MISTY CLIFFS VILLAGE ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER - October 2005
Editor: Tim Anderson
END-OF-YEAR GET-TOGETHER:
LYN MOSSOP, our treasurer, has very generously offered to host a casual party at her beachfront home (Erf 41). All Misty Cliffs owners are invited (even if you don't yet have a house on your land). If you expect to be away but have a respectable tenant you're welcome to delegate this invitation.
Alternative dates are proposed: Friday 2 December (early evening) or Saturday 3 December (latish afternoon). Please ASAP contact Tim Anderson (072-128-2319 or timofpen@mweb.co.za) to state your preference; we'll go with the majority.
Provisionally the event is a bring-and-braai but Lyn is willing to cater a less primitive repast (she's a professional) and unless anyone objects on principle the MCVA funds should cover the cost. In your message to Tim please indicate if you're a carnivore or a herbivore, kosher, halaal, and/or any other manageable dietary preferences.
No entertainment is proposed. The idea is to bring your own liquid refreshments, talk to people, and watch the sunset.
After we've had input from everyone we'll firm up the plan and send out details and confirmation.
ACCESS TO BEACH
Pedestrian access to the beach from the north end of upper Old Camp Road was facilitated by a flight of wooden steps which were re-built by SPA a couple of years ago. The upgrade of the road required the steps to be extended considerably and by the time you read this they should be in place. The cost of the extension was squeezed out of the residue of the road fund. You're reminded that the steps discharge directly on to the main road; there is no sidewalk. Children should be supervised!
A second flight of steps is required at the south end of the road in order to prevent erosion of the steep slope into the valley. There is no way to stop residents and contractors taking this short cut other than by provision of steps so that they don't continually scramble up and down the slope causing environmental damage. A source of funding will have to be found as the road upgrade fund has now been exhausted.
FIRE THREAT
A hotter than average summer has been predicted, and after the good rains and absence of fire for nearly five years the bush is dangerously dense. The severity of the inevitable next veld fire will be correspondingly devastating. The usual origin of fires which threaten Misty Cliffs is the informal settlement at Redhill which has more people than ever. Preventative bush clearing there is still hampered by a legal and political impasse. All we can do is minimise potential damage by clearing our properties of alien vegetation and cutting back all vegetation that is close to houses, especially on the south and east sides.
We assessed all properties at Misty Cliffs and have sent individual letters to every owner of ground having relatively dense vegetation advising them to arrange for clearance and recommending contractors of good reputation.
Should clearing not have been effected within a reasonable time the Council will unilaterally undertake the work. Owners will be charged for the service (much more expensive than a private contractor's charge) and may be fined as well. The Council does not require an owner's authority to enter a property and clear the bush.
We remind owners to check the quality of their insurance cover and ensure that premiums are up to date! Should you be resident when a fire approaches do not leave it too late before you leave. Whether you leave or stay make sure all windows and vents are shut tightly so that hot air and flames are not sucked into your house. It is a wise precaution to have external shutters and/or heat-resistant glass fitted to windows on the upwind side(s) of your house.
DOGS (FOUR-FOOTED)
To tell a man that his wife's a you-know-what and that his children are ugly is a risky move and can elicit an unpleasant response. Tell someone that their dog or canary is a nuisance, and the reaction may be almost as acute. Not long ago Misty Cliffs was joyously dog-free but the number of dogs began slowly increasing, and correspondingly also the amount of nuisance and the number of complaints.
We have a very cordial community and so rather than inviting antagonism by taking-up dog issues with their owners we obtained from the Area Manager (South) of the Table Mountain National Park the rules and regulations governing control of dogs. Although it's rather heavy stuff for a newsletter we feel that for dog owners and dog moaners alike the exact position needs to be made known. All we can add is that the respective authorities are quite fearless about enforcing the laws, and recently some heavy fines were levied on owners of dogs which had attacked penguins in the Simon's Town area.
We quote: The roles and responsibilities of three authorities on the Peninsula are founded in law. The authorities are as follows: Table Mountain National Park (TMNP), South Peninsula Administration of the City of Cape Town (SPA) and CapeNature (formerly Western Cape Nature Conservation Board).
As far as the SPCA is concerned, Inspector Kira Joshua (SPAC - 021-700-4140/1 or enquiries@spca-ct.co.za) has confirmed that any dog found wandering in public and brought in to the SPCA will not be released to its owner until the SPCA or SPA Law Enforcement have checked that the owner's property is fully enclosed. By way of copying this e-mail to Inspector Kira Joshua she and her staff are now aware of the situation at Misty Cliffs.
It is quite clear that responsible dog ownership is a requirement throughout the municipal and nature areas (those in which dogs are permitted) on the Peninsula. Dog ownership confers special responsibilities in ecologically sensitive areas, so please request the Misty Cliffs community to act in a responsible manner and ensure that dogs are confined to their owners' properties and that when dogs are taken for a walk they are kept under the immediate control of their handler. Although the law is clear on this matter we are sure that, as like-minded conservationists, the Misty Cliffs community and its dog owners will embrace this request in the spirit in which it is intended - that is, our shared concern for the well-being of the environment.
