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.