Updates on BRT, Medway, Sherwood Forest School site and more

BRT Update from Councillor Squire

There is a Stops & Streetscapes Workshop for London’s Bus Rapid Transit System. Help influence the features and design of stops and streetscapes including:
• Safety and Security
• Accessibility
• Heritage and Culture

When: Wednesday, November 15th, 2017
Where: Central Library, 2nd floor, 251 Dundas Street
Format: Registration required
More info

Also see the update from Councillor Squire.

Snow Angels London

Snow Angels London is a way to request assistance shovelling or to find others in need of such assistance.

If you would like to help or to register yourself for this service please go to: http://snowangelslondon.ca/

Medway Valley ESA Conservation Master Plan

There is an open house on the Medway ESA Conservation Master Plan on November 15 at the Museum of Ontario Archeology from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

The “near final” report can be found at http://www.london.ca/residents/Environment/Natural-Environments/Documents/MVHF_ESA_south_PhII.pdf

The final draft of the Conservation Master Plan for the Medway ESA (South) and a staff recommendation will be presented at a public participation meeting before a Committee of City Council, possibly as early as January 8th. Anyone can speak at the meeting. You can also submit a letter for the meeting agenda. The agenda deadline for January 8th is December 18th. Letters should be addressed to Chair and Members of the Planning and Environment Committee and sent to hlysynsk@london.ca with a note that it should be included on the Committee agenda when the matter is before the Committee. Letters should be cc’d to Councillor Squire at psquire@london.ca

One concern with a possible new crossing is that it may, along with the hardening of the trail on the east side of the Medway, lead to calls for a bridge across the Medway in our area. Other items of interest include:

· A realignment and reopening of the trail that leads from the entrance between Whiteacres and Doncaster into the Snake Creek Valley
· The hardening of the trail on the east side of the Creek between the Elsie Perrin Williams Estate to the Creek
· A crossing (likely a bridge much larger than the one over Rollingwood Creek) south of Fanshawe along with hardening of the trail on both sides of the new bridge.
· Closing, over time, the unmanaged trails that have harmed sensitive habitat
· Continuing efforts to control invasive species

Neighbourhood Decision Making

Voting day is November 18th at the Sherwood Library in the mall from 10 am to 4 pm. You can also vote on line at https://getinvolved.london.ca/NDM on the 18th. There is at least one project on the ballot for our area which includes benches for three of the parks in the area, and a bike rack at the tennis courts and an information sign for an entrance to the Medway Valley Environmentally Significant Area. The ideas on the ballot can be found at the NDM web site noted in this paragraph. Once there, click on the “vote” tab and then click on Northwest London to find the downloadable PDF file. Ideas #5 (Sherwood Forest Park) and #11 (benches in area parks) are in our area (the location of the information sign would not be where it is shown on the map). Project #6 would not be in our area of the Valley but rather at the parking lot on Sunningdale Road. #5 would fast track the development of the Sherwood Forest Park which is tentatively in the City budget for 2020.

Sherwood Forest Park Development

The city process for selling part of the lands for new housing, as previously decided in 2014, is moving along. There are proposals that will be considered by City Council, likely in the new year. As this is a property matter, no details are available until City Council makes a decision. There will be continued involvement with our community as this moves forward. If you need a copy of the 2014 decision on the site, you can find it on our web site at: https://opsfr.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/1580461003201410254998.pdf

Sarnia and Western Road

There will not be any news on this project in the near term. Rapid Transit has some impacts which must be thought through before the assessment of changes to this intersection will have a clearer direction.