Category: Sarnia Road Widening project

Early Spring News

Happy Spring everyone. Spring has sprung with a bloom of public meetings.

Public Information Meeting for the Great Near Campus Neighbourhoods Strategy Review Draft Terms of Reference

The City of London will be hosting a Public Information Meeting to introduce and seek the public’s comments on its initial DRAFT Terms of Reference for a review of the Great Near Campus Neighbourhoods Strategy.

Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: 300 Dufferin Avenue, City Hall, 2nd Floor, Committee Room #3

Click here for more information.

Please contact Justin Adema at (519) 661-2500 ext. 4649, or email jadema@london.ca for further details about the Public Information Meeting or if you want to provide comments directly.

Notice of Public Information Centre #2 – Municipal Class Environmental Assessment – Western Road/Wharncliffe Road North Widening from Platts Lane to Oxford Street

The City of London is undertaking a Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) to identify a strategy for the necessary transportation infrastructure requirements along Western Road and Wharncliffe Road North, from Platts Lane to Oxford Street.

The second Public Information Centre (PIC) is scheduled for Wednesday April 1, 2015 at Kinsmen Recreation Centre, 20 Granville Street from 5:00pm – 8:00pm.

This meeting will be an open house format with no formal presentation being made. Information presented will include design alternatives to address the preferred planning solution, an overview of the related advantages and disadvantages of each alternative, and the selection of the recommended design.

If you wish to obtain additional information about the study, be included on the study mailing list, or provide input, please contact Ted Koza, City of London, Tel: 519-661-2500 Ext. 5806, Email: tkoza@london.ca or Peter McAllister, AECOM Canada Ltd., Tel: 519-963-5865 Email: peter.mcallister@aecom.com

Additional information including the slides from the first public meeting in June  is available on the City of London website.

Meeting with London transit on its service review

The current bus routes and service review will identify improvements to the system. The LTC is inviting everyone to drop in sessions to hear about the proposed changes. The drop in sessions will be held at two times on April 8th. Both sessions will be at Goodwill Industries, 255 Horton Street East (just west of Wellington) from 2 to 4 pm and from 6 to 8 pm.

Community Mailboxes

Canada Post will have notified you by now if a Community Mailbox (CMB) will be located on the road allowance next to your house. There will be about 30 in the area, each containing about 30 boxes, given we have about 900 households in the area.

Canada Post advises if anyone has been notified because a site is going next to their property, you certainly still have a chance to voice a concern. You should call the customer contact centre as soon as possible and ask to speak to a supervisor regarding the site. Someone will get back to you. If you haven’t been contacted again after calling the centre, please contact Sandy Levin and he’ll pass along this information to the staff member who is in charge of this initiative. The call centre number is 1-844-454-3009.

Seniors and those with mobility difficulties can call the call centre number now to discuss Canada Post’s accommodation program. Seniors and persons with mobility issues in getting to the CMB will be able to speak to someone directly about your concern, and if you choose to, you can begin a request for accommodation.

Canada Post is not yet ready to send out location letters to everyone because its initial suggested locations are still under review as part of its process. Once the locations are finalized, Canada Post will let all affected residents know the CMB location by letter.

Western Road and Sarnia Road Improvements

This is another road project assessment that has started. Notices of public information meetings for this project will be posted at: http://www.london.ca/residents/Environment/EAs/Pages/Western-Road-and-Sarnia-Road-and-Philip-Aziz-Avenue.aspx

Sherwood Forest Branch Library Events

Celebrating Seniors, April 8 from 2 to 3 pm. There will be a presentation by the Canadian Hearing Society on “hearing Loss and Communication Issues.”

The Lego Creation Station is held the first Saturday of every month starting in May, from 2:30 to 3: 30 pm.

December News

Many items in the news —

COMMUNITY MEETING

A Community meeting will be held in late January to update you on the Sherwood Forest School Site and the Medway Valley Environmentally Significant Area Conservation Master Plan. Look for an e-mail and flyer in your mailbox early in January

SHERWOOD FOREST SCHOOL SITE UPDATE

The Executive and School Site Committee have continued working to see if there is a way to retain at least some park land at the Sherwood Forest School site. The deadline for the public bodies, including the City and the other school boards, to make an offer to the Thames Valley District School Board is December 22. If no offers are received, the TVDSB then has a process to solicit sealed bids for the site. This will occur early in the new year. Any new purchaser at that point would have to apply to the City for a rezoning to the property. However, there would be no requirement for them to retain any green space. There would be a public process for any change in land use. Stay tuned.

