As a homeowner in D’Urbanvale, I oppose the Engen fuel station development.
It is a breach in the spatial planning framework. The D’Urbanvale spatial framework is defined as a mixture of standalone houses, retirement and townhouse complexes, gentleman estates, apartment blocks and a primary school settled within a mixture of open spaces, parks and wetlands to create a rural atmosphere.
The proposed development of an industrial, petrochemical facility is in stark contrast to the rural, suburban atmosphere that makes D’Urbanvale that very special place it is today.
There will be significant disruption during the construction phase as heavy earth-moving machinery are required to excavate underground storage facilities.
D’Urbanvale is characterised by open spaces, leafy sidewalks and wetlands. The Engen fuel station, with its neon-lit forecourt and towering white and blue neon signage monstrosity, will create a visual disturbance that is in stark contrast with the rural atmosphere that makes D’Urbanvale the appealing suburb that it is today.
D’Urbanvale is a quiet suburb, but the increased traffic, trucks delivery (often done at odd hours), idling engines, operating equipment, compressors and cooling systems, interaction between staff and customers at all hours day and night, will create noise. Petrochemical vapour will be constantly released into the atmosphere.
There are already seven fuel stations within 3km to this proposed Engen fuel station. Surely we do not need another one.
There will be health and safety risks as apartment blocks, houses and a primary school around the proposed Engen development will be exposed to significant risks. Additionally, gasoline that drips from a fuel pump and potential underground storage tank leakage will ultimately contaminate boreholes and the Uitkamp wetland.
The Uitkamp wetland with its 279 different plants species (of which 30 are threatened), 67 bird species, mammals and reptiles will be irreversibly exposed and threatened by gasoline, oil and other contaminating pollutants that will enter this 32ha of highly vulnerable nature reserve through the runoff of storm water.
Property values and a higher risk profile may negatively impact property owners within the immediate proximity of the proposed fuel station – resale value may decrease while the cost of property insurance may increase.
Traffic congestion is already an issue during peak school hours, making Mosselbank River Avenue impassable. The fuel station will just exacerbate an already untenable situation.
D’Urbanvale residential roads have a weight restriction of 3,5 tons and were not designed to support heavy vehicles. A fuel tanker truck can weigh up to 44 tons and with no heavy truck turning circle, trucks will have to exit down Falcon Street, turn right into Muisvoël and Heron street, back into Mosselbankriver Avenue to exit D’Urbanvale. This will have disastrous long-term consequences for the road surfaces and high risk of structural vibration damage to houses, swimming pools and boundary walls.
As a D’Urbanvale homeowner, I would have expected that the City of Cape Town would have formally sent each impacted homeowner a notice of this intended development. Public participation is a fundamental element of the required Environmental Impact Assessment process. Why was this not done – this “under the public radar” ploy is of grave concern to myself as a homeowner.
CONCERNED RESIDENT, D’Urbanvale
