FairValley EcoVillage - Update October 2008

A few great news and awesome developments occurred during the past few months since March this year that we are delighted to share with our loyal supporters as follows:

A. A Joint Venture letter of agreement was signed on May 16th 2008, between the Fair Valley Farm Workers Association and Kagiso Urban Management (www.kum.co.za) to acquire development rights on the FairValley land and to finally develop it. This agreement secures the Association’s main objective - houses to its beneficiaries, when the rights will be approved by the authorities. In order to implement this agreement, the partners had established the FairValley Development Co. (Pty) Ltd – The FV DevCo.

B. The FV DevCo. appointed professional team who was assigned to conduct a detailed feasibility study inclusive of – Urban Design Framework; Detailed infrastructure and bulk services study and cost estimate; initial Environmental Assessment; initial eco-friendly and energy efficiency elements to be incorporated into the development; market research; and quantity surveying to ensure financial feasibility. This work - defined as phase I was concluded in the end of September 2008.

C. The Drakenstein Municipality leadership has already expressed its support and is standing behind the FairValley EcoVillage development. The professional teams are meeting on a regular basis, already achieved, prior even to the official procedures, a consensus over the main principals of the Urban Design and the bulk services framework plan.

D. The inclusion of the FairValley land within the Municipal Urban Edge, still to remain a challenge for the 2 teams. The FV DevCo. team and the Drakenstein planning team are in agreement that the strip between South Paarl and Klapmuts provide a unique opportunity which contains a great potential as a natural Urban Corridor to be properly designed and developed; and that the FairValley EcoVillage urban design framework can be used to set the highest possible urban design standards for the whole corridor. Local Council is elaborating this matter with Province’s officials, motivating the amendment of its Urban Edge based on these arguments.

Time frame to conclude the Urban Edge issue with Province, according to council officials, is estimated to be before the end of November 2008.

Congratulations to our main team players for successfully concluded PHASE I –

Jerry Mabena from Kagiso Property Holdings;
John Spiropoulos, Leila McKenna and Graeme Reid from Kagiso Urban Management;
Tommy Fortuin, Chairperson and Angelene Swart, Vice Chairperson of the Fair Valley Association;
Ori Ilan – project manager; (http://www.ilaninnovativedevelopments.blogspot.com/)
Mike Schroeder, architect – head of the design team;
Henri Comrie – Comriewilkinson Urban Designers; Mario Filippi – Lyners Engineering Services; Claus Mischker – Headland Town Planners;
Judy Ferdenando – special consultant to the FV Association;

Special thanks to the Drakenstein officials who are working closely with us:

Leon Coetzee, David Delaney; Deon Du Plessis; Henk G Strijdom; Ashley Roelf; Jimmy Knagg and Susan Hendricks;

And to the Madam Mayor, Charmaine Manuel, along with a group of dedicated Councillors:

Arthob Petersen; Sharon davids; Marthinus Le Hoe; and Collin Van Der Westheizen

Also big thanks for their contribution to:

Bianca Gilfillan; Ian Manchip; Mike Tremeer; Tony Harris; Etienne Britz; Liani van der Westhuizen; Malcolm Worby and David Hellig.

And a very special gratitude to a very special man – Charles Back, whose unlimited energy, long term vision and massive support brought us here and eventually will bring us to realize this dream.