A man in a large yellow grab unperturbedly moves one ‘bite’ after another of planks from a dilapidated warehouse into a container. ‘Forbidden to unauthorized persons’ is written on a sign on the fence.
The time has finally come: work has been underway for about a week on the construction of 21 apartments on Eilandsweg, at the Kebo location, named after the furniture store that once stood there.
The municipality of Waterland has wanted homes to be built there since 2018. “In 2020, project developer HSB ‘won’ the registration,” says treasurer Ruud Kroon of the village council. Afterwards, there was ping-pong back and forth for years about the building plans and the objections to them.
A landmark place
It was recently a hot topic in politics in The Hague: (too) long objection procedures. According to Kroon, the Kebo location is a textbook example of this. “In itself it is good that people can object,” he says. But the fact that HSB had to wait six years to start is crazy.
The houses will be located in a prominent location: anyone who enters the village from the N247 will almost immediately drive into them. Kroon looks approvingly through the crush barriers at the construction site. He can almost see the new apartments in his head.
“The village council, the municipality and other parties have worked well together on this plan,” he says. “Eight apartments will become social rentals, with affordable prices,” says Kroon. The rest is owner-occupied housing, “from average to expensive”.
The colors of ‘Pants’: blue and green
The exact asking prices will have to wait a while. Heinse Droog, manager at HSB, expects to start sales this spring. The project developer wants to start construction of the apartments at the end of this year. Droog: “The demolition of what is now there should take about a month.”
Although the latest sketches of the housing plan are not expected until later this year, Kroon from the village council has already given a glimpse of the veil: “It will feature green and blue, the colors of Broek.” As befits a true resident, he shortens the village name to one word.
A neighbor also enjoys watching the work next door. “It is a bit noisy, but I am happy that new homes are being built,” she says with satisfaction.
