Residents clash with lifestyle precinct over parking chaos

Residents of Parktown North are in conflict with the Nine Yards lifestyle precinct over parking issues, traffic disruption, and damage to infrastructure. The developers of Nine Yards maintain they are in compliance with regulations. Nine Yards, a mixed-use development at the corner of Jan Smuts Avenue and Chester Road, has transformed 13 historic buildings into a popular destination with restaurants, cafes, stores, wellness businesses, creative spaces, and an events facility.

Residents living along First Avenue East have complained about illegal parking on the development's pavement, making it difficult for them to access their homes. Monique Woolf, a resident, stated that the parking outside her house on weekends and weekdays makes her feel like she is living in a parking lot. Woolf's attorney submitted a legal complaint to the Joburg Roads Agency and Joburg Metropolitan Police Department, claiming that the development has turned First Avenue East from a quiet residential avenue to a busy thoroughfare, with Nine Yards tenants traversing both sides.

Lee Young, from the Parktown North Residents Association, has held meetings with Nine Yards management to address the parking concerns. Nine Yards has provided 483 parking bays across the development and claims to have followed all necessary municipal approvals. However, concerns remain about the available parking accommodating the scale and frequency of activities hosted at Nine Yards.

The developers assert that enforcement of parking violations falls to the city, as it is outside the property boundary. Young emphasized that the issue extends beyond Nine Yards' property because the increased commercial activity impacts the surrounding residential area, particularly the pressure on surrounding roads and pavements.