ADOPT an ESA (Environmentally Significant Area)

The city has asked for community groups like ours to sponsor an ESA. Naturally for us this would mean the Medway Valley Heritage Forest. The projects suggested would include buckthorn busting, litter clear up (thankfully not a big problem in our area), tree planting (which we have done successfully). The action item is if there is someone in the area who is willing to lead, particularly in ensuring we meet the requirements of the program. Have a look at the program guide.

After you have had a chance to look it over, please let Sandy know if you are interested in taking on the lead in organizing events and reporting back to the city or in helping to form a working group to take this on. The plan is to discuss this program at the upcoming January meeting.

DO YOU HAVE A COPY OF “ORCHARD PARK THROUGH THE AGES”?

“Orchard Park Through the Ages” was a publication prepared by Orchard Park Public School as a 25th anniversary project about 25 years ago. Dyanne Wheatley is looking for a copy. If you can help her, write her at (dywheatley1787@rogers.com)

RENTAL LICENSING – an easy way to look up if a house is licensed to have renters

Recently a rental look up became available through the City’s website. It actually includes more than rental information. Click here for the site, but if it does not work just go to the City’s website and key in rental units, then click on PROPERTY INQUIRY SYSTEM and go from there.

MEDWAY SENIORS’ EVENT

WHEN: Wednesday, December 11th from 2 to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Sherwood Library
WHAT: “Christmas Social and Celebration of Holiday Traditions”

Please join us to share. We plan to share some readings, holiday trivia, music and good cheer.

This event is free with no registration required. Bring a friend! For more information, call 519-473-9965.

GRANNY SUITES / SECONDARY DWELLING UNITS

The Planning Act, through changes made by Bill 140 Strong Communities through Affordable Housing Act, 2011, requires municipalities to update their Official Plan policies and regulations related to secondary dwelling units.

The City of London Official Plan currently provides for secondary dwelling units within single and semi-detached dwellings subject to conditions. Now with changes made by Strong Communities through Affordable Housing Act, 2011, the Official Plan must include polices for secondary dwelling units as-of-right within townhouse and accessory structures in addition to single and semi-detached dwellings.

City Staff proposed our area as one of the Great Near Campus Neighbourhoods, be excluded as it is contrary to the effort to halt the proliferation of rental properties. This is because there is no easy way to police if a granny suite is for a family member or just a rental unit. However, Council referred this matter back to staff for further consultation. Sandy has been in touch with the city’s planning staff to arrange a meeting for the Executive prior to staff reporting back to City Council.

You can find the staff report as item #14 at this link:
http://sire.london.ca/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=591&doctype=AGENDA

SARNIA ROAD WIDENING

In the recently tabled City 10-year capital plan, city staff are now estimating budget approval for this project in 2020.

October News

Sherwood Forest School Site Update

The Thames Valley District School Board is moving ahead with the provincially mandated 90 day period of asking other public bodies (the other school boards, the city, the University, etc) if they are interested in buying the site. The city has told us it will not be buying the site for parkland or community use, and cannot (under the Municipal Act) buy it for a private use, be it a school, church or business. If none of the public bodies step up, the TVDSB begins a sealed bid process. Whether or not the TVDSB will vary the process is up to the Trustees.

If the site is sold to a private interest, any change in use of the site from a publicly funded school will require a rezoning. As this is a public process, residents within a 120 m of the site will be notified by mail, a sign will be posted on the site and the Ratepayer’s Association notified. It is only then will we have some idea of what will happen to the site.

Sarnia Road Widening

The city’s preliminary 20 year transportation plan now calls for the widening of Sarnia from Wonderland to Sleightholme to start in 2016. Keep in mind, this is preliminary and not yet part of the city’s capital budget. More information will be forthcoming once the city budget is tabled later in the year.

