Parkdene road closure – consider pros and cons
Boksburg resident Neil Cochran has raised concerns regarding the proposed road closure of Parkdene.
Cochran’s argument is whether the road closure is necessary, and if the pros really do outweigh the cons.
He says he agrees that thorough research has been conducted by the road closure committee, but there are still other factors to consider.
“It is perfectly natural that a group of like-minded people would pursue what they jointly agree is the right thing for their community.
“What concerns me as the owner of my property and having been a Parkdene resident for 40 years, is the relative ‘against’ considerations have not necessarily been given enough exposure,” says Cochran.
Cochran says it is probably fair to state that at this stage, all of the interested and affected parties have not yet been identified.
“Any form of voting to carry any credibility must have both a ‘for’ column and an ‘against’ column.”
“Voting along the lines of a petition can and probably will be challenged along the lines that petitions simply ask if you agree,” he adds.
He says that while the road closure committee has stated that a traffic assessment will be conducted, the road closure will not only affect the traffic patterns of residents in the area.
“Those who regularly pass through the suburb, simply one their way from their own point A to point B will be affected, and given that these people are members of the Ekurhuleni metro, they would surely feel that the inconvenience they would face makes them interested and affected parties,” says Cochran.
“The ‘current open welcome’ view of many road runners running through Parkdene, making use of the service roads in Trichardts and Rondebult would certainly be inconvenienced by the proposed closures.”
Cochran points out that while there is no doubt some cost related benefits to the road closure, the relative inconvenience should be measured and considered.
“Is the road closure committee able to back up the statement that the value of one’s property will increase drastically, as stated in their circular, with bank guaranteed valuations?
“If this can be done, where does that leave the metro in its valuation for the purpose of calculating its rates charges?”
Other questions Cochran poses are if the tenant or the owner gets to vote for or against the closure, and who is expected to pay the levy.
With regards to security concerns and reaction times, Cochran says there are promises stated in the circular which are questionable.
“Is the committee willing to offer all of the services being offered by the various reaction service companies, thereby allowing the residents to cancel their existing contracts to offset the cost imposed by the closure?” – @TumeloBoksburg
