Residents clash with lifestyle precinct over parking chaos

Resident said impact of Nine Yards has made it very difficult for her to access her home on weekends and weekdays. Parktown North residents are clashing with the Nine Yards lifestyle precinct over pavement parking, traffic disruption and damaged infrastructure in the area. While developers claim compliance, the residents are demanding urgent municipal bylaw enforcement and long-term solutions to the issue. Residents clashing with Nine Yards lifestyle precinct Nine Yards is a mixed-use lifestyle precinct at the corner of Jan Smuts Avenue and Chester Road, developed across nine adjoining properties. The development has transformed 13 historic buildings into a popular walkable lifestyle destination. Its tenants include restaurants and cafes, boutique stores, wellness businesses, creative spaces and The Venue, an events facility. Residents living along First Avenue East have raised concerns about illegal parking on the development’s pavement, making it difficult for residents to use. Nine Yards lifestyle centre in Parktown North, Johannesburg. Picture: Our City News Resident Monique Woolf said the impact of Nine Yards has made it very difficult for her to access her home. “The parking of cars outside my house every Saturday and Sunday, let alone during the week, makes my home feel like I am living in a parking lot. Very difficult to access home on weekends and weekdays “Doors slamming, people talking, general movement of cars and the inability to get into and out of my own home is stressful, unpleasant and unnecessary since their parking issue is not my problem,” she said. In a legal complaint submitted to Joburg Roads Agency and Joburg Metropolitan Police Department by her attorney, Woolf said First Avenue East was “transformed from a quiet, tranquil suburban avenue to a busy thoroughfare”, with customers from Nine Yards “traversing both sides” of the avenue. She added that on “three occasions, motor vehicles have driven into water meters causing water under great pressure to gush out of the pipes, for periods in excess of 15 hours”. Lee Young of the Parktown North Residents Association said the association has held several meetings between Nine Yards management and residents to find solutions. Nine Yards lifestyle centre in Parktown North, Johannesburg. Picture: Our City News Young said Nine Yards has made efforts to address its parking but said concerns remained. “The concern is whether the available parking can accommodate the scale and frequency of activities hosted at Nine Yards. Nine Yards says it has 483 parking bays across development “Tenants such as The Venue, as well as functions held in the open space above it, can place additional pressure on the surrounding roads and pavements,” said Young. Nine Yards says it has 483 parking bays across the development and was developed with all necessary municipal approvals following extensive engagement with the surrounding community. “Where visitors park on public roads, enforcement is a matter for the city as it is outside our property boundary,” Nine Yards’ developers said in response to questions from Our City News. The development said it complies with all municipal regulations and that residents with concerns were welcome to raise them directly with management. Young, however, said the issue extends beyond Nine Yards’ property boundary because of the impact increased activity can have on the surrounding residential area. “First Avenue East is predominantly residential and residents are concerned about the longerterm impact of increased commercial activity, particularly the pressure this places on surrounding roads and pavements,” she said.