Property owners not yet involved have just 10 days to rescue the property market in Port Elizabeth suburb Central before the window to establish a Special Rates Area (SRA) there is closed.
By the end of last week, those behind efforts to establish an SRA, also known as a city improvement district, had secured the consent of 865 property owners but required 448 more to join for Central to be legally declared an SRA.
The deteriorating state of the suburb has raised concern among property owners and various authorities in the city, some of whom believe an SRA would be among the last chances to rescue the historic central business district.
Underscoring the concerns around Central – which faces challenges such as significant vagrancy, crime and litter – is the fact that an unrelated public meeting, which will involve law enforcement agencies, property owners, and ward and city council representatives, will be held at the Port Elizabeth City Hall at 11am on Tuesday.
The negative issues facing Central are expected to be thrashed out at that meeting.
According to the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), which has played a critical role in implementing improvements, developments and upgrades around the metro, an SRA is “a specific geographic area within which property owners agree to pay for additional services”.
The Municipal Property Rates Act 2004 allows for the formation of an SRA, which empowers property owners to implement additional services in their designated area.
Municipalities are obligated to maintain existing service levels. Included among the benefits of establishing an SRA is increased municipal accountability around delivery of basic services.
Improved waste management, which would include a patrolling waste management vehicle, the ad hoc employment of street sweepers and the strategic installation of bins, are also among the benefits.
Ward 5 councillor Sandile Rwexana said: “An SRA is a much-needed initiative to improve the state of Central. It has brought tangible change in Richmond Hill as it is well looked after, even when municipal workers are striking.”
MBDA town ranger Philinda Reid said the MBDA had been working hard to keep Central in a good state for urban renewal.
“However, the area faces many challenges which include roaming perpetrators of crime and other illegal activities.
“Once the SRA is initiated, there will be monitoring and systematic interventions to assist vagrants by bringing on board relevant stakeholders for psychosocial support, hence property owners need to take the initiative before the consent deadline lapses,” Reid said.
He said with the increasing number of reported crime incidents within the Central area, the SRA would also offer a safety and security benefit, which would include 24-hour security patrols with armed security personnel, as well as a camera-monitoring system and a dedicated crime hotline.
The deadline to achieve the required number of signatories is February 28. Interested property owners can visit http://www.centralsra.co.za/ to download a consent form and upload a signed consent form.