Medway Seniors Series for October

WHEN: Wednesday, October 9th from 2 to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Sherwood Library
WHAT: “Lets Talk About Books”

Please join us for this interesting and informative session. This event is free with no registration required. Bring a friend!
For more information, call 519-473-9965.
REMINDERS

Catch Basins Clear?

With fall, comes the fall of leaves. They can block catch basins and in storm, water can back up into the streets or garages. If you have a catch basin near your home, please try to keep it clear.

Keep the Medway Valley Heritage Forest Special?

This time of year, the Valley really shows off. When you are out enjoying the display of colour, please remember to stay on the trails. Dogs and people off trail can cause disturbances to the plants and animals that make their homes in the Valley. Please also remember that bike riding is only permitted in the loop between the Longbow and Doncaster Gate entrances.

Information from AGM

Thanks to all who came out for the ratepayers’ Annual General Meeting on Wednesday night. Great turnout – approximately 175 people.

Here are a number of items from the meeting:

  • Heather Chapman from the City of London’s Municipal Law Enforcement Services gave a presentation.
  • A general concern of the neighborhood is the increasing number of houses rented to students, and the potential impact on the neighborhood. Here is a map of houses in Orchard Park/Sherwood Forest currently rented to students. If you have updates or additions for the map, contact Sandy Levin.
  • Updates on the widening of Sarnia Road, Medway Valley, and a rezoning request for a property on Sarnia Rd.
  • Update from the Steering Committee regarding the Sherwood Forest School Site.

Following the update on the school site, a survey was distributed to get a sense of the community’s preferences regarding future directions. If you were not able to attend the meeting and wish to submit a survey, please complete the form and send to Sandy Levin, 59 Longbow Rd (or email to Sandy at s.levin@sympatico.ca ).

April updates

MEDWAY VALLEY HERITAGE FOREST

There will be a public information session in mid June on the work to date on the Conservation Master Plan update for the Valley.   This session will invite residents on both sides of the Valley.  It will also lead to trail planning for the Valley as well as whether or not a Creek crossing and more pavement will be put into this Environmentally Significant Area.  There will be pressure from the neighbourhood association on the east side of the Valley as it supported the paving of the Valley south of Sunningdale Road as well.  

260 SARNIA ROAD

The owner of this property, a single family house currently used as a duplex, asked the City to re-zone the site to permit a 4-plex.   The city rejected the re-zoning, and the owner appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) which took place this past week.  Sandy Levin spoke at the hearing on behalf of the Ratepayers, regarding spot re-zoning and precedence (which were raised in the hearing as well).  The homeowner immediately to the south also spoke.  The decision will be available in about 4-6 weeks (it is a written decision with reasons).

What was very interesting to learn was that zoning to permit a 4-plex is permissible within the Low Density Residential (LDR) designation in the city’s Official Plan (our area is designated LDR).  Although the City’s Great Near Campus Neighbourhoods (GNCN) policy directs such development to arterial roads, it is conceivable that a new owner of the Sherwood Forest site could apply for up to 4-plex zoning.  Other permitted uses in the LDR include duplexes as well as stacked townhouses.  The number of bedrooms in each unit would be limited to 3 under GNCN, but GNCN has been appealed to the OMB as well.  (This hearing starts on June 10th at 11:30 am at City Hall).  The limit on the number of bedrooms is one of the aspects of the GNCN that is being challenged.

 SARNIA ROAD WIDENING

 Sarnia Road west of Wonderland will be widened to 4 lanes this year.  Widening the section of road east of Wonderland to Sleightholme is still in the city’s capital plan, but not imminent (2022).   The city’s capital plan is reviewed annually.  A report from city staff to city council’s Civic Works Committee regarding the project is available.  The Environmental Assessment which is required for any work to be completed shows the alignment of the widened roadway.  This document will also will be available for viewing at the Sherwood Forest branch of the library.  A request for a Part 2 order asking the Province to consider an individual environmental assessment can be made within 30 days of the filling.

RETHINK LONDON

This City process for developing its new land use plan continues.  There will be discussion papers posted this week for review and comment.  You are encouraged to take part as this exercise will lead to how the city grows and how existing neighbourhoods like ours are impacted.  Go to www.rethinklondon.ca for more information.