Medway ESA
The draft Medway ESA Conservation Master Plan went to the City’s Planning and Environment Committee of Council for review on Monday. After 11:30 pm Monday night, this ended in a 3-3 tie vote. Councillor Park moved a motion to remove the bridge in our area, and got support from Hopkins and Turner (our Councillor, Phil Squire, is not on this Committee, and was therefore not eligible to vote, but he is certainly opposed to the bridges). The motion to remove the bridge was opposed by the Mayor, Councillors Helmer and Cassidy.
Because this was a tie vote, this means the staff recommendation goes to the full council next week (April 24th) for debate – the STAFF recommendation is for two bridges.
An engineer from the consulting firm which builds bridges indicated it is likely the span of the bridges will be about 25 m – roughly 75 feet across the Medway.
If you are concerned about these proposed bridges and want your message heard, you should contact each Councillor. You can also put your comments on the public record by having them included on the Council agenda. Here are the e-mail addresses:
For the Council agenda, letters should be address to the Mayor and Members of Council and sent to lmorris@london.ca with a request that your comments appear on the Council agenda of April 24th.
For writing Councillors individually, here are the addresses:
mayor@london.ca
mvanholst@london.ca
barmstro@london.ca
msalih@london.ca,
jhelmer@london.ca
mcassidy@london.ca
psquire@london.ca
joshmorgan@london.ca
phubert@london.ca
ahopkins@london.ca
vridley@london.ca
sturner@london.ca
husher@london.ca
tpark@london.ca
jzaifman@london.ca
What about the tree cutting that has taken place near to where a bridge is proposed?
This is a London Hydro project. They are replacing the hydro poles.
Sherwood Forest School Site Meeting – Wednesday, April 18
Don’t forget the meeting tomorrow night at 7 pm on the second floor of Medway Arena where the agent for the developer will be discussing the plans for the residential housing on part of the former Sherwood Forest School. At our AGM in May, a representative will be talking about the parks planning process.
London Artist Studio Tour – April 20-22
The 2018 London Artists’ Studio Tour is April 20th, 21st and 22nd. This self-guided tour offers the public an extraordinary opportunity to meet local artists in their working environments and learn more about their creative processes. Friday, April 20th is opening night. Between the hours of 7 and 9:30 p.m., tour-goers are treated to refreshments and first choice of the artists’ works. Studios remain open Saturday, April 21st from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, April 22nd from noon to 5 p.m.
You can get more information and the tour guidebook at http://londonstudiotour.ca/
There will be booklets for the tour available outside the home of local artist Marlies Gueth at 60 Bloomfield Dr.
PD Camp at the Museum of Archaeology – April 27th
It’s a day of hands-on learning at MOA’s PA Day Camp on Friday, April 27. Types of activities: nature hikes, creating pinch pots, cookie excavations or other crafts.
Save your spot and register today! Call 519-473-1360 or go on line for a registration form
Community Garage Sale – May 12th
Saturday May 12 th from 8am to 12 noon. Clean the house….Clean the garage… Join the fun. Make some cash… “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure…” Details to follow.
AGM and BBQ May 24th at Orchard Park Public School
Join everyone at 6 pm for hot dogs and hamburgers followed by our Annual General Meeting. This is rain or shine, we will have a number of pop up tents available to keep off the rain or a hot sun.
Keep an Eye Out
There was a report of a group of young men smoking dope while driving a white/ grey run down Honda near Orchard Park Public School who harassed and chased some younger children. This was reported to the police.
Orchard Park Sherwood Forest Ratepayers 
Hi, I attended the meeting on Monday evening and stayed until the recess at 6:45. The discussion started at 5:20, with 20 minutes given over to the consultant, then speakers from various groups (5 mins. each) and then open to the public gallery (5 mins. each speaker). It was a very interesting meeting. We had trouble hearing the Council members and other speakers on the ground floor beneath us. We asked the Deputy City Clerk if the council could speak up into the microphone, which didn't reply happen, and we also offered head phones but it turned out that they were broken. The presentation by the consultant would have been clearer if they had used a laser pointer on the maps and possibly a video of the area would be helpful to explain the situation. I thought the public speakers from Gloucester Road community were very well prepared and it would nice to have them join our community association. Three voting people on the committee, the Mayor, Councillor Cassidy and Councillor Helmer, up to the point when I left, had not asked any questions of the speakers or the consultant, and it turns out that all three of them voted for the bridges. I think this should not have been necessary to go to a full Council debate. Why not have seven people on the Planning committee instead of six? On another topic discussed at the meeting was the location of the drug injection site. As far as I could understand it is going to be in a small plaza at York St. and Talbot St. near the bus station. Shouldn't this be located near the Health unit? Barbara Landstreet