page 258 THE OLIFANTS RIVER VALLEY

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1 page 258 THE OLIFANTS RIVER VALLEY

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3 page VREDENDAL (population: ± ) (IDP ) SPATIAL ANALYSIS, see Figures Sub-regional location Vredendal is located at the centre of the Olifants River corridor between Klawer and Lutzville; It occupies a strategic position where the R27 bridge connects the R362/R27 serving the north bank of the Olifants River irrigation scheme with the R363 serving the south bank between Klawer and Lutzville; The rail line from Bitterfontein to Cape Town passes through the town; The R27 connects Vredendal to the N7 approximately 25kms away at Vanrhynsdorp; The tarred road to the coastal settlements of Strandfontein and Doring Bay also passes through the town; and, Vredendal is thus well placed as a service centre for the region. Layout pattern Vredendal comprises three distinct components: - Vredendal South, the original settlement, located at a crossing point over the Olifants River and situated on fertile land in the flood plain. It is hemmed in on all sides by highly productive agricultural land watered by the irrigation system; - Across the river raised above Vredendal South on a low plateau is Vredendal North, a large apartheid dormitory area inhabited by the town s Coloured and Black people; and - Between the two, at the junction of the R362 to Lutzville and R27 to Vanrhynsdorp and Klawer are the rail station and an industrial and civic area. View of Vredendal North, 2.5kms away Because of these three distinct components and the scale at which they function, detailed analyses and proposals are made separately for Vredendal South and then Vredendal North and the industrial area, see sections 5.11 and Urban quality The urban quality of the three components differs considerably. This will be discussed in more detail below in section 5.11 and In general however, Vredendal South s urban quality is of a higher standard than that found in Vredendal North. Industrial area in between Vredendal North and South Challenges and potential At the overall level of the settlement the major challenge is how to integrate the current three very separate components; To a certain extent this can never be achieved because of the alignment of the Olifants River and the intensive agriculture in its floodplain between Vredendal North and South, both of which are fundamental to the ongoing environmental and economic sustainability of the area; The sloping hill side below Vredendal North may also be seen as a deterrent to some extent and certainly development here, if considered in a short term, once off development sense, will be more expensive than on flat land; and, However, if long term life cycle costs are taken into account, particularly those relating to commuting and access, coupled with the fact that these slopes offer impressive views over Vredendal South and the Olifants River valley then important opportunities present themselves.

4 page 261. Figure Vredendal: Analysis

5 page 262 Figure Vredendal: Aerial photograph CNdV africa (Pty) Ltd. draft SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

6 page VREDENDAL WHOLE TOWN: PROPOSALS Sub-regional Public and Non-motorised Transport Routes Vredendal is in close proximity, + 25kms, to the nearby settlements of Lutzville, Klawer and Vanrhynsdorp. The regional routes in the area currently lack shoulders and are generally suitable for freight and private motor vehicle traffic only. These routes are unable to accommodate abnormal freight. Regional routes that are able to accommodate abnormal freight are to be identified. The rural areas along the corridor are characterized by high population densities with people also requiring public transport. account only, the nature of this development will have to consider market viability, especially for GAP and upmarket housing, commercial and industrial development, while considering its long terms social benefits. If these routes were upgraded to include wide shoulders to facilitate cycling and public transport stops this would facilitate higher levels of more cost effective and lower energy consuming traffic between these four settlements. This would support the local public transport industry as well as those wishing to cycle for commuting or recreational purposes between the towns. This function would be further enhanced if these routes were lined with avenues of trees as used to be done on rural roads by the Western Cape Roads departments from the 1930s to the 1960s. The water limitations of the region are to be taken into consideration when trees selecting trees for this purpose. This would also help promote the area to visitors and tourists as well. Trees suitable to the climate conditions of the area are proposed in section Local proposals Figure indicates the broad framework for the future development of Vredendal North and South: The intensive agricultural land in which Vredendal South is located represents a massive investment in infrastructure, institutional support from government and the long term experience and expertise of the farmers and this underlying asset should be protected to the greatest extent possible; All future greenfields development that could expand the urban footprint of Vredendal South should be encouraged to locate elsewhere either at one of the other linked settlements or on the large piece of land below Vredendal North indicated for future development; The gateway experiences on entering the settlement from the four access roads need to be enhanced. This is already happening to a certain extent on the entrance road from Klawer where farmers have upgraded and landscaped their frontages along the R363; Three nodes need to be emphasized: - at the T-junction in Vredendal South already developed to some extent but needs to be maintained; - the entrance road to Vredendal North is very undeveloped and does not reflect that it is the gateway to where by far the majority of the town s residents live; - the intersection with the roads to Lutzville and Vanrhynsdorp also requires considerable upgrading; and, The strategic importance and potential of the slopes below Vredendal South as a development opportunity are clear. Because this site will be more expensive to develop taking short term development costs into

