PROCESSES & VIP INFO
The information below is for prospective as well as existing owners.
While every effort has been made to provide accurate information below, the SOA was provided a lot of this information from external sources, and, these details could change in the course of the Development. The Development Company and Sungate Owners Association accept no liabilities for any changes affected to the info below at any stage. E&OE.
We would like to take this opportunity to explain some of the processes and functions of the SOA, a not-for- profit Section 21 Company, in which a purchaser becomes a legal member of on transfer. All of their rights and obligations as a member are spelt out in the Articles of Association of the SOA, which documents are part of the “Document Pack” provided by the SOA on transfer. (see ‘‘Documents’’ tab)
Index:
1. Architectural & Construction 2. Services availability & installation 3. Water Supply 4. Electricity Supply 5. Sewer / Waste Water 6. Pavements / Landscaping 7. CoW vs SOA - jurisdiction 8. Levies & Deposit 9. Document Pack
1. Architectural & Construction
A very important aspect of the development, if not the most important, is the requirement for each Erf to contribute to the development in its entirety from a design perspective. This is the whole “ethos” of Sungate. Sungate was designed to international standards from an Urban Planning perspective, where, even in the light industrial area, there is a sense of “completeness” and ambience.
The vision of Sungate is a town that “feels good”. Pedestrian access, sidewalks, access points, parking etc. have been thoroughly considered, and each owner is encouraged, via the Urban Planning “Precinct Plan” and each Erf’s controls and guidelines list, to belong to the whole, and not just stand alone.
These guidelines do not dictate, but rather encourage everyone to participate, and as such the plan application and approval process will be strictly applied. Ultimately this will mean the development / town will have an attractive and welcoming feeling, and property values will be enhanced for owners / investors for years to come.
The Precinct Plans, which are effectively Sungate’s Town Planning Scheme, have been formally approved by the Township Board, NAMPAB etc. and are the guiding and controlling documents which guide the client’s Architect. Our suggestion is that you use an SOA briefed Architect who is already familiar with the Precinct Plan details, but you may use any registered Architect. They all need to sign a Code of Conduct document and attend an induction session at the office of the SOA prior to commencement.
Adherence to the Precinct Plans is not an “optional” thing. It is a necessity as there is security in conformity, and ultimately the property values in Sungate will be substantially higher than in a Development where haphazard design and construction is allowed. We trust you understand and appreciate this, and co-operate in full, and insist your Professional team does too.
The Contractor is also a vital part of the team, and by signing the Contractors Code of Conduct which spells out their requirements, it ensures their participation in a smooth process.
2. Services availability and Installation
The Sungate development company, Accolade Properties Namibia (Pty) Ltd (APN), has installed the internal roads, water, sewer, and electricity infrastructure for the current Phase 1AB (12Ha), and secured bulk service agreements for the entire Phase 1 (60Ha).
The design and supervision of these services was by Windhoek Consulting Engineers who designed the reticulation for the entire 400 Ha development, and narrowed the internal installation down to what was required for Phase 1AB (12Ha), and bulk service installation for electricity and water for the remainder of Phase 1.
Bulk service agreements for water and electricity were signed between APN, Namwater and Nampower, which capacity, according to them, is sufficient for the entire first phase of Sungate (60Ha). So the next few Phases of Phase 1 only require internal services to be installed, and not approvals per-se.
As owners your connection to these services is explained below:
3. Water Supply
Bulk Supply: Namwater supplies high pressure, free flow, quality water from the Otjihase direction as primary supply, (via their installed bulk meter on the boundary) which then feeds directly into the Phase 1 water tower installed by APN (for pressure not storage purposes). At the tower it passes another meter (belonging to the SOA, to allow comparison to the external Namwater meter - for SOA “Audit” purposes), then runs into the main water pipeline supplying Phase 1AB. As a backup supply there is also a pump regulated supply, which is connected to the Seeis pipeline that runs along the current Trans Kalahari Trunk road boundary of Sungate.
Your Erf: Sungate provides a 110 mm connection to each erf. When each client is ready to connect their property to the Sungate supply and have meters installed, they will fill out an application form (in the “Document Pack”) and submit same to the SOA office who will then quote (the application may be temporary for construction purposes, or permanent). After receipt of the deposit and installation payment the SOA will commission installation of the meter/s (by an SOA approved contractor). The cost to the client is substantially the same as the City of Windhoek’s tariff sheet, and the same applies to the water consumption charge that will be invoiced by the SOA when the meters are read monthly. The deposit is held by the SOA until disconnection.
4. Electricity Supply
Bulk Supply: The Development Company (APN) has paid Nampower to install bulk electrical infrastructure to supply the Sungate development with 2000 kVA (2mVA) capacity, and has signed Power Supply Agreements to this effect.
Supply agreements were then ceded over to the SOA from APN after approval by the ECB to sell electricity under Nampower’s license.
Supply is on a “ramp up” schedule from the current 100 kVA which was connected and turned on in February 2014, and can continue to be ramped up to the 2000 kVA capacity as demand on site dictates.
