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Neighbourhood watch
Hillcrest of a wave |
| Words: David Mullany Photography: Sally Chance |
You’ve probably seen it on a TV documentary. A vast expanse of sea. Suddenly: fire, smoke, thunder and columns of boiling lava as an undersea volcano blows its top and a brand new island is born.
There’s a place like that in KwaZulu-Natal. It’s called Hillcrest.
 (Left: Stable community: like many of the newer Hillcrest estates, Kirtlington offers residents plenty of space and a real sense of country living.)
Once upon a time, Hillcrest was the Rip van Winkle of KZN’s prosperous Upper Highway area – a somnolent hamlet bordering the Valley of a Thousand Hills and surrounded by sweeping farmland, pastures and cane fields.
The village itself was mostly a retirees’ graveyard interspersed with a couple of burger joints, a few family-run mini-markets and a smattering of mom-and-pop shops. Hell, man, Hillcrest was so far out in the sticks it only got its first tarred roads in the 1970s.
Then, all at once – and to those of us who live in the area it really did seem to happen overnight – there was a volcanic eruption of building and commercial development that transformed the town into a seething commercial hub within the blink of a developer’s eye.
And, just like our deep-sea analogy, the Hillcrest rebirth has been accompanied by much noise, hot air, fire, brimstone and flatulence as local old-timers – jarred out of their rocking chairs by the roar of the bulldozer and the thump of the wrecker’s ball – whinge and harrumph about the sudden ‘desecration’ of their little corner of country calm. In some respects, they have a point, but more about that in a minute…
For the past five years or so, Hillcrest has been the focal point of a sustained tsunami of residential and commercial property development. On the residential side, there has been a proliferation of upmarket housing developments (aka gated communities) in the surrounding farmlands, with almost 2 000 new homes. The old shops, homes and pubs along the village’s Old Main Road have been flattened and in their stead grows a dynamic town-in-progress with a CBD that looks – for now – like a Baghdad bomb-site as malls, business parks, parking lots, major retail outlets and office blocks rise from the rubble. And all the major players are on hand: Woolworths, Pick ‘n Pay, Mr Price and, even as we speak, a 20 000m² Checkers centre is taking shape in the heart of town.
 (Left: Checkers centre takes shape.)
At the centre of the town is the jewel in the shopping crown: the Victorian-style Heritage Market with its nostalgic verandahs and broekie lace. The Heritage, which recently doubled in size, is a happy throwback to a more leisurely age: think gazebos, walkways, manicured lawns, rose gardens, a wonderful array of craft and gift shops, funky art, clothing and decor dens, and excellent restaurants offering everything from steaks to seafood, Thai to tapas. It also houses the hugely popular Heritage Theatre, a Moulin Rouge-style supper club that stages regular sell-out musicals and comedy shows.
Big names in local gated communities include Augusta Country Estate and Plantations, the 700-home Tuscan-theme village-within-a-village that ignited the whole development boom in the first place. Homes here command an average price of R2.5-million.
Other developments have sprouted mostly along Inanda Road. These include Le Domaine (a unique retirement home for feisty over-50s – including former Springbok rugby coach Ian Macintosh), Kirtlington Park Equestrian Estate (home of Proteas cricketer Shaun Pollock), swanky Cotswold Downs Golf Estate, and Georgian-style Langford Estate.
Down in the valley is the elder statesman of the lot: the venerable 30-year-old Camelot golf estate and its mock-medieval castle, much favoured for weddings, conferences and hearty pinch-the-serving-girl’s-bum banquets served by wenches and lackeys in Elizabethan costume.
On the western side of town, Queensbridge Estate is presently nearing completion. Units offer four bedrooms, three bathrooms, two lounges and federation-style covered verandahs upstairs. Prices start from R1.89-million for a 359m² home.
 (Left: Plantations – where the boom began.)
All of this growth has naturally been accompanied by a spectacular surge in property values. For example, in 2002 a resident bought a three-bedroom home for R680 000 – at the end of 2006 it sold for R2.5-million. That’s an appreciation of 230 per cent in just four years.
Says Dave Jones, principal of Acutts in the Upper Highway: ‘The average stand-alone home in Hillcrest now sells at R1.4-million. Five years ago the same home would have sold for R700 000, while a decade ago, it would have gone for R420 000.
Hillcrest homes now range from around R1.2-million to R3.5-million. At the lower figure, you can expect a compact, no-frills three-bedroom home with double garage on half an acre.
Your average R1.4-million home is slightly more spacious – around 200m² – and offers three beds, two baths, two lounges and a double garage on half an acre. For R2-million to R3.5-million, expect a custom-built home with unique features on land of 4 000m² upward.’ He adds that prices in the gated communities vary depending on accommodation, features and size of a given unit, as well as location and size of the plot.
Wakefields CEO Keith Wakefield notes: ‘Five years ago, you’d find land at around R200 000 for 2 000m² (half an acre). Now land is scarce and prices have risen to between R600 000 and
R800 000.
‘The area’s newfound popularity has driven up prices to the extent that the entry level here is now around R800 000 for a one-bedroom flat in the town centre. Mid-range prices average between R1-million to R1.4-million, while the top end goes all the way to R7-million.’ He points out that Hillcrest prices are now on a par with those at nearby Kloof (excluding the latter’s exclusive Golf Course area, which remains the region’s Cullinan Diamond when it comes to high-end property).
