TRANSFORM THE CAR PARK, cnr 3rd & 7th Aves, Parktown North

ISSUED BY THE PARKTOWN NORTH RATEPAYERS' and RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION (PNRA)

Parktown North includes a property on the corner of 3rd and 7th Avenues which has for years been used as a car park. Unfortunately we have witnessed a significant deterioration in the area over the last five years:

  • TO illegal street traders, it has become a trading venue with disregard to land-use zoning rights relating to the property and to by-laws relating to business licensing, environmental health and the like;
  • TO the vagrants, it has become a shelter under the stars without any limits in respect of rules, sanitation, personal hygiene and personal conduct;
  • TO the immediate neighbours, it has become a night-time cesspool of urine and defecation;
  • TO informal mechanics, it is a dumping ground for used car oil and diesel which is polluting the storm water drains which lead into our local river system.  This is in addition to the defecation and urine finding its way into the storm water system.

Our community has become increasingly reluctant to use the area for fear of their personal safety, for fear of harassment by constantly-drunk permanent vagrants, for fear of damage to property, for fear of health hazards, and for fear of being caught between brawling vagrants wielding knives and broken bottles.

It would appear that the Council at some point abandoned its vision for the car park, and as a result the car park has slowly become a forgotten asset, for example parking surfaces and pedestrian walkways have deteriorated; pedestrian access from the car park to the shopping precinct is precarious to negotiate due to poor lighting, steep gradients and low-level obstacles; and dangerous because of an increasing vagrant population.

Moreover Pikitup is not effectively attending to the clean-up of trash – staff clean up only the top half of bins, and leave litter scattered around the bins.
City Parks have failed to properly maintain the trees and vegetation.  The perimeter shrubbery has been unattended to for so long that it now provides pockets of hiding space for plastic bedding.
The Metro Police have largely abandoned the enforcement of any City of Johannesburg by-laws in Parktown North.  Environmental Health remains unaware of health issues introduced by informal traders.
The bus terminus has been left to deteriorate and become the playground of so-called graffiti artists, and the bus shelter is no longer provided with bus schedules and route information for commuters.
The maintenance of the toilet block and other buildings has been neglected, as evidenced by rotting gutters and damaged supporting poles.  In addition, the roofs have become an unsightly temporary storage platform for vagrants’ bedding and personal effects during the day. The car park is littered with broken glass which precludes residents from walking through the area, and more specifically, provides a health hazard for children attending the neighbouring karate dojo studio.

In the absence of any Council agency taking responsibility for the cleaning of the area, the dojo owner has taken it upon himself to clean the grass verge which includes getting rid of the vagrants’ faeces.

Clearly, there is a crying need for this situation to be addressed.  The PNRA is proposing that it would be best-addressed by the two parties most affected, namely the Council and the community, in partnership with one another.  The purpose of the partnership would be to give effect to a holistic and integrated solution that would transform the space into a multi-functional, community-centred Village Green while still functioning as a car park.

Accordingly, the PNRA is hereby asking for all those who support our efforts to engage with the City of Johannesburg in this regard, to please sign the petition.  It is most urgent that we garner as much support for our efforts by 21 January 2014 at which time we have been afforded the opportunity to address an influential City of Johannesburg Forum.  Please can you sign the petition and encourage others, including your spouses or partners, to do so.