Elisenheim reaches significant milestone

NAMIBIA?S largest private residential development, Elisenheim Estate, has this week reached a significant milestone on its road to completion when the Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development, Mr Jerry Ekandjo, officially proclaimed this mammoth building project as a township.

This proclamation was the first step for developers EPDC (Elisenheim Property Development Company) to sink its foundations for the establishment of this billion dollar project and take up the goahead to commence building.

This announcement was made official in the latest Government Gazette of 1 December, 2011 where the Ministry declared Phase 1 of Elisenheim Estate an approved township, under section 13 of the Townships and Division of Land Ordinance Act.

The Ministry has also waived any betterment fees for the project, which has been financed in its entirety to the tune of N$145 million, for phase 1 by EPDC.

A further breakthrough for the EPDC this week was attaining the green light from the City of Windhoek, who has agreed to an inspection of the current status quo of completed services on site, with the view to an official take-over after signing the long awaited MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) document.

Nathan Kashweka (City of Windhoek Special Projects Manager) confirmed on Monday that representatives of the City?s technical departments will be heading out to Elisenheim for what he termed as a ?sectional take-over of the bulk and internal services?.

This three-day procedure will require a routine check on site, to establish that all the services including water, sewer, electrical, roads and storm water, meet the requirements laid down by the Municipality, who will ultimately take over the services.

The enormous water reservoir which is in its final stages will fall into the second section for takeover during early 2012.

?The primary purpose of this inspection is to ensure that the infrastructure is completed and developed according to the City of Windhoek?s standards, which will entitle the developers to go ahead with the transfer of erven and building of houses,? said Kashweka.

He also stated that the MOA which is expected to be signed by both parties any day now, will cement the on-going relationship between EPDC and the City, who have joined forces for the future upkeep and maintenance of the Elisenheim Estate.

?This is quite a big deal and a big responsibility for the City who will ultimately have to grow their technical departments and increase their manpower as Elisenheim develops into its full potential.?

Meanwhile building plans for the first 150 houses are being feverishly drawn up by a team of architects / draftsmen at EPDC?s head office, to meet the requirements of the 31 standard house types that will make up the residential section of the Elisenheim Estate. This excludes the special designs that are being drafted for the more challenging erven, with already 40 plans being submitted to the City of Windhoek before the end of 2011.

Currently the entire network of seven kilometres of roads has been surfaced, streetlamps are up, the last of the on-street parking and road paving are being laid, and final preparations are in place for the building of the soon to be houses, before workers down tools on 16 December.