Annual General Meeting – June 3, 2010

The Annual General Meeting of the Orchard Park Sherwood Forest Ratepayers Group will take place on June 3, 2010 at 7 pm at St. Thomas More School.

Councillor Nancy Branscombe will join us to help update the neighbourhood.

Glen Matthews will attend to update us on student housing issues.

Jeff Fielding, the City’s Chief Administrative Officer has also been invited.

Among the current issues facing the neighborhood:

Proposed closing of Sherwood Forest Public Schoo: The public school board has proposed closing Sherwood Forest Public School. If the school is closed, which could be as early as 2012, the future of the school buildings and property is unknown; they could be sold and the land use changed.

If the school must close, we can urge the Board to hold on to the property, finding uses for it that will not change the fabric of our neighbourhood. Right now, the City’s proposed Great Near Campus Neighbourhoods’ Strategy is stalled. Current land use rules provide a new owner with a great deal of flexibility in what could be built on the site.

Medway Valley: The City continues to propose building an access road and bridge for pedestrians and maintenance vehicles over the Medway River. City Council has placed a moratorium on paved, multi-use pathways in all Environmentally Significant Areas. Please contact Councillor Nancy Branscombe for more information.

Overnight street parking: City council has voted to allow over night, on-street parking from Victoria Day to Labour Day. The vote is subject to final approval in May. It includes a caveat that some streets could be exempt. If you do not want on-street parking this summer, contact Councillor Branscombe at nancy@nanbran.com or 519-432-1100.

Update on Sherwood Forest School

The London Free Press featured a story on the proposed closing of Sherwood Forest school.

The next meeting of the Sherwood Forest Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) is Wednesday May 5th at 7:00 p.m. at Orchard Park elementary school.

Jane’s Walk London – Medway Valley walk

Jane’s Walk will be taking place in London on May 2, 2010.

Jane’s Walk is a series of free neighbourhood walking tours that helps put people in touch with their environment and with each other, by bridging social and geographic gaps and creating a space for cities to discover themselves.

As part of the event, there will be walk in the Medway Valley Heritage Forest.

Starting location: Entrance to Medway Valley next to the Precious Blood Monastery, Ramsey Road and Kininvie Drive

Date: Sunday, May 2, 2010

Time: 2:00 pm

Duration: 45 to 60 minutes

For more information on Jane’s Walk London, including descriptions of the other walks taking place, see http://janeswalklondon.com/

Upcoming ARC meetings

Upcoming meeting dates for the Sherwood Forest Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) are:

  • Wednesday May 5th at Orchard Park
  • Wednesday June 9th at University Heights
  • Wednesday Sept 8th at Sherwood
  • Wednesday Oct 13 – location TBA

The ARC is dealing with the Board’s recommendation to close Sherwood Forest Public School.

You can keep up to date about the ARC at http://www.tvdsb.ca/board.cfm?subpage=102817

Members of the community are invited to speak at the ARC meetings. The ARC Public Consultation Form is available at http://www.tvdsb.ca/files/89379/ARC%20Public%20Consultation%20Form.pdf. This form must be submitted to the Board not less than 8 days ahead of the meeting.

Sherwood Forest ARC Organizational Meeting March 30, 2010

The Sherwood Forest ARC has scheduled its organizational meeting for March 30, 2010.

The ARC will be dealing with the Board’s recommendation to close Sherwood Forest Public School.

If the school closes, which could be as soon as 2012, the future of the school buildings and surrounding property is up in the air. At this point, it is unclear as to what would happen to the property if the Board decides to sell it. It would, at a minimum, require a rezoning before any change in use is possible. Rezoning is a public process before the City of London.

Although this meeting is open to the public, there are no delegations. Future meetings will permit the public to speak. You can keep up to date about the ARC at http://www.tvdsb.ca/board.cfm?subpage=102817

Councillor Nancy Branscombe was appointed by City Council to serve on this Committee. Unfortunately, members of the Committee were not asked to provide options for meeting dates, and she cannot attend on the 30th. However, her assistant will be in attendance.

SHERWOOD FOREST ARC
ORCHARD PARK, SHERWOOD FOREST AND UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Date: 2010 MARCH 30
Location: SHERWOOD FOREST PUBLIC SCHOOL
7 Annadale Drive, London, ON
Time: Tour of Facility: 6:45 p.m.
Meeting to Convene: 7:00 p.m.