Page 25 - KBHA Bulletin 10

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These are reasonable proposals considering the benefits which all concerned will
enjoy as a result of the eradication of the Kalk Bay slums and the rehabilitation of the
inhabitants in wholesome and uncongested surroundings. I have not the slightest doubt that
Kalk Bay cannot possibly offer the advantages to the fishermen and their families which
Steenberg – Retreat can supply in full measure. In Kalk Bay such of the fishermen as could
be housed there would necessarily be confined to a restricted area without facilities
whatsoever for playgrounds, schools, places of entertainment and the other amenities of a
wholesome standard of living. In Steenberg – Retreat on the other hand, the re-housed
inhabitants will have ample room for development in the cottage type of dwelling under
conditions calculated to foster the well being of an industrious fisherfolk community.
From the point of view of the general body of ratepayers, also, Steenberg – Retreat
is the best possible site for the fishermen’s township. The land is comparatively cheap and
level and the costs of building and developing the land will be low. Notwithstanding the
fact that the erection of a shelter in the harbour area and the running of a bus service for the
transportation of the fishermen to and from the harbour will add to the cost of the scheme,
there is every reason to suppose that the City will have made an excellent investment. In
Kalk Bay, the Peninsula possesses one of the fairest seaside resorts in the world. Its
development cannot permit of the invasion of dwellings which are certainly not in harmony
with the recognised attractions of a popular resort. With proper protection by zoning against
indiscriminate development the ratable valuation of Kalk Bay should be considerably
increased, and this increase by its effect on the rates product will go a long way to relieve
the ratepayers of the financial burden of the sub-economic housing scheme which I have
proposed.

I have the honour to be,
Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
W. S. Lunn.
B.Sc., A.M.Inst.C.E.
CITY ENGINEER

The Committee subsequently inspected all the sites and evidently inclined towards the

possibility of re-housing as many as possible of the Kalk Bay fishing community in flats at
“Die Land”. On 13 June 1938 the City Engineer reported on the capacity of the site to

accommodate flats. Using space standards and building densities then currently popular in

new European and British developments, as well as elsewhere in Cape Town, he concluded
that to house all the people then living in overcrowded conditions at “Die Land” would

require four-storey blocks providing about 160 flats. However, three-storey blocks would