Sherwood Park Minute: Traffic Circle, Beer Collab, and Neighbourhood Rezoning Defeated

Sherwood Park Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Sherwood Park politics

This Week In Sherwood Park:

• The Priorities Committee will meet on Tuesday at 9:00 am. The Committee will hear a report from the Strathcona Food Bank on the level of food insecurity within Strathcona County, as well as a report from the Greater Edmonton Animal Rescue Society on the cat shelter pilot project. Also on the agenda is a s​​ummary of the 2024 municipal census and an overview of the proposed modernization of the Agricultural Service Board.
  
  
• The Indigenous Advisory Committee and local Indigenous community members are inviting residents to enjoy tea and bannock on September 24th, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at the Community Centre. This event is open to all ages, and participants can drop in or stay for the entire duration.
  
  
• Manual Labour Beer Co. is teaming up with the local Japanese restaurant Kobachi to release a special edition beer - Kobachi Japanese lager. This collaboration, inspired by the province-wide campaign The League of Extraordinary Lagers, aims to complement Kobachi's cuisine. The new lager is a light, citrus-infused brew featuring tropical fruit and vanilla notes, designed to pair perfectly with Japanese dishes. Available until October 9th, the beer showcases the flavours of Japanese cuisine and highlights the growing trend of local business partnerships in Sherwood Park.

Last Week In Sherwood Park:

• Council decided to forego major redesigns of the Sherwood Drive and Broadmoor Boulevard Traffic Circle, opting instead for minimal rehabilitation and maintenance. Council's new approach, proposed by Ward 1 Councillor Robert Parks, reduces the project's budget from $6 million to $1.26 million. The chosen plan involves basic repairs like asphalt milling and paving to extend the traffic circle’s lifespan by 10 to 15 years. Although the traffic circle, built in 1977, remains a high-collision area, the focus will now be on incremental improvements and additional signage to encourage safer driving behaviours.
  
  
• A proposal to rezone 118 Cypress Drive from R1 Single Family Residential to R2 Low Density Residential was defeated by a tie vote, following opposition from local residents. The residents argued that the rezoning would negatively impact the neighbourhood. Despite Administration's recommendation to approve the rezoning, citing alignment with City plans and current bylaws, Council members expressed concerns about setting a precedent and altering the established zoning.
  
  
• Elk Island Public Schools kicked off the construction of a new K-9 school in Sherwood Park with a groundbreaking ceremony. The $53 million facility, located on Fir Street, will replace École Campbelltown and Sherwood Heights Junior High, and is expected to open in fall 2026. The new school will accommodate 1,015 students and feature a three-storey building, two gymnasiums, and specialized spaces for arts, sciences, and physical education.