3rd of June 2009

Those of us building will be delighted that the rains have abated and the winter rush has begun. We can get it done. There is nowhere busier than the site of the Garlington Apartments where Verbaan Builders are throwing all their weight into getting the Apartments and Coffee Shop / Gym complex completed. Phase one of the Apartments has been handed over and the first tenants have moved in. With the rest of the type one units let or sold they should be fully occupied by the end of August. The remaining units in this phase offer great investment opportunities and, as leases have been signed, provide a guaranteed rental income; albeit marginal the capital growth in Garlington will outweigh the returns.

August will see the Apartment block completed and with rentals and sales going well the block will dramatically increase the number of residents on the estate adding another 33 residences. The current count stands at 18 houses completed 12 houses under construction; 38 plans approved by the GARC and 4 plans in the process of being approved.

September the 23rd to 27th will see Designers on Display in the Apartments. This exciting venture will see a number of the country’s leading interior designers and landscaping using the newly complete apartments as blank canvases for their work. They will be showcasing their designs, wares and furniture. It will be a spectacle not to be missed and is guaranteed to bring a huge number of people onto the estate and give Garlington the exposure it deserves.

The Coffee Shop, Gym and Penthouses will be completed in early October. With these complete that will bring the current development on Crowe Square to a close. The area, with its magnificent promenade, views and architecture, promises to be one of the most exquisite centres of any development anywhere.

We are seeking an operator for the Coffee Shop so if anyone has any ideas please get in touch with the Developers. We are currently in discussion with suppliers of equipment for the Gym and should have that confirmed shortly. The idea is to have a range of cardio, circuit and free weight equipment as well as a spinning facility.

Security has been bolstered by the addition of a Security Vehicle which residents will have noticed is stationed at the Gatehouse. A night supervisor has also now been added to the staff now offering comprehensive 24 hour armed response day and night. There was one minor breach of security when an individual, who appeared to be mentally impaired, was discovered on Mrs Button’s property. The situation was peacefully resolved and nothing had gone missing.

We would like to urge homeowners to please get their domestic staff registered with the estate so that they may be issued with bibs and Garlington identification. There will be a deadline imposed after which staff that have not been registered will no longer be admitted onto the estate.

Please also make sure that any swimming pools installed on the estate meet national regulations and are done by reputable pool dealers. For obvious reasons they must be kept safe. The matter of the roads that have failed is going to mediation shortly and should be satisfactorily resolved.

The Homeowners Association offices will move shortly and will be situated on the Crowe square corner of the apartment block from the first of August. And exciting move into brand new premises.

Planting on the estate continues with a large number of trees having gone in and some areas on the promenade planted to beds. The fire breaks have also be burned ensuring that the estate remains safe from runaway fires.

The telecommunications issue now seems to be drawing to a head with the issues being limited by Telkoms withdrawal from the scene. It appears that with their demerger from Vodacom they no longer have the technical ability to install the wireless system that they had promised us. That then takes us back to the fibre optic infrastructure for which there is another proposal being presented to the board.

This issue, among others, will be discussed at the forthcoming AGM. We hope to see you all there!