| ||||
|
Building projects in Archipel: |
Building projects Willemspark: | |||
| No underground parking in local gardens? | Municipal Cemetery must "stay" in A&W | |||
| News from working group Urban Planning | ||||
| Council's plans for International Zone | ARCHIVE | |||
|
No underground parking in Balistraat/Koninginnegracht gardens? In 2008 the trees, including an ancient copper beech, in the gardens of 83 Balistraat and 63/64 Koninginnegracht were felled. None of the neighbours had been informed and it was too late to lodge an objection. Enquiries made at city hall provided the following details: the soil had to be decontaminated because the owner wanted to construct an underground parking garage in the garden. There was time for the neighbours to lodge an objection to the latter, but to no avail. The objection was rejected and the building permit granted. Now, three years later, Mr. van Mullen of the DSO (Department of Urban Development) confirmed that the decontamination has still not been carried out nor has the underground garage been constructed. If the owner still intends to build the underground parking garage, a request for a new building permit will have to be submitted. N.B. Public inspection of building plans in our neighbourhood is no longer possible at the city hall or the sub-municipal office at Leyweg 813. ET, July 2011 |  | |||
|
13 July 2011 – Among recent municipal council decisions is a plan to extend the area that falls under the management regulations for the “Van Stolkpark – Scheveningse Bosjes” area so that it includes the Algemene Begraafplaats Kerkhoflaan (Municipal Cemetery),
The three cemeteries already existed when construction of our neighbourhood began around 1880 and they form an integral and historical part of the Archipelbuurt. Map of current Van Stolkpark – Scheveningse Bosjes area (with the Municipal Cemetery indicated in brown) | | |||
|
Objections to building plans behind Frederikstraat
The Belangenvereniging Willemspark II (lobby group) has serious objections to the building plans for the plot behind Frederikstraat.
Residents in the vicinity made their objections clear to the council back in 2007 when the developer Woonlindes Project BV in Wassenaar first made its plans known for the construction of six luxury apartments + underground car park for 15 cars on the inner courtyard plot at the rear of Frederikstraat no.14. The main concern is the risk of subsidence and the proposed construction method to be used to realize the underground car park. The developer wants to use the sheet pile or retaining wall method, which requires a perimeter area of at least five metres. This would mean excavating the gardens of residents living in properties adjacent to the the plot and is by no means a full-proof system: remember what happened to Panorama Mesdag! The Willemspark II lobby group had the opportunity to present their objections to the project proceeding any further in detail at a hearing on 15 February. Earlier news from Willemspark II lobby group Complete set of objections(in Dutch) | | |||
|
New building for Willemspark School The maintenance of the Willemspark School on Frederikstraat is a nightmare. Behind the façade, which is actually the entrance-way into the inner courtyard (between Frederikstraat and Cantaloupenburg), there is a jumble of buildings constituting the school itself. The school dates from 1938 and really needs to be replaced. Architects TOPOS have drawn up a plan for a new two-storey building with a gymnasium in the basement.
The plan has been given the OK by the education authorities and funding has been arranged. All that is needed now is the go-ahead from the building inspectorate. In preparation, the school has already held two information evenings for local residents. They were informed that the façade on Frederikstraat would be temporarily removed and then replaced once construction work has been finished after about 18 months. This will make access to the construction site much easier and less disruptive for those living and working in Frederikstraat and Cantaloupenburg. Temporary school building The green light is expected in October. This will mean bussing 200 pupils to and from a temporary school building provided by the council. It will be quite a logistic feat as the pick-up point cannot be in Frederikstraat. More information The Willemspark School is part of the Stichting Haagsche Schoolvereeniging and follows the international primary curriculum (IPC), which places the emphasis on thematic assignments and self-motivation. Visit www.willemsparkschooldenhaag.nl for more information and view architectural plans of the proposed new school. Summarised translation of article Nieuwbouw Willemsparkschool by Frits Hoorweg A&W Community Newspaper June 2010
| | |||
|
Ten new “hofje” homes behind Sumatrastraat
The development of ten “hofje” houses on a site behind Sumatrastraat is well under way. The building inspectorate has approved the plans and the various council bodies have received all the necessary paperwork to grant the building permit. The developer has promised in his security plans to only make use of the archway from Sumatrastraat to the site and not via the playground of the Archipel School or to deliver building materials other by this route. Also see: http://www.sumatrahof.nl/
Tim Dike and Enno Thedinga, working party Urban Planning | | |||
|
News from the working group Urban Planning Introduction Council policy covers among other things the density of urban development, high-rise and urban habitats. A policy, incidentally, that is not always consistent and hardly recognizable in the separate manifestos of the coalition parties. The basic starting point for our working party’s activities is the preservation of the character of and the quality of life in the neighbourhood. These are naturally conflicting interests. This is what we have to contend with as a working party. And in addition the financial means to take up arms are limited. Project developers too usually have more interest in high-density development than preserving local character. The results of discussions between the working party and project developer are rarely acceptable to both sides; it is a question of compromise. Item 1: New development in Surinamestraat A good compromise was actually reached with the developer Q Vastgoed on the project in Surinamestraat. This was thanks to the