Medway, Wonderland Road, LTC service, former Sherwood Forest School site, and prowlers

Proposed Changes to the Metamora Entrance to the Medway Valley

The city is considering changes this spring to the Metamora entrance to the Environmentally Significant Area. In addition to replacing the railings, the following is proposed.

Replace the existing wooden railing with a new 17 section railing, constructed of pressure treated square 6”x6” wooden posts and sealed 2’x10” wooden top railing. Posts will be secured in the ground with concrete and all fasteners will be rated for outdoor use. In addition to replacing the railing we are proposing to repair the trail surface on the slope to mitigate erosion and provide a more stable, sustainable trail. Installation of several crib steps constructed of round cedar posts, anchored into the soil using wooden stakes or metal rebar. The front edge of the steps may extend beyond the crib to direct water away from the trail portion of the slope. Installation of chip dust and large patio stone material within each crib step to provide a stable surface to walk on. The crib steps would be installed on the lower half to two thirds of the slope.

The ratepayers executive would like to know what you think about this. OK to do the work? Would you prefer to leave things as they are (it is quite degraded from use over the years), or should we support closing this entrance as the Longbow entrance is only about 400 metres away? Let us know soon as there is a site meeting coming up on Jan 31 in the afternoon. If you are interested in attending, let Sandy Levin know.

Wonderland Road Widening

Some of you have received a notice in the mail of the first of at least two public sessions on the Wonderland Road widening the city has planned. If approved, this would take a number of years and be done in stages from Southdale Road up to Sarnia Road, making Wonderland six lanes along with bike lanes. Also being considered are one or two more new bridges next to the existing Guy Lombardo Bridge. This is to accommodate bike and pedestrian traffic as the existing bridge is not wide enough for both six lanes of cars and pedestrians and bikes. The open houses are being held on January 30 from 4 to 7 pm at the Civic Garden Complex, 625 Springbank Drive and on January 31 from 4 to 7 pm at the Bostwick Community Centre, 501 Southdale Road West.

London Transit Commission Meeting

On January 30 at 5 pm, the London Transit Commission will hold its meeting to discuss the service changes proposed by staff. The report will be available to the public at londontransit.ca by the end of the day on Friday, January 25th. It is only at that point will we know if there is a change to the service in our area. The proposed changes are city wide, not just in our area.

The meeting is open to the public, but if you want to speak at the meeting (for up to 5 minutes), you must ask for delegate status by contacting the Commission’s secretary, Caroline Roy at croy@londontransit.ca or by phone at 519-451-1340 x 335 by Wednesday January 23. You will need to send any presentation material by that date as well. Do not hesitate to contact Caroline if you have questions about the process. Councillor Squire is one of five members of the Commission who will vote on the staff recommendations.

Former Sherwood Forest School Site

The site plan for the housing has been approved by City Council. It is anticipated ground breaking will happen in early March. The February 6th meeting to discuss plans for the park portion of the site will likely be held at Orchard Park Public School in the evening. Details should be out soon.

Keep Alert

Despite the cold weather there are still prowlers about. Last night/early AM of January 20/21, there was a report of footsteps in the snow in a back yard. Seems the prowler also left a stolen Home Hardware bag and contents by a home on Bloomfield. If the bag is yours, let Sandy know and he will connect you to the person who has found it.