proposed school in Noordhoek with 600 students is going to fill Chapman's Peak drive with cars..

[Pure Savage]

The pipe network is really bad in terms of leaks. Sitari, a new development in Somerset West designed the development around a natural spring which they were going to cap and then control and be uber water efficient. 

 

So when they went to cap this spring, they found out this spring was in fact a leak in the pipe from Steenbras to Cape Town.    I am sure there are hundreds like this.

[GLuvsMtb]

That's the crux of it!

 

It's not demand, not by a long shot, that is the problem.

 

It's waste and the eternal goal of recreating some sort of neo-tropical rain forest that has people bent on irrigating everyday, nothing less than twice a day in most cases. I see it, you see it, it's the normality that is the insanity we live and march to. Green lawns.

 

Like it rains everyday, all day long, anywhere on this planet!

You can have green lawns and still be water efficient. I had a meter on my greywater system for the first 2 months to measure the system output into my garden: I generated about 3 500 lt of greywater a month that is going straight into my garden.

 

The medium term plan for us is to increase our rain water capacity to 9 000 lt and connect the rain water to the house supply. Long term is to add another 5000lt to this which should get me through a "normal" summer with some top-up rain here and there.

 

Filtered and treated rain water is perfectly safe for washing dishes, clothes, flushing the toilet and showering in, and it then will be deposited into the garden (all but the toilet flush).

 

I had a greenish lawn throughout summer and if I can manage to increase the system efficiency to use rain water in the house opposed to using it for irrigation only, I will have another summer with a beautiful lawn and green garden, much to one or 2 of my neighbours' dismay as there are one or 2 that simply does not understand the concept of grey water being used for irrigation.

Edited July 19, 2017 by GLuvsMtb

[Sue Z-F]

Still anti school, or have our well thought out points changes your mind

Well I am still against a school going into that plot which was bought by Generation Schools, which is a tiny triangular shaped area... hard to imagine it eventually holding a private school for 600 kids.  They will have to use every square inch and make it at least 3 stories, LOL.   They are probably hoping their school will make the rural neighbors so miserable that they will want to sell their land too, and then they can expand.... But I think the forum has changed my mind regarding Chapman's Peak Drive, it doesn't sound like the school would create a traffic problem there.... I thought it might but I tend to be an alarmist and I love biking on Chapmans Peak Drive.   It sounds like the school is a done deal, I doubt a few toad loving letters are going to win against big investors.

[Vetplant]

Well I am still against a school going into that plot which was bought by Generation Schools, which is a tiny triangular shaped area... hard to imagine it eventually holding a private school for 600 kids.  They will have to use every square inch and make it at least 3 stories, LOL.   They are probably hoping their school will make the rural neighbors so miserable that they will want to sell their land too, and then they can expand.... But I think the forum has changed my mind regarding Chapman's Peak Drive, it doesn't sound like the school would create a traffic problem there.... I thought it might but I tend to be an alarmist and I love biking on Chapmans Peak Drive.   It sounds like the school is a done deal, I doubt a few toad loving letters are going to win against big investors.

Just a friendly warning, here on the Hub we do not change our minds about something, even when proper convincing evidence is presented, we stick to our guns no matter what, you will soon be accustomed to our ways and will not relent this easily in the future

 

(Comic Sans font means I am being sarcastic.)

 

Good on you for considering the facts presented. But I am slightly serious that other people on here are not easily swayed from their opinion. 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Well I am still against a school going into that plot which was bought by Generation Schools, which is a tiny triangular shaped area... hard to imagine it eventually holding a private school for 600 kids.  They will have to use every square inch and make it at least 3 stories, LOL.  

Sue, I'd really suggest that you actually study the proposal before you say things like this. 

 

Taken from the EIA on the website owned by the company you asked us to present objections to:

 

"The proposed school comprises a number of buildings of various sizes and heights (the highest of which has a roof height of approximately 7.5m) that have a combined floor area of approximately 5,500m²"

 

That's a max height of ~2 stories, given the average height per floor is ~2.5-3m and the roof would be on top of that. 

 

The building descriptions can be found on p10 of the document found below, and the details thereof can be found on later pages as well. 

 

http://khulaec.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Noordhoek-Generation-School_Draft-Basic-Assessment-Report.pdf

Edited July 19, 2017 by Myles Mayhew

[Serious Panda]

That's the crux of it!

 

It's not demand, not by a long shot, that is the problem.

 

It's waste and the eternal goal of recreating some sort of neo-tropical rain forest that has people bent on irrigating everyday, nothing less than twice a day in most cases. I see it, you see it, it's the normality that is the insanity we live and march to. Green lawns.

 

Like it rains everyday, all day long, anywhere on this planet!

 

That is not the crux - It is demand, lack of planning, and less rain. Demand has increased because of population growth. The fact is currently there is not enough water for the demand, and the situation is getting worse. We use less and less per person but every month this saving gets overridden by more people coming into the area, as well as less rain every year. The tipping point was 2014. The Cape is facing a monumental disaster, money should be directed to helping people prepare for this, before new developments can continue. People are not prepared for what is happening, people can not afford to prepare for what is happening. When Windhoek was in the same situation they had the wisdom to stop development, it seems the Cape will have to learn the hard way.

[Pure Savage]

Sue, I'd really suggest that you actually study the proposal before you say things like this. 

 

Taken from the EIA on the website owned by the company you asked us to present objections to:

 

"The proposed school comprises a number of buildings of various sizes and heights (the highest of which has a roof height of approximately 7.5m) that have a combined floor area of approximately 5,500m²"

 

That's a max height of ~2 stories, given the average height per floor is ~2.5-3m and the roof would be on top of that. 

 

The building descriptions can be found on p10 of the document found below, and the details thereof can be found on later pages as well. 