The SOA will pay Nampower each month for the bulk supply and energy charges, and then charge the clients individually on reading the meters, at substantially the same tariff as the City of Windhoek.
Your Erf: Each Erf has been provided with 60 Amp 3 phase power, and the client will follow the same application process as water when the time comes (apply, pay, install).
The client’s electrician will bring cables from the client’s DB board to the SOA electrical kiosk outside the property, and the SOA appointed electrician will then install the meters and connect to the provided cables.
The client can apply for an increase in capacity of supply (up to a maximum of 200 Amps, 3 phase, at the time of initial installation, or at a later stage), but, the increase in supply capacity is not guaranteed by the SOA. Each application will be dealt with at the time, after the SOA Engineers have assessed the network capacity. If such capacity is available the SOA will quote and install after payment from the client of a network contribution fee, as well as mini-sub and other costs as required as a result of the application.
Invoicing will be done by the SOA from the date of transfer - an “availability” charge (per ECB) is payable even if no power is consumed.
5. Sewer / Waste Water
Bulk Provision: The Development has an area allocated (and designed) for the construction of a full Waste Water Treatment Plant, and all the initial designs and levels take this into account. However, the nature of such position, at the lowest point, means it is currently at the furthest point of the Development, and as such is impractical to install as part of the first phase of Development. So, the construction of a plant closer to the first Phase was done, which plant can grow organically with the onset of the next Phases, and, when and if required, the original planned plant can be built.
Your Erf: As per standard Municipal requirements, each property’s “sewer use” will be assessed at the time of the client’s water application. If required, the client will need to install a treatment facility (grease / oil / sediment / chemical trap) on their property, at their cost, to ensure the quality of the effluent leaving the property is of such quality not to negatively affect the Developments sewer system and treatment plant.
The SOA will use a discharge policy to continually assess individual properties usage, and, should the client / owner change their business usage at any point in the future, they will be required to install a treatment facility at that time, at their expense.
The client will be invoiced monthly for this service, also similar to the City of Windhoek’s tariff.
6. Pavements / Landscaping
The area between your actual Erf boundary and the kerb is the responsibility of each owner in so far as installing paving, parking and landscaping etc is concerned, and the Precinct plans for each Erf give an indication of the necessary treatment thereof by the client.
Please highlight this to your Professional team so that they allow for it in the budget, and include the details in the designs and plans that go to the Design Review Panel for approval.
Each client is encouraged to treat this area with love, which will enhance the Development in doing so, thus increasing their own property value.
7. City of Windhoek vs SOA - jurisdiction
As we said in the introduction, Sungate is a privately proclaimed Township, but now falls within the C.o.W’s newly extended boundaries (after formal Proclamation of the ‘’Sungate Township’’). Hours were spent at the C.o.W and Khomas Regional Council to understand the implications & legalities of this, and the outcome was as follows (for the forseeable future):
The C.o.W recognises that because of the Sungate Township Gazetted Proclamation, the SOA is the Ministerial authorised “Local Authority” (as at Finkenstein and Herboths Blick apparently). Even though the C.o.W new boundary incorporates Sungate, they do not have the capacity to install, take over, or maintain services etc, and, because of jurisdiction and responsibility technicalities that their new boundary has caused with land owners, and Regional Councils, and the pending legal issues around that, they cannot and do not wish to act as the Municipality, yet! So the SOA has to act in its current capacity as the local Authority, as per the Proclamation.
Because in the distant future there is possibly a chance that the C.o.W could in fact become involved, the SOA has decided to set up its systems closely to the C.o.W’s. Documents and application forms have been mirrored. Plans will be processed, and inspection procedures established as closely to theirs as possible.
The only current involvement the CoW has is the approval of Building Plans AFTER the SOA has processed and approved them and ensured they conform with Sungates Townplanning Scheme and NOT the C.o.W’s, as agreed with the C.o.W.
8. Levies & Deposit
Because Sungate is a private town the SOA is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the common properties including roads etc. In terms of its Articles of Association the SOA is entitled to charge levies (in place of normal Rates & Taxes) as is in any normal private Development, (whether Security Village or Sectional Title etc).
The SOA charges levies as approved at the AGM (by the Members/Owners themselves) and these levies are based on the SOA budget with a weight factor for each erf based on that erf's evaluation. They will do water and electricity readings, and the levy calculations, and send out accounts to owners after transfer. Water and Electricity costs will be substantially the same as the City of Windhoek.
A deposit to cover two month’s levies, as well as a two month utilities (electrical and water etc) usage estimate will be invoiced by the SOA and held indefinitely.
9. Transfer Pack
On transfer the SOA provides a pack of documents you will need for your development / construction process. Please read the introduction letter carefully and follow the steps explained. This will make your life simpler, so please do spend the time to read it, and pass it on to your Project Manager and/or Architect for them to print as necessary and apply the procedures.
The next steps are detailed in the Document Pack Introduction letter, and are summarised nicely in the Building Procedures Check sheet (Form SOA 5) which we recommend you print now if appropriate and monitor through the process with your Project Manager or Architect.
We trust the above has answered any questions you may have had, but please feel free to contact us by email if you have others.