Cape Town - With the impending summer season and the rush to the popular Strandfontein pavilion, members of the seaside community have raised concerns about the City’s long-anticipated refurbishment of the deteriorated Fisherman’s Lane precinct at Strandfontein Pavilion, often referred to as the “broken road”.
Deputy mayor and Mayco member for spatial planning and environment Eddie Andrews said the proposed work included the demolition and removal of the “broken road” to return this area to a natural beach.
The project forms part of the coastal management plans to rehabilitate deteriorated coastal infrastructure along the False Bay coastline.
He said they would be constructing a secondary link road from the eastern parking area to the western parking area, as well as a rock revetment and a beach access stairway, along with many other recreational facilities and features.
However, Bayview resident and lifelong rock and surf angler André Arendse questioned the new plan and said a major flaw was that it intended to direct traffic through the braai and playground which would endanger the public using that space.
“The roadway was built along the breakwater wall to exclude vehicular traffic away from a pedestrian space and to connect the two parking areas.
“They are going to be busy for a year and are going to start in the braai area. Access to the broken road parking area will be closed off. I asked deputy mayor Andrews if they have contingency plans for the thousands of beachgoers that frequent Strandfontein pavilion and he said ‘yes’.
“I’m not sure what plans there are but each year Baden Powell Strandfontein roads are gridlocked due to traffic and that’s on a normal holiday. What’s going to happen when those thousands can’t get in because of site work construction?” Arendse asked.
Igshaan Carstens, founder of Strandfontein Agricultural, Aqua Marine and Boating Association (Saamba), said the organisation remained apprehensive about details of the project but welcomed it and all other community development projects to elevate the local community businesses.
Carstens said it would be a challenge to co-ordinate the construction site and activities during the busy holiday period from November to February but that the refurbishment would ensure safety, which was a huge concern as the current state of Fisherman’s Lane had been a danger to the public for many years.
Carstens added that unfortunately, the local community would not be seeing the benefits that were stipulated in previous engagements with subcouncil 17 officials through the ward 43 committee meetings.
Andrews said that the construction work would not affect the Strandfontein pavilion tidal pool area and the “broken road” area would be closed off to the public from January.
Strandfontein ward councillor Elton-Enrique Jansen said: “This is a long-overdue project. This stretch on the False Bay coastline has deteriorated due to a number of factors, which includes neglect by the City, but natural conditions and global warming have also played a big role in the deterioration.”