 

http://khulaec.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Noordhoek-Generation-School_Draft-Basic-Assessment-Report.pdf

Agreed, also know the developers and they are very nice people

 

Well I am still against a school going into that plot which was bought by Generation Schools, which is a tiny triangular shaped area... hard to imagine it eventually holding a private school for 600 kids.  They will have to use every square inch and make it at least 3 stories, LOL.   They are probably hoping their school will make the rural neighbors so miserable that they will want to sell their land too, and then they can expand.... But I think the forum has changed my mind regarding Chapman's Peak Drive, it doesn't sound like the school would create a traffic problem there.... I thought it might but I tend to be an alarmist and I love biking on Chapmans Peak Drive.   It sounds like the school is a done deal, I doubt a few toad loving letters are going to win against big investors.

To be fair its only one investor they are really nice. They have made some really other awesome schools in the Western Cape. They are also property developers so they know what they are doing. 

 

What could be done is maybe get the local community to get their kids to ride to school and not drive the 3km. This will save a lot more frogs in the long run.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Size of the current ERF: 53,061 sqm

Subdivision of the ERF on which the school will be located: 25,511 sqm

Total Floor size of buildings: 5,500 sqm (approx)

Total size of the school grounds (incl fields etc): 15,500 sqm (approx)

Total size of associated infrastructure (landscaped areas, services): 10,000 sqm

 

 

So essentially the buildings will take up 10% of the primary ERF, 20% of the subdivided ERF and the rest will be given over to landscaping (using the existing ponds which remain intact, separate from the building works) and other things. 

 

Total use of the ERF will account for 60% of its footprint. That includes sports fields, parking, walkways and so on.  

Edited July 19, 2017 by Myles Mayhew

[Sue Z-F]

Sue, I'd really suggest that you actually study the proposal before you say things like this. 

 

Taken from the EIA on the website owned by the company you asked us to present objections to:

 

"The proposed school comprises a number of buildings of various sizes and heights (the highest of which has a roof height of approximately 7.5m) that have a combined floor area of approximately 5,500m²"

 

That's a max height of ~2 stories, given the average height per floor is ~2.5-3m and the roof would be on top of that. 

 

The building descriptions can be found on p10 of the document found below, and the details thereof can be found on later pages as well. 

 

http://khulaec.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Noordhoek-Generation-School_Draft-Basic-Assessment-Report.pdf

That's why I said LOL, making a point that it's a tiny piece of land and doesn't seem like a good place to put such a big private school.  Are you an investor?

[dave303e]

The exact words used in the environmental imapct assessment:

 

 ±10 150m² of natural open space comprising wetlands, ponds and greenspace.

 

Think the toads might actually survive

[dirtypot]

Well I am still against a school going into that plot which was bought by Generation Schools, which is a tiny triangular shaped area... hard to imagine it eventually holding a private school for 600 kids.  They will have to use every square inch and make it at least 3 stories, LOL.   

 

If this is using every square inch of space, then I'd say that they're doing pretty well!  

I also don't see three stories anywhere on their proposed plans?

Personally I think this looks a lot nicer than the current neglected ground.  And it's not as if this school is going to kill all of the toads - they live most of the way down Noodhoek Main Road, not just on this little triangle of land.  

 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

That's why I said LOL, making a point that it's a tiny piece of land and doesn't seem like a good place to put such a big private school.  Are you an investor?

No, I'm not. But I am one of those people who appreciate the use of accurate information when presenting an argument, instead of using rhetoric and emotion. As for the bold bit, see below. 

 

Size of the current ERF: 53,061 sqm

Subdivision of the ERF on which the school will be located: 25,511 sqm

Total Floor size of buildings: 5,500 sqm (approx)

Total size of the school grounds (incl fields etc): 15,500 sqm (approx)

Total size of associated infrastructure (landscaped areas, services): 10,000 sqm

 

 

So essentially the buildings will take up 10% of the primary ERF, 20% of the subdivided ERF and the rest will be given over to landscaping (using the existing ponds which remain intact, separate from the building works) and other things.

 

Total use of the ERF will account for 60% of its footprint. That includes sports fields, parking, walkways and so on.  

Edited July 19, 2017 by Myles Mayhew

[dave303e]

@SUE Z-F

 

Why exactly do you not want the school to go there?

[Hairy]

Size of the current ERF: 53,061 sqm

Subdivision of the ERF on which the school will be located: 25,511 sqm

Total Floor size of buildings: 5,500 sqm (approx)

Total size of the school grounds (incl fields etc): 15,500 sqm (approx)

Total size of associated infrastructure (landscaped areas, services): 10,000 sqm

 

 

So essentially the buildings will take up 10% of the primary ERF, 20% of the subdivided ERF and the rest will be given over to landscaping (using the existing ponds which remain intact, separate from the building works) and other things. 

 

 

That's why I said LOL, making a point that it's a tiny piece of land and doesn't seem like a good place to put such a big private school.  Are you an investor?

so a 5500m2 building foot print @ 600 students (ex staff) = 9.16m2 per child ... not too bad.

[ChrisF]

so a 5500m2 building foot print @ 600 students (ex staff) = 9.16m2 per child ... not too bad.

 

subtract the following:

- school hall

- staff rooms, offices, stores etc etc ...

- many many passages ....

 

Probably back to 2 or 3m2 per student of real class space - which is still WAY better than the over populated government schools.

 

 

Some tertiary institutians use "lecture rooms" with long fixed benches and the fixed seats .... cramming students in at close to 1m2 per student !

 

 

But then, private schools HAVE figured out the recipe for maximum seats while keeping an almost "open feeling" ....

[Piston ZA]

People love to bitch and moan and oppose a development without even reading the EIA. Too much emotion and knee-jerk reaction.