thanks for this - i have been offered a key by a friend and will simply have one cut myself. far cheaper.and probably the only solution as the status quo will no doubt be valiantly defended by those in power (for the good of the community)!
i know a number of people who are also looking for keys and will pass them on. it's extremely frustrating having to remember to carry a key around all the time - try explaining to a 4-year old that we can't just visit the park on the spur of the moment - we need to walk home first to go and get the key. i wonder how other suburbs police their public open space? for instance the recently upgraded QueensPark avenue park? it seems strange that the city would allow a community to profit financially from public space? i see on an earlier post that someone who questioned the locked parks was offered a 'free key' - why not give them out free to all residents then? as you state the parks are council property so then the cids does not need money to maintain them? just wondering... On Oct 11, 2:57 pm, Ancois Bester <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Melanie and Diaga, > > I can respond to some of your queries and would like to note the following; > > The parks are not controlled by the CID and no moneys are retained by OBSID > for any parks in Obs. In order for everyone to be able to gain access, OBSID > recently sponsored a notice board for each park with our contact number on, > and we act as information as to how to obtain a key from the relative > community based organization. > > I believe Rosemary from the Library, who voluntarily run the Arnold Street > park, can comment as to how the moneys she collects are used. She > initiatives regular improvements and upgrades. > > OBSID employs Vetus Schola to patrol 24/7, however these patrolmen are not > able to stand in one static point for a day - and will thus not be able to > prevent an incident at a park. Parks are also Council property and VS are > employed to patrol only public roads as per the CID mandate. It would be a > shame to see the parks dis-used again if folks do not feel safe sending > their children there with nannies. It is worth noting that the regular > homeless in Obs are predominantly drug and alcohol addicts and some also > mentally unstable. Human excrement, harassment, drunken bottle fights etc. > are a regular occurrence in other public spaces in Obs. I am regularly told > that the Station Road park was solely used for drugs 'back in the day'. This > activity now takes place at the Groote Schuur Graveyard on the Main Road - > an unmaintained public space. > > Kind regards, > > Ancois > *Assistant to COO, Office Manager* > > <http://goog_1464495583/> > <http://goog_1464495583/>OBSID<http://obsid.org.za/>: > Observatory Improvement District > 41 Station road, Observatory > [email protected] / [email protected] > *tel*: 021 448 7090 *fax*: 086 639 4005 > OBSID website <http://www.obs.org.za/improvement-district/> > Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/Observatory.Improvement.District> > Twitter <https://twitter.com/#%21/OBSID_Obs> ONW Google group > <https://groups.google.com/forum/#%21forum/obsnw> > iloveobs Google group <https://groups.google.com/forum/#%21forum/iloveobs> > > On 11 October 2011 13:39, Giada Thiago <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > in response to the below post from someone: > > > As for the kiddies park, gate is to be locked at all times, non key > > holders are not permitted to enter, all mess must be cleaned up. > > Helen > > > a few questions - why do we have to pay for keys if we already > > contribute to the Cids? why do keys cost R30 when i can get one cut > > down the road for R10? who sets the price and where does the 'profit' > > go? what are the criteria for being permitted to purchase a key? > > > also... as a 'non key holding' resident of observatory i'm shocked > > that i am 'not premitted to enter' the parks. who owns the parks? i > > completely agree that they should (in line with city policy) be locked > > at night, the Green point park, for instance, is locked from 7 in the > > evening, but surely the parks should be readily and FREELY accessible > > to everyone who wants to use them during the day. > > > If VetusSchola are successfully implementing their brief to clear obs > > of non-conformists then surely this restrictive approach is not > > entirely necessary? parks in rondebosch/pinelands/claremont are not > > locked during the day. > > > i do btw have a small child who i take to parks in the city centre and > > elsewhere and we don't have a problem with sharing the space with our > > fellow capetonians... > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > [email protected]. > > For more options, visit this group at > >http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. 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