Code of conduct for dog walking in the Table Mountain National Park
NEW HOUSES
The standard Agreement which owners must sign before construction commences has been revised to include the stipulation that the two off-street parking areas must be excavated before any other work or deliveries begin. This is to ensure that no obstruction of or damage to the road can occur. Spoil removed during excavation must be either stored on or removed from site. Owners are further obliged to ensure that their builders routinely sweep adjacent road surfaces, especially after stone deliveries, and at all times keep gutters clear, and in the event of material such as sand migrating into catchpits the builder must lift the cover(s) and clear out the material.
AREA STATUS
We have heard nothing lately from the various bodies involved regarding the proposed Integrated Zoning Scheme (IZS) and the progress (hopefully) of the various submissions for special area status and overlay zones. It may be that the employment hiatus presently prevailing in the municipality is hindering matters.
PBO STATUS
We don't suppose many of you are interested, but some time ago we set things in motion for the MCVA to be officially classified as a "public benefit organization". This had become necessary after we realized that potentially we fell under the baleful gaze of the Receiver of Revenue on account of receiving membership subscriptions. To avoid the risk of a spell in Pollsmoor we obediently accepted a handful of red tape which untangled fairly easily in the gifted hands of our newly appointed public officer, Tony Turner. Now, as with all things official, there is a waiting period, but we are happily confidant that the ROR will not be raiding the subscriptions which (some) of you pay, And thank you to those who DO have a community conscience and pay, especially to those who sent us supplementary payments to cover the increase in the subs.
Be it noted that the increase came about because far too many of our worthy owners fail to pay. It's entirely possible, of course, that the delinquents don't feel that the MCVA does enough to justify the amount, in which case we would really, really like to hear suggestions towards what more we should do, or should do better, or differently, or no longer.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION
Floral ground cover on the construction camp area used during the road upgrade is established and is spreading very satisfactorily. The easily-eroded slopes near the south end of upper Old Camp Road are also holding their plants very well and we're grateful to Jeanne Maritz for watering them.
Along the base line of the gabions on the lower section of the road the trees and shrubs have regenerated way better than we had dared even to hope. Wonderful.
There are some raw-looking verges still to be covered but we are likely to wait until autumn when it's cooler before tackling them. They will probably need a truckload of topsoil before they can be planted.
HISTORY WAS MADE
We know that most of you are sick of hearing about the Old Camp Road upgrade, but for those who are not, and for any newcomers to our area, here follows a potted history of the undertaking as requested from us by the Council for its own purposes:
THE community of Misty Cliffs, a small residential enclave near Scarborough on the Atlantic side of the Peninsula, have demonstrated a novel way to gain an upgrade of their municipal services in circumstances which in the normal course of events would be regarded as low priority.
Amounting to a public/private partnership, the project included water and sewerage reticulation, storm water drainage, repairs to a section of the existing access road, and construction and hard surfacing of its extensions. The project may pioneer a way for other relatively unimportant residential areas to enhance their municipal service levels.
Property owners on the mountain side of Misty Cliffs were aware that they would be near the low end of the City's priorities, yet they were faced with very difficult access because of the gradient. Apart from a short section of concrete on the steepest part of this "Old Camp Road", access was along a narrow sand track and included a sharp hairpin bend and additional steep sections. At its southern extension the track petered out leaving three erven almost totally inaccessible. During winter the track sometimes became impassable and run-off posed a constant danger from possible landslides. During the devastating fire of 2000, emergency vehicles could not navigate the track and residents had been hastily evacuated to the beach. Building was extremely difficult because most heavy vehicles could not get up the slope, and those that could had great difficulty turning round to descend.
The enclave's interests are co-ordinated by the Misty Cliffs Village Association (MCVA) which during 2003 canvassed all mountainside owners with the idea of contributing to a fund for improving the access and services situation. Although a majority of owners were not normally resident, the idea was sound in that the values and marketability of the properties stood to be increased dramatically, especially because all the properties enjoyed spectacular views above a designated prime scenic route with whale watching and ship spotting.
Faure and Rush, consulting engineers, produced several proposals, each with a different cost profile, and these options were put to the owners through the MCVA. There was considerable discussion but eventually more than 70 per cent of owners agreed in principle to contribute. The mechanism would be to establish a special fund, professionally managed by an accounting firm. The undertaking would be that if the project failed to take off all contributions would be returned with interest, and that no work would be contracted until sufficient funding was firmly in place.
