Proposed Low-intensity Ecotourism Development ‘Whale Rock’ Remainder of Rocklands Farm No. 1020 Rocklands, South Peninsula, City of Cape Town Visual Impact Assessment Draft Report ver. 1.4 June 2017 Prepared for: KHULA Environmental Consultants PO Box 22761, Scarborough, 7975 Cell: 082 322 4074 Email: [email protected] Prepared by: Megan Anderson Landscape Architect PO Box 517, Bredasdorp, 7280 Tel: 028 425 1350 Cell: 083 651 6419 TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6 1 INTRODUCTION 9 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE REPORT 9 1.2 TERMS OF REFERENCE, POLICIES AND GUIDELINES 9 1.2.1 GUIDELINES FOR INVOLVING VISUAL AND AESTHETIC SPECIALISTS IN EIA PROCESSES: EDITION 1 (OBERHOLZER, 2005) 9 1.2.2 THE WESTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK (PSDF, 2013) 11 1.2.3 HERITAGE AND SCENIC RESOURCES: INVENTORY AND POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR THE WESTERN CAPE (OBERHOLZER AND WINTER, 2013) 11 1.2.4 CAPE TOWN SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK (CTMSDF, 2012 ) 11 1.2.5 SCENIC DRIVE NETWORK MANAGEMENT PLAN, VOL 3 (CITY OF CAPE TOWN, 2003) 12 1.2.6 TMNP: CONSERVATION DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 2006-2001 (SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL PARKS, 2008) 13 1.2.7 DEA&DP GUIDELINE FOR MANAGEMENT OF DEVELOPMENT ON MOUNTAINS, HILLS & RIDGELINES 13 1.3 METHODOLOGY 14 1.4 ASSUMPTIONS AND LIMITATIONS 14 2 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 15 2.1 SITE LOCATION 15 2.2 DEVELOPMENT DESCRIPTION 15 2.2.1 LAYOUT 1 (SEE FIGURES 3 AND 4) 17 2.2.2 LAYOUT 2 (SEE FIGURES 5 AND 6) 17 2.2.3 NO-GO ALTERNATIVE (SEE FIGURE 7) 17 3 VISUAL ASSESSMENT OF THE SITE AND PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 18 3.1 VISUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SITE, ITS ENVIRONS AND SCENIC RESOURCES (SEE PHOTO PLATES 1-10) 18 3.1.1 THE VISUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ENVIRONS (SEE PHOTO PLATES 1-10) 18 3.1.2 THE VISUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SITE (SEE PHOTO PLATES 1-10) 19 3.1.3 THE VISUAL RESOURCES (SEE PHOTO PLATES 1-10) 20 3.2 VISIBILITY OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 21 3.2.1 VIEW CATCHMENT (SEE FIGURE 8) 21 3.2.2 ZONE OF VISUAL INFLUENCE 21 MALA VIA: Low-intensity Ecotourism Development ‘Whale Rock’ ver 1.4 2 3.3 RECEPTORS (SEE PHOTO PLATES 15-19) 23 3.3.1 HIGHLY SENSITIVE RECEPTORS 23 3.3.2 MODERATELY SENSITIVE RECEPTORS 23 3.4 VISUAL SENSITIVITY 24 3.4.1 TOPOGRAPHY (SEE FIGURE 10) 24 3.4.2 LANDFORM (SEE FIGURE 11) 25 3.4.3 VEGETATION COVER 25 3.4.4 LANDUSE 26 3.4.5 SPECIAL FEATURES 26 3.4.6 OVERALL VISUAL SENSITIVITY (SEE FIGURE 12) 27 3.5 VISUAL ABSORPTION CAPACITY 27 3.6 VISUAL INTRUSION 28 4 POTENTIAL VISUAL IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 29 4.1 CONSTRUCTION PHASE 30 4.1.1 VISUAL SCARRING ON MOUNTAIN SLOPES (RESULTING FOR THE SITE CAMP AND CUT AND FILL SLOPES FOR THE ACCESS ROAD AND BUILDINGS PLATFORMS) 30 4.2 OPERATION PHASE 31 4.2.1 CHANGE IN VISUAL CHARACTER OF THE SITE (FROM AN UNDEVELOPED TO A DEVELOPED SITE) 31 4.2.2 POTENTIAL VISUAL INTRUSION OF LOWER AREA (RESTAURANT, PARKING AREA, REFUSE ROOM AND ACCESS ROAD) ON THE M4 SCENIC TOURIST ROUTE 32 4.2.3 VISIBILITY FROM SENSITIVE RECEPTORS 33 VISIBILITY FROM SENSITIVE RECEPTORS –ROCKLANDS CAMP 33 4.2.4 VISUAL INTRUSION OF LIGHTING AT NIGHT 34 4.3 CUMULATIVE IMPACT 35 5 MITIGATION MEASURES 36 5.1 DURING CONSTRUCTION: 36 5.2 DURING OPERATION 36 6 CONCLUSION 38 7 REFERENCES 39 APPENDIX 1 CURRICULUM VITAE OF VISUAL SPECIALIST 40 APPENDIX 2 FIGURES 1 - 9 45 APPENDIX 3: Visual Resources PHOTO PLATES 1 – 10 52 MALA VIA: Low-intensity Ecotourism Development ‘Whale Rock’ ver 1.4 3 APPENDIX 4: Views from site PHOTO PLATES 11 – 14 56 APPENDIX 5: Viewpoints FIGURE 10 AND PHOTO PLATES 15 – 19 58 APPENDIX 6: Montages PHOTO PLATES 20-24 60 APPENDIX 7: Visual Sensitivity Mapping FIGURES 11 - 13 69 MALA VIA: Low-intensity Ecotourism Development ‘Whale Rock’ ver 1.4 4 DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE MALA VIA: Low-intensity Ecotourism Development ‘Whale Rock’ ver 1.4 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A Low-intensity Ecotourism Development, ‘Whale Rock’, is proposed on the remainder of Rocklands Farm No. 1020 Rocklands, South Peninsula, City of Cape Town. Khula Environmental Consultants are undertaking the Environmental Application for the proposed development in terms of NEMA. Megan Anderson Landscape Architects has prepared this Visual Impact Assessment (VIA). The proposed development comprises a low-intensity ecotourism accommodation facility comprising 6 accommodation units supported by a Spa, manager’s office and restaurant for the exclusive use by the guests. Located lower down the slope a restaurant, open to the public, and a cookery school are proposed. An access road off the M4 Main Road will meander up the slope past the “public” restaurant to the accommodation units higher up the slope. The proposed development will be serviced by connecting to the available municipal service infrastructure. The scenic resources of the site can be described