7 page VREDENDAL SOUTH (population: ) (IDP ) SPATIAL ANALYSIS, see Figures Sub-regional location Vredendal South is located just south of the Olifants River at the bridge crossing where the R27 intersects with the R363 between Lutzville and Klawer; This intersection forms the main focal point of the settlement; and, Vredendal north, functionally part of Vredendal south, is located across the river between 2.5 and 4kms away. Layout pattern Although Vredendal South is a relatively young settlement and only developed with the onset of the Olifants River irrigation scheme in the 1940s it is laid out with the rectangular grid of a voortrekker rydorp. Here the long streets were aligned with the nearby river and contours so that water could be led along the verges to irrigate food gardens; This pattern also facilitated incremental subdivision of the plots over time; This incremental development pattern has resulted in a number of well located central plots remaining vacant; It has also resulted in the haphazard development of the major street network with different surfaces along the same length of road and in some cases, key sections remain unmade; and, The most recent developments have pushed southwards so that they now abut the irrigation canal. This raises a number of concerns: - At a principle level it means that arable land, scarce in the national and local context and well located next to an expensive irrigation canal, has been taken out of production; - At a detail design level it is important that urban development relates positively to features such as canals. They should face onto them and access roads should line the banks of the canal so as to facilitate surveillance and maintenance. It is very important that such developments do not turn their back on features such as canals and rivers. There is a good example of how to respond positively to a feature such as a canal in Klawer. Urban quality Vredendal largely developed since the 1940s and its buildings generally reflect this heritage; Building styles are reminiscent of the 1950s and 60s with no colonnaded sidewalks. Streets tend to be wide and are more convenient for cars than pedestrians. Some are lined with generous tree lines although these are sparse in other areas; Residential buildings are mainly one storey ranch style house single dwellings. In recent years more compact town house schemes have developed and there are a few three storey blocks of flats. Most commercial buildings are one or two storeys; and, Buildings are generally well maintained and there is considerable tree planting. However, maintenance along the main streets of Voortrekker Road and Kerk Street needs to be carefully watched, especially if there is an exodus of current high street tenants to the proposed new out of town shopping centre at the eastern entrance to the town on the R363. Challenges and potential Increase densities, making use of well located vacant land while retaining positive gees of settlement; and, Avoiding urban blight in current CBD when new mall is developed. Vacant land along Copper Street Kerk St, Vredendal South Block of flats, Grens Street

8 page 265 Figure Vredendal South: Analysis

9 page 266 Figure Vredendal South: Aerial photograph CNdV africa (Pty) Ltd. draft SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

10 page VREDENDAL SOUTH: DRAFT SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK, see Figures Core landscape areas Notes At the overall settlement scale the main landscape feature is the intensive irrigation farming that abuts Vredendal South on all sides; For this reason further outward expansion of this part of Vredendal should be limited to the extent of existing approvals so as to protect this resource. This should form the basis for the alignment of the Urban Edge; Within the settlement there are a number of core landscape areas including sports fields and open spaces. These should be tied together with a framework of boulevarded (lined with trees) streets that links the whole town including the main entrance roads, see Figure Streets Urban Development Notes Most of the current urban development needs have been accounted for with the recently approved but undeveloped subdivisions; Further development pressure can be anticipated as a result of the factors described in section 5.4; Efforts should be made using the social city concept, see Section 5.6, whereby Lutzville, Vanrhynsdorp and Klawer are also promoted as attractive alternatives to Vredendal for further middle and upmarket commercial and residential development instead of only promoting development in Vredendal and Vanrhynsdorp as proposed in the GPTS (2010); Where pressures cannot be deflected to these centres higher density development making use of the vacant and underdeveloped land within Vredendal South; Due to the importance of the intensive farming resource and the enormous investment this represents there should be no further outward expansion of Vredendal South; Business, industrial and mixed use activities are to be promoted in new development areas; and, Any demand for greenfield projects that cannot be accommodated on the new development area sites identified in Figure and cannot be encouraged to the other centres should be promoted on the slopes below Vredendal North, see section Agriculture around Vredendal South Gateway to Vredendal South - R Heritage Areas Notes No heritage areas are proposed within Vredendal south; and, However, a mixed use intensive residential CBD improvement precinct is proposed along Voortrekker and Kerk Streets linking to the proposed retail centre site to the south Urban Restructuring Notes A densification plan is required to make better use of the well located vacant land within Vredendal South. As a general rule densities should be higher near the main areas of economic activity, i.e. Kerk and Voortrekker Vacant land, Kooperasie Street

