PROPERTY EDITOR

WITH the re-opening of Chapman's Peak Drive scheduled for December 13, the property market in Kommetjie, Noordhoek, Hout Bay and Scarborough looks set for another boom.

Pam Golding Properties reports that the areas have never lost their appeal to buyers despite the closure of the scenic drive in January 2000. But PGP area manager Dudley Armstrong says they do expect to see increased interest once the popular tourist route is back open to the public. "For the property market, the re-opening of Chapman's Peak Drive is expected to have a significant and positive impact on the area.

Areas like Kommetjie and Noordhoek, which have been perceived as remote and unreachable while the road has been closed, will again be within easier access of the CBD, the Waterfront, the airport, theatres, hospitals and other city destinations."

While Chapman's Peak Drive has been closed, some of these areas have just felt too far away for those who wanted the peace and quiet of life in a country area, but also wanted easy access to the CBD and all the amenities of the big city, said Armstrong "That will all change now, as will the traffic congestion, which was becoming a major irritant on Ou Kaapseweg and has probably kept away a lot of potential business people who would otherwise have bought in these areas. "And of course the sheer beauty of the drive is a big attraction for those who enjoy an outdoor lifestyle and will once again be able to make use of Chapman's Peak for hiking, weekend drives, cycling and picnics.

"The significantly higher tourist traffic which is also expected, may also result in a growth in the interest from foreign buyers seeking to acquire property in these most beautiful areas," he said. Hout Bay area manager Laurie Wener is also extremely excited about the re-opening.

"PGP's Hout Bay office has waited patiently for Chapman's Peak Drive to open. The office is strategically placed at the very beginning of the pass, almost like a beacon, so it's frequently used by regular commuters and tourists alike.

We anticipate a substantial increase in vehicular traffic through Hout Bay with the re-opening, and this will dramatically broaden the suburb's exposure to potential property buyers." Chapman's Peak Drive was opened in 1922 after seven years of construction, and at 600m above sea level, offers some of the world's most spectacular ocean views. Linking Hout Bay and Noordhoek, it has long been one of the Cape Peninsula's top tourist attractions.

But the instability of the cliff-face and roadway forced authorities to close the road in January 2000, so that a massive upgrade could be undertaken.

Now after the expenditure of some R150 million and the clearing away of more than 6 000 rocks, some four kilometres of hi-tech catch-fences have been installed to catch falling boulders, while a half-tunnel has also been built (open on the sea-side) to protect motorists in one area.

Other areas have been reinforced with concrete covering structures and columns, which will be covered by natural rock and vegetation to maintain the scenic beauty. Two of the Cape's top sports events, the Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour and the Two Oceans Marathon, will once again go over the route in 2004, and its popularity as a tourist destination seems guaranteed to return, starting with a bumper tourist season this December and January.

Armstrong says properties in Kommetjie and Noordhoek have never really suffered from the drive's closure, as the opening of Reddam School created a huge amount of interest from parents, and the interest in beachfront and lakeside properties never waned.

For example, when a development of 52 plots opened up in July in the Imhoff's Gift development, Pam Golding Properties sold them out in about eight weeks.

Another R2 million property in Noordhoek was sold within one-and-a-half hours of listing, and local agents say they never have stock on their books for long - homes are selling virtually as soon as they come on to the market