During the early discussion period the City had been approached with the suggestion that it should consider making a contribution towards the undertaking. The main attraction for the City would be the prospect of markedly higher rateable values of the properties, most of which are relatively luxurious although on small erven. This potential benefit to municipal revenue would be further enhanced by accelerated building activity consequent upon easier access for builders. The South Peninsula Administration was additionally attracted by the reduction in danger from storm-water induced landslides and the provision of access for emergency vehicles.
There were very extensive technical, financial and legal discussions, including environmental impact studies which also involved the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEAD&P). In due course Faure and Rush prepared detailed construction drawings with specifications to municipal standards. Although the prospect of water-born sewerage is presently remote the reticulation system for it was a municipal stipulation. Eventually, under strict conditions, a Council contribution was negotiated and in early 2004, the project went out to tender in three phases - repair and widening of the concrete section with construction and surfacing of the adjoining level section, then construction and surfacing of the two extensions, and finally the continuation of the lower extension through pristine bush to give access to the isolated three erven.
The successful tenderer for Phase 1 was R.T.Enterprises, while Phases 2 and 3 were undertaken by Sundown Construction. To simplify accounting and cost control the Council contribution covered all costs up to a pre-calculated point in the work, after which the Misty Cliffs Village Association covered the remainder.
Exceptional difficulties were encountered right from the start. All the excavation for grading and trenching for services was in rock, with no soft material at any point, and occasional blasting of large boulders was necessary. Wear and tear on machinery was extreme, and there was nowhere to store spoil other than on the road itself which was only 4 m wide. An undertaking had been given to maintain access over weekends which meant continual backfilling and re-excavation, and even then the ongoing obstruction and inconvenience for residents and house-building contractors proved stressful for everyone involved and required much diplomacy.
Phase 1 problems were aggravated by the presence of an existing storm water pipe along part of the route, and by the presence of cables which had never been buried to the correct depth and had to be rerouted and partially replaced. Excavation was exasperatingly slow and there were problems with deliveries of bulk materials when subcontracted trucks were unable to make the ascent. During September 2004 a read-mixed concrete truck missed a gear on the incline, stalled, lost brake pressure and rolled back down the hill crashing through a stone wall and landing upside down! The driver was not seriously hurt but a major recovery operation ensued and necessitated a full-day closure of the M65 while a 30 t crane was erected and utilized.
Gabions were required for Phase 1 and under patient instruction from the supplier, African Gabions, a previously non-experienced team cut their teeth in the skill of packing the baskets. Another accident involved an unattended digger-loader running away down the concrete section but fortunately veering sideways and being stopped by the gabions - damage to which remains as a monument to the whole construction saga!
Phase 2 involved nearly 300 cubic metres of gabions and was even more difficult because the road was only 3 m wide along the lower extension. In addition, an elaborate residence was being built down this section with much to-ing and fro-ing of frustrated sub-contractors having to manhandle materials to site.
Phase 3 was a relatively short section but here the gabions were at their highest, and in addition great care had to be taken not to damage certain protected tree species, this feature of the work being under the watchful eye of DEAD&P. A further difficulty requiring careful management lay in the proximity of the new road to the busy M65, thereby introducing the danger of inadvertent rock falls into the line of traffic flow.
Apart from the repaired concrete section the road has been paved with attractive interlocking concrete blocks, and the adjacent disturbed ground and slopes are being rehabilitated with terracing and indigenous flora.
An extraordinary feature of the undertaking was that it was completed within budget! This is a tribute to the estimator and owes much to tight supervision and continual frank communication between client, engineers and contractors as work proceeded. There could hardly have been a more arduous test for this public/private partnership, but its highly successful completion proves what can be done if the private parties are united, resolute, and understanding of how local authorities operate. The job is a credit to the principal contractors, who were severely extended, and to a committed Village Association loyally supported by 70 per cent of the affected owners.
TALKING TO OUR COUSINS (?)
The maddeningly mischievous but much misunderstood baboons continually remind us of their dubious presence. As some of you know, Jenni Trethowan (a recent "Woman of Worth Award nominee) is among the few humans who bat for the baboons. On 5 November Jenni will be joined by Wynter Worsthorne, an internationally acclaimed animal communicator, for an event named "Chat with the Cape chacma baboons". This all-day event promises to be intriguing and informative. Anyone interested in attending (there's a charge) should contact Jenni on 021-783-3882 and/or Wynter on 078-115-4894 and/or winter@animaltalk.org.uk
CONTACT US
About the festive event in December contact Tim on 072-128-2319 or timofpen@mweb.co.za
For, against, or about anything else in this newsletter, contact Tim.
To cough up for the MCVA membership subscription which astonishingly escaped your prompt attention call Lyn Mossop on 082-557-4477, or snail your cheque for R300 (in favour of the Misty Cliffs Village Association) to Box 43942 Scarborough 7975), or even easier, deposit directly the MCVA Absa savings account. Contact Lyn Mossop for the bank account details lyn@mistys.co.za. If you make a direct deposit please ensure that the reference identifies you (especially if you send someone to do it for you).