context of Nation Building,” concluded Sandile Rwexwana.

Welcoming the formation of the Central SRA Mandela Bay Development Agency CEO Pierre Voges said; “As the driving force behind Urban Regeneration within Nelson Mandela Bay tasked with providing support in promoting economic and tourism development the MBDA welcomes the formation of the Central SRA and looks forward to the accelerated service delivery that this will bring to the historic inner city of Port Elizabeth.”

“During the World Bank/Urban Land Institute (ULI) weeklong visit to the City in November 2015 the visitors indicated that SRA’s, City Improvements Districts (CID’s)/Business Improvement Districts (BID’s) are the most powerful tools to eradicate urban decay,” concluded Voges.

All municipal buildings, schools, and places of worship in the Central SRA demarcated area will be exempt from the special SRA levy. This effectively exempts approximately 350 properties from this special levy, as per the NMBM Budget and Treasury system.

Fresh from launching the Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism App on the cities iconic Donkin Reserve, NMT CEO, Mandlakazi Skefile expressed her support for the formation of the Central SRA saying; “The NMBT Tourism offices are are in the heart of the Central area across the road from one of our cities main international tourist destinations – the Donkin Reserve. The formation of the Central SRA will contribute to the preservation of our historical buildings in the inner city as well as improved safety for the many tourists who will be exploring the area with the NMBT App.”

2 Areas that a SRA addresses to increases your property value

For buyers in an area security is always a concern. Buyers (and renters) like to move into an area that is safe and a community that cares. A SRA is another level of caring and provides community based security on top of the normal security and policing measures.
Buyers and Renters gravitate towards a clean area. Collectively a band of neighbours represented by a Special Rates Area is more effective (cost and otherwise) at keeping a neighbourhood orderly than one owner alone.

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City of Johannesburg motivation for SRA’s

RESIDENTIAL city improvement districts (RCIDs) have been given the go-ahead in principle by the council, subject to the finalisation of a City policy framework for these areas.

The approval comes after lengthy public consultations and follows from the recommendations made by a special independent advisory panel into the matter.

Over the last two years especially the City has received a number of applications to extend the CID concept to residential areas. But the issue was controversial.

While certain segments of these communities were strongly in favour of CIDs, others objected to levies over and above municipal rates, and personal monthly payments already made to private security companies.

However, with the recommendations now approved, the City can take the issue forward.

Accordingly, all applications received by the City for RCIDs before 1 October 2008 will be evaluated in terms of the panel’s recommendations, while those received after this date will be put on hold until the policy has been finalised, the City confirmed in a statement.

The policy framework for RCIDs is expected to be ready by the middle of the year.

“The extension of CIDs to residential areas is an important precedent-setting step for the City and we have to ensure that a well-informed policy framework is in place before we proceed,” said Ruby Mathang, the member of the mayoral committee for development planning and urban management.

Panel recommendations

Among the key recommendations made by the panel is that the required proportion of landowners giving consent for the creation of an improvement district in residential areas should be increased to 75 percent.

“The 75 percent requirement is to ensure that CIDs in residential areas are not divisive and have the support of the community at large, especially given the additional financial contribution that will be required in the form of the CID levy,” the City stated.

The current CID legislation stipulates that 51 percent of owners of rateable property, representing 51 percent of the rate base in value of the property must be in support of forming a CID. This ensures that the smaller property owner is not forced into forming a CID by larger property owners.

According to Anne Steffny, a director for Kagiso Urban Management and the Central Johannesburg Partnership (CJP) – an independent section 21 company dedicated to the revitalisation of Joburg’s inner city – the 75 percent consent is extremely high and will need to be reviewed. She suggested a 66 percent consent rate, which still makes for a comprehensive participatory process.

The disparate income found in residential areas was another concern and gaining support from sectional title units would prove to be incredibly difficult, she added.

But, although there was still a lot of devil in the detail needing clearing up, the CJP was delighted with what Steffny called “a bold move by the City”.

“The City’s supporting of RCIDs in principle is cutting edge stuff,” she said.

The panel also recommended that the approval of a RCID be effective for a period of three years only. After the expiry date, an application for extension of the particular improvement district must be submitted to the City. Approval will be granted after the completion of an independent evaluation.

And RCID proposals must provide a detailed breakdown of all costs relating to the establishment and maintenance of the improvement district, the panel advised.

All of these recommendations relate to residential areas falling outside the urban development zone boundary of the inner city, and outside mixed business and residential nodes that are suffering symptoms of urban decay.

Concern about crime

Submissions received by the City to create RCIDs to date reflect a growing concern for crime and safety issues in certain residential areas. This should, however, be only one of the factors in the consideration of applications, Mathang cautioned.

“The intention of a CID is to fund the provision of services that can halt the degeneration of cities and promote economic growth and sustainable development within cities,” he said.

Therefore, proposals from residents must indicate how the establishment of an RCID can contribute towards neighbourhood regeneration.

“We don’t want RCIDs to be nothing more than a high-security neighbourhood or to promote a paramilitary approach to controlling public spaces. It is the policy of Johannesburg to promote the growth of inclusive neighbourhoods that reflect the diversity of the City’s population.”

Background

In the past, CIDs were strictly established in places with retail, commercial and industrial components, as dictated by the Gauteng City Improvement Districts Act.

Because of rapid urbanisation in the late 1990s, the inner city went into rapid decline, prompting swift action by the government and property owners alike.

The result was the Act, which, since its inception has contributed to the complete about-turn of decaying areas such as Braamfontein, parts of the inner city and Newtown, to name a few.

In these areas, property owners pay additional levies to complement existing municipal services in order to improve the urban environment. Levies are applied in particular to keep areas clean, attractive and crime-free.

Both statutory and voluntary CIDs operate in the inner city.

Mathang said it was a logical next step to extend the CID concept to residential areas, “but it has to be done in a structured and equitable manner”. The issue of RCIDs has been on the agenda since the Inner City Summit in 2007 and the Inner City Partnership Forum that was subsequently formed.

A draft policy on the RCID will be available for public comment before it is finalised and submitted for approval. Details for the public comment process will be advertised in the press.

Source: City of Johannesburg – Improvement districts are approved

Robert on the Central SRA

Mrs Claw on her beloved Central

First Central SRA Press Release

2 Areas that a SRA addresses to increases your property value

City of Johannesburg motivation for SRA’s

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