 (Left: Happily ever-aftering at Camelot Estate.)
Keith says there’s an evident trend towards secure sectional-title developments. Two estates close to Keith’s heart are Cotswold Downs and Le Domaine: he not only markets them but is a joint developer as well. ‘The recent opening of a R57-million, five-star golf course at Cotswold Downs is a huge plus for the Upper Highway.’ The course, designed by noted course architects Dale Hayes and Peter Matkovich, took two years to build.
Keith adds: ‘We’re currently building showhouses and a lifestyle centre at Cotswold Downs. The 300-hectare estate offers far more than golf: it’s a place where children can explore indigenous forest and wetlands with abundant bird life, and play in as many as six parks in safety.
Then there’s the R22-million lifestyle centre. In addition to the normal clubhouse facilities it will offer an indoor swimming pool, a wellness centre, squash courts, clay tennis courts, a gym, conference facilities and restaurants.
‘At an average land price of between R900 000 and R1-million, the estate raises the bar on property prices and will continue to stimulate growth.’
As for nearby Le Domaine, Keith notes: ‘The emphasis is on an active lifestyle for the over-50s. Interest has never been higher and, at our current tempo, I wouldn’t be surprised if we sell out within the next two years – well ahead of our sales forecasts.’
All this Gatling-gun growth has created certain hiccups. Chief of these is traffic. Clotted columns of traffic trying to traverse roads designed for an age when the only motorists were retired bank managers and cashiered colonels gaily puttering around in their Morgans or Bentleys...
 (Left: Stylish couple – Acutts’ Dave Jones and decorator Jennifer Jones (no relation) – at Queensbridge Estate.)
There was also a bit of a, um, stink when sewage plants at some new complexes couldn’t go with the flow, as it were. As a result, the eThekwini Municipality, which controls the Upper Highway, slapped a moratorium on any new private treatment plants.
Then, in 2003, Durban’s city manager Dr Mike Sutcliffe clamped down on all new building in the region because of what he termed ‘unprecedented development… and concern that it might outstrip infrastructure and, in particular, roads and sewage.’ The ban was lifted five months later after the approval of a strategic plan to redo the roads and sort out the sewerage.
As for the traffic congestion, an estimated R60-million upgrade of the town’s main roads is underway. Some of the work – including road widening and new traffic lights – has already been completed, although officials say extensive roadworks in the greater Hillcrest region could take a good three to four years to complete.
Interestingly, residential and commercial developers have agreed to pitch in and pay towards town infrastructure. In the case of the roads, they’ll contribute a third (along with the municipality and the province) and, for waste treatment, they’ll cough up a R10 000 contribution per residential unit and R15 000 for each 100m² of commercial space.
One question asked frequently by Hillcrest’s long-term residents is: ‘Where the hell have all these new people come from?’ Dave offers this answer: ‘It’s due to a combination of factors. Since the abolition of the Group Areas Act, people have been free to move where they choose... In Hillcrest today we have people from Durban’s dormitory suburbs – Queensburgh, Yellowwood Park, the Bluff, so forth – who’ve made the move to the safer, less crowded country lifestyle.’
 (Left: Established homes can fetch up to R7-million.)
Dave mentions other factors that have led to the Hillcrest boom: first, there’s the release of large tracts of developable farmland around Inanda Road. There’s also the excellent schools and country living away from the urban blight of central Durban. And an avalanche of new developments sold free of transfer duty. Another impetus, believes Dave, came from the rezoning of Hillcrest’s Old Main Road from mostly residential to a ribbon development area for office and/or commercial use. He also cites the area’s relative security and the fact there is little heavy-industry development.
Dave feels the surge of development is now beginning to abate. Less vacant land is available and what’s left has become expensive. This, coupled with the rising cost of building, is swinging the pendulum back in favour of second-hand homes.
Says June: ‘Hillcrest was crying out for development as there was so much land available as opposed to Kloof and Winston Park, but now it’s pretty much been developed to its full potential. Any further developments would be further out towards Assagay to the west and Waterfall and Crestholme to the east.’
The region is popular not only for its proximity to recreational spots such as Inanda Dam and the Thousand Hills, but also thanks to its climate. Located 35 kilometres from the Indian Ocean and 650m above sea level, it isn’t prone to the suffocating summer heat of the coast. As a result, say environmentalists, the area has one of the healthiest climates in the world, with an average summer temperature of 24ºC and an annual mean of just under 18ºC.
So who lives in Hillcrest these days? The profile varies. Traditionally, the population was middle-aged and middle-class but this is changing fast with the advent of more and more upmarket estates.
Beyond its CBD, Hillcrest remains a country town. Says Dave: ‘Living in Hillcrest isn’t just a career decision for me; it’s also a lifestyle choice.
My daughters enjoy horse riding and the Summerveld area is blessed with numerous facilities. The area is very beautiful. Weekend life is enhanced by the Shongweni Farmers Market every Saturday morning with fresh organic produce and a lively country vibe.’
He’s right. Horses clop along the bridle paths and along Kassier Road, there are farm stalls, nurseries and even a few bush bars and cosy country pubs.
In the town centre, however, that olde country feeling has gone for good as Hillcrest finally catches up with the 21st century… and vice versa.
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WIN!
