JOHANNESBURG - Plans for a 12-storey student accommodation block in Sandown, Sandton have sparked fierce backlash.
Residents are objecting and warn that the development could overwhelm already strained infrastructure and fundamentally change the suburb's character.
With close to 1,300 objections lodged, the fight over densification in one of Johannesburg’s most established suburbs is intensifying.
Sandown residents said the proposed student housing development is simply too much, too soon - and in the wrong place.
The proposal would see this single residential property on the corner of Grayston Drive and Webber Street transformed into a 12-storey high-rise building.
It's expected to house 1,100 students just across the road from a private university.
The community argued that the scale is incompatible with the area.
Resident Lerato Rasoasi expressed unhappiness at the proposal.
“We are not happy at all. One of the things I like about the area is that it’s quiet. Even my complex is very quiet and serene. It’s a disruption to our lives, and I don’t like the idea of now having to wake up to a 12-storey building in front of me and the noise. Like I said, I like the serenity of the area.”
The local ward councillor has also raised flags.
Andrew Stewart said another concern was that this area has been plagued by Eskom electricity faults.
“The infrastructure hasn’t been upgraded to accommodate the high volume of people. Something has to give at some point. If you keep on accommodating the desire for densification without upgrading the infrastructure, you will have the inevitable problems. I would say it would have an undoubtable impact on the ethos of this suburb.”
The City of Johannesburg is reviewing the rezoning application.
It's a decision that could set a precedent for future high-density developments in similar suburbs.