11 page 268 Figure Vredendal South: Spatial Development Framework CNdV africa (Pty) Ltd. draft SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

12 page VREDENDAL NORTH (population: ) (IDP ) SPATIAL ANALYSIS, see Figures Sub-regional location Vredendal North is located on a plateau about 25m above the Olifants River flood plain and Vredendal South which is only on average 5m above the flood plain. The latter is, therefore, much more vulnerable to flooding. Layout pattern Vredendal North has been laid out quite differently to Vredendal south, namely, according to the modernist town planning principles of the 1950s and 1960s, which still largely inform layout planning today; Unlike the well defined, incrementally sub-divisible open rectangular grid of Vredendal South this layout is based on a closed curvilinear pattern that seeks to minimize congestion from high motor car use, even though it is being used here in a context where private motor car ownership is low and likely to continue to be so. As a consequence this type of layout is unfriendly to pedestrian traffic, especially if all the plots are developed and pedestrians can t take short cuts; Furthermore, rather than having an overall structure in place within which further development can occur at higher densities, this layout pattern develops by attaching new township extensions to the periphery; These layouts also tend to be inefficient with large amounts of vacant space set out for public facilities, often again with a notion of generous parking requirements in mind but for which there is seldom a need in reality; and, There is a large expanse of vacant land between the industrial area and the southern boundary of Vredendal North on hill slopes less than 1:4 which afford good views over Vredendal South, see first photo and Figure A footpath connects Vredendal north and Vredendal south. Urban quality Vredendal North s urban quality requires considerable improvement. While there is a relatively upmarket housing component to the east of the entrance road, Bult Street, there is no real urban heart. What should be the vibrant centre of the settlement comprises a large vacant waste land in which a few public buildings float ; Schools, instead of facing up onto the streets whereby they can provide structure and surveillance, also float within their large plots; Most of Vredendal North comprises residential housing developed under various subsidy schemes generally on the one house one plot model. There is some variation in the design of these units particularly where they have been extended and upgraded by residents, especially in the older parts of the settlement; and, Only small scale formal and informal businesses are found here. Residents have to commute or walk to Vredendal South for most of their shopping and employment needs. A logical pattern of development is for the most upmarket properties to be developed on the heights overlooking towns enjoying the best views. Land lower down usually corresponds with a reduction land and property values. This approach could be used in the planning of this land. View over Olifants River and Vredendal South from Vredendal North Town centre: Vredendal North Challenges and potential Vredendal North is isolated and becoming more so; The latest township extensions are 4km away from the town centre; Furthermore, the entrance off the R27 is very understated and visitors are unaware that the majority of the settlement s population live on top of the bult ; The open sloping land overlooking the river valley, while more expensive to develop, offers exciting potential for the reconstruction and better integration of the town, although this can never be completely achieved because of the river floodplain and the intense agricultural activity separating north and south ; and, Upgraded home: Vredendal North

13 page 270 Figure Vredendal North: Analysis

14 page 271 Figure Vredendal North: Slope Analysis

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16 page VREDENDAL NORTH: DRAFT SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK, see Figures Core landscape areas Notes Vredendal North has little in the way of landscaped areas other than a disjointed patchwork of school fields; A landscape framework comprising a boulevarded network of major streets including Bult street from its intersection with the R27, Hoërskool, Buitenkant, Namakwa, Van Rhyn and Morgenson Streets is proposed; and, This network should be extended into a system of new streets to integrate the proposed new development area to the south with existing development areas Urban Development Notes A number of new development areas (NDAs) have been identified. Some of these, towards the northern periphery, were identified previously. This pattern is still being developed with approved but un-serviced townships on the far northern periphery; and, It is strongly recommended the priority for the development of these peripheral sites be exchanged for the much better located NDAs to the south; at the town centre and the land on the slopes towards the industrial area. Industrial type development may also take place in identified NDAs. Entrance road to be upgraded Heritage and Urban Upgrade Areas Notes No heritage precincts as such have been identified but urban design gateway precincts are proposed along the R27 to upgrade the A, B and C entrances to the town. Town centre: Redevelop Urban Restructuring Notes The large pieces of open land to the south, new development areas 1 and 2, are identified for a large mixed use, mixed income project that could transform the current spatial relationships of the town; and, A development project on this site could be an ideal candidate for a Neighbourhood Development Program Grant from National Treasury, usually in excess of R100m. Vacant land: potential NDPG project NDAs 1 and 2

17 page 274 Figure Vredendal North: Spatial Development Framework CNdV africa (Pty) Ltd. draft SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

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