More than 2 000 concerned residents of the Durbanville area had by noon today already signed a petition against the proposed development of the Durbanville racecourse, only four days after it was launched.

The proposed development application is for the removal of restrictive conditions, consolidation, rezoning, the approval of street names and the approval of a development framework for Erven 458, 4627 and 4658, commonly known as Hollywoodbets Durbanville Racecourse.

The application by Urban Dynamics Cape includes about 980 residential units — of which 310 single residential units, 210 sectional title units and 20 apartment units — as well as retail and office space.

It will also include tourist facilities, a place of assembly, a place of entertainment and utility services for racecourse-related amenities and facilities, as well as a clubhouse and a private stormwater attenuation pond.

The deadline for comments and objections is Monday 6 April.

Refuse or reconsider application

In their petition, residents urge the City of Cape Town to refuse or significantly reconsider the development application.

“While we support responsible and sustainable development, we believe the current proposal raises serious concerns for residents, infrastructure and the long-term character of Durbanville,” according to the petition.

“We therefore request that the City refuse the application in its current form or delay any approval until critical issues are fully addressed. Residents are concerned that existing infrastructure — including the Fisantekraal Wastewater Treatment Works and surrounding networks — may not yet have sufficient operational capacity. Approving development before confirmed infrastructure upgrades are fully completed risks sewer overflows, water pressure problems and increased service failures for existing residents,” according to the petition.

Increased traffic congestion

Increased traffic congestion and road safety risks are another issue mentioned in the petition.

“The proposed development could generate substantial additional traffic affecting Racecourse Road, St Johns Road, Bowlers Avenue, Queens Street and surrounding residential roads such as Basson Street. These roads already experience congestion, particularly during school peak hours. Residents are concerned that traffic mitigation plans are based on data that is already out of date, conceptual and not guaranteed, while the development scale is significant.”

Loss of open space

Another critical aspect mentioned is the loss of important open space.

“Open space areas play a vital role in environmental protection, stormwater management, preserving Durbanville’s landscape character, providing visual relief and ecological continuity. Rezoning this land for dense development would permanently alter the planning framework that residents have relied upon.

“The application seeks to remove restrictive title conditions that historically helped protect the character and planning expectations of the area. Removing these protections fundamentally changes the development rights associated with the property and the surrounding neighbourhood,” according to the petition.

Impact on residential character

Residents are also concerned about the impact on residential character and their quality of life.

“The scale and density of the proposed development may result in increased noise and light pollution, reduced privacy for neighbouring homes, increased traffic infiltration into residential streets and pressure on local services and parking.

“Many residents chose to live in Durbanville because of its lower-density village character and open landscapes, which may be significantly affected by this proposal,” according to the petition.

Policing under-resourced

The impact on community services such as policing is also addressed in the petition.

“The scale and density of the proposed development will result in thousands more residents and the police service is already under-resourced when compared to the standards set for police per 1 000 residents,” according to the petition.

“We respectfully request that the City refuse the development application in its current form, or defer approval until infrastructure upgrades are completed and independently verified, binding traffic upgrade commitments are in place, the scale and density of the development are reconsidered, open space protections are properly evaluated and community concerns are fully addressed, including more policing and schools.”

Still in advertising stage

According to Eddie Andrews, the City of Cape Town’s deputy mayor and Mayco member for spatial planning and environment, a response to the petition and any other inputs or comments received will be sent to the applicant for their response before the matter is tabled at the municipal planning tribunal.

“It is important to note that this matter is an active application that is being duly processed. The application is in the advertising stage. The purpose of this stage is to obtain inputs from the public and the City’s internal technical departments. The technical departments will then consider capacity issues, assess the specialist studies provided and related matters,” he says.

The application may be inspected during public counter operating hours from 08:00 to 14:30 from Monday to Friday at the relevant district office.

Any objection, comment or representation about the proposal must be submitted on the prescribed form with reasons therefor to comments_objections.northern@capetown.gov.za. The prescribed form can be downloaded at http://www.capetown.gov.za/LandUseObjections.