neighbours, residents and the lobbyists Mr. Vroom & Mr. Nieuwenhuys. Item 2: Redevelopment of Willemspark School Frederikstraat The opposite was the case with the complex of six apartments in the inner courtyard at the rear of 14 Frederikstraat. The Lobby Group Willemspark ll has initiated an appeal procedure against the issuing of a building permit. The Haagsche Schoolvereniging (The Hague School Association) has submitted plans for the redevelopment of its building in Frederikstraat, namely the Willemspark School. The height of the present school located in the enclosed courtyard is well over 3 metres; the height in the new plans is 9 metres! These plans too involve a more massive construction. A working party representative was at the presentation of these plans to the Welstandcommissie (Building Regulations Committee). The Committee rejected the plans outright: the area into which the two projects have to fit (the school & apartment complex) was deemed “completely unacceptable". Item 3: Redevelopment in Prinsevinkenpark Mr. De Greef will be presenting the new plans that the project developer submitted to the council to our working party in March. Item 4: Zoning Scheme Archipel/Willemspark The council will be amending the current Zoning Scheme (dating from 1982) this year. Presently the Scheme encompasses Archipel & Willemspark II but the amended version will include the area around Plein 1813 (Willemspark I). In due time the working party, in conjunction with all those in the neighbourhood, will be taking a critical look at the new concept. For further news: regularly check Latest News colomn on the homepage. TD - January 2009 | | |||
|
Council’s plans for the International Zone The municipal council has published a Memorandum on the basic principles for the International Zone. The fact that our neighbourhood is popular among expats is not a surprise. What is though is that according to the municipal council an extensive building programme is required to please the international institutions.
The fact that the council’s real motives for this tunnel are completely different (viz accessibility for traffic to the area around the Hague World Forum and safety) is less relevant. What is also positive is that extra funding will be made available within the International Zone to realize a higher level of maintenance for public space. This is good to know because if the A&W Residents Association’s plans for the restructuring of Bankastraat cannot be met from the regular council budget, we can always call upon the budget for the International Zone. Unfortunately there are many negative aspects too. Is the building programme really necessary for the desired status of “international city of peace and justice”? Or is this slogan being used primarily as an excuse for additional building, and for building upwards? The Adviesplatform Scheveningen, the only residents association invited by the council to give a reaction, stated that
We certainly agree with this. In the Memorandum it is observed that all low-rise neighbourhoods built on sand are also a favourite with expats. But then, as cool as you please, goes on to state that expats prefer to live in apartments – and we know from previous experience that when the alderman says “apartments” he means tower blocks. In our neighbourhood for example, the council considers the present site of the police headquarters on Burgemeester Patijnlaan to be an ideal spot for new development. If high-rise building should be realized on this site it will have an extremely adverse affect on our living environment. It now appears that even the height of the tower block in the De Monchyplein complex is in practice already contentious, considering the open space in front of it has become an unpleasant wind trap. Two other building locations among those identified by the council immediately border our neighbourhood: the Peace Palace and the current site of Europol. The Memorandum states very diplomatically that “it is important to engender support among the inhabitants” because of course it is the intention that the Hagenaars welcome all these expats with open arms. However at the same time the Municipal Executive makes it very clear that there will be no substantial opportunity for comment. Does the Executive not realize that this is doing a disservice to Hague hospitality? Eveline Blitz, August 2008 | | |||
|
Conversion plans LTO Prinsevinkenpark Summary - Information Evening 14 April 2011
Conform the wishes of the Urban Development and Monuments departments and the Building Inspectorate a number of changes had been made to the design of the new building so that it tones in better with the architectural style of the rest of the buildings in Archipel. Because of the concerns of Prinsevinkenpark residents about damage that might be caused to their properties due to vibrations during the construction work, the developer will investigate whether the current basement structure can be maintained and built on to limit the need for the construction of new foundations. Locals will also be kept informed about construction activities and site traffic in order to keep nuisance to a minimum.
| | |||
traditionally part of the Archipelbuurt. The board of the A&W Residents Association has registered an objection with the Council Executive against the proposed change. The community association in Van Stolkpark is also against such a move, which, like the A&W, cannot find any logical argument substantiating the council’s decision. 
29
March 2010 - The DPI-groep in Haarlem sent us the following announcement on
behalf of Philip van Wijk about the building plans for Sumatrastraat. 
Twenty-five attended the information meeting on 14 April 2010. They included local residents and representatives of the A&W residents Association. Those attending were informed that they had until 6 May to lodge any objections to the plans being presented. 
The
former office building consists of two parts; on the left a “modern”
building from the 1960s and on the right a typical period property adjoining other
houses in Prinsevinkenpark. 
Redevelopment
of the premises (right: old section nos.17-18; left: more modern section no. 19)
will be carried out in two phases. A building permit was recently issued for the
conversion of the old part into five apartments. The sale of these apartments
started in July and building work will commence in September.