as naturally vegetated mountain slopes and are rated as HIGH. The Zone of Visual Influence varies between 500m in the west to 8kms to the east and can be described as LOCAL. The Receptors within the ZVI are inclusive of those rated as HIGHLY and MODERATELY sensitive. The inherent Visual Sensitivity of the site ranges from LOW to HIGH. Most of the site has a moderate visual sensitivity with smaller areas of low and high visual sensitivity. The VAC of the site ranges from LOW to MODERATE i.e. little to partial screening. The Visual Intrusion of the proposed development is MODERATE i.e. partially fits into the surroundings but would be clearly noticeable. The potential Visual Impacts are tabled below: MALA VIA: Low-intensity Ecotourism Development ‘Whale Rock’ ver 1.4 6 Layout 1 Layout 2 No-Go Option Significance Significance Significance Significance Significance Significance before after mitigation before after mitigation before after mitigation mitigation mitigation mitigation a. Visual scarring on mountain slopes during construction Moderate to Moderate Moderate to Moderate NA NA High High b. Change of Visual character from undeveloped to partly developed Moderate to Low to Moderate to Low to NA NA High Moderate High Moderate c. Visual intrusion of lower area (restaurant, parking area, refuse room and access road) on the M4 scenic tourist route Moderate to Low to Moderate Low to NA NA High Moderate Moderate d. Visibility from sensitive receptors Moderate to Low to Moderate to Low to NA NA High Moderate High Moderate e. Visual intrusion of lighting at night Moderate to Low to Moderate to Low to NA NA High Moderate High Moderate Mitigation measures that will assist in minimising visual impacts are: Retain existing naturally occurring fynbos vegetation; Minimise disturbance through fencing off construction areas; Design access road so that fill slopes are created in favour of large cut slopes; Site the construction camps in less visually obtrusive areas; Appoint a professionally registered Landscape Architect to prepare a Landscape Plan that will enhance the proposed development plan and further mitigate visual impacts; Landscape measures to include planting of indigenous trees and shrubs to screen buildings from the north (Rocklands), south (Miller’s Point) and between the lower area restaurant and M4 roadway but not such that views of the sea from the restaurant would be intercepted; Final road surface on visually exposed slopes (e.g. steep sections of the road such as those between the lower and upper development) must be visually recessive i.e. a dark, muted colour. A lighter, natural stone-coloured finish such as exposed aggregate pavers may be used on flatter, more visually enclosed areas (e.g. parking area and on roads in the top area of development). The appointed Landscape Architect is to advise in this regard. Boundary treatments (fencing/walls) must be visually permeable; Omit street lighting External lighting should be bollard lighting; and MALA VIA: Low-intensity Ecotourism Development ‘Whale Rock’ ver 1.4 7 The luminaires must be top covered, low spill type lights to minimize light spill and pollution. The potential cumulative visual impact will be minimal if the proposed mitigation measures are implemented. While the site of the proposed Whale Rock Ecotourism development is visually sensitive, the siting and scale of the proposed components is sensitively placed and resulting visual impacts can be sufficiently mitigated. Layout 2 is marginally preferred to Layout 1 from a visual perspective as the restaurant, despite being closer to the M4 road, is situated at a lower elevation. In our opinion, the proposed development, if mitigated as suggested, is acceptable from a visual perspective. MALA VIA: Low-intensity Ecotourism Development ‘Whale Rock’ ver 1.4 8 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Report The applicant, Kieron Taylor, proposes a Low-intensity Ecotourism Development ‘Whale Rock’ on the remainder of Rocklands Farm No. 1020 Rocklands, South Peninsula, City of Cape Town. Khula Environmental Consultants are undertaking the Environmental Application for the proposed development in terms of NEMA. Megan Anderson Landscape Architects has been appointed to undertake a Visual Impact Assessment (VIA) for the proposed development. 1.2 Terms of Reference, Policies and guidelines 1.2.1 Guidelines for involving visual and aesthetic specialists in EIA processes: Edition 1 (Oberholzer, 2005) In terms of the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning’s guidelines for involving visual and aesthetic specialists in EIA processes, a level 3 to 4 VIA is required for this proposed development. This requirement is based on: o The nature of the receiving environment: Areas with protection status, such as national parks or nature reserves; Areas with proclaimed heritage sites or scenic routes; Areas with intact wilderness qualities, or pristine ecosystems; Areas with a recognized special character or sense of place; Areas lying outside a defined urban edge line; Areas of important tourism or recreation value; Areas with important vistas or scenic corridors.