Woodstock’s mayor says a fence may be a solution for a family who say as many as 80 College Avenue high schoolers at a time fight, smoke, vape, litter and destroy grass on their corner lot opposite the school.
“(Thames Valley) school board offered some money, but we have not received anything formal yet, so we’re waiting on that,” Mayor Jerry Acchione said. “Then we bring it to council to see if there is any assistance we can get.”
Acchione’s comments followed a Free Press story documenting the damage and harassment Kim Wood has experienced in the last four years.
Wood, who owns a College Avenue triplex, said students have been congregating on a combination of her property and land owned by the city for four years after smoking was banned on school property.
She said has repeatedly asked for help from the Thames Valley board, Woodstock police and city for several years, but nothing concrete has been done to help.
But the city hasn’t had a formal request to install a fence on the property, Acchione said. “We have been waiting for a request from the school board.”
Height restrictions and the location of the property on a corner will restrict the city’s options, he said. “That’s the complicated part.”
Wood said students, who call the property “the pit,” have threatened her and given her “the evil eye” when she uses her front yard.
But Wood, who admitted spraying students with a sprinkler a few weeks ago, said: “Enough is enough.”
Her adult son, Jamie Wood, said his parents also faced threats and harassment, ”including an attempt to kick down the front door of (their) home in the middle of the night.
“My family receives no information on whether any steps are being taken to address the situation and the lack of action is profoundly affecting my parents, who are nearing retirement,” he said.
The school board “has lost control over its students,” he said.
“The lack of co-ordination between the Thames Valley District school board and the police is alarming,” he said. “The city claims to be concerned, but no concrete steps have been taken to remedy the situation.”
Woodstock police are working with the school, city and homeowner to “come up with a resolution,” Insp. Jamie Taylor said. “Right now, we are trying to gather as much information (as possible) and come up with a solution.”
Thames Valley superintendent Dennis Wright, whose portfolio includes College Avenue, said the school is “trying to be a good neighbour.”
On Wednesday, College Avenue students applied new dirt and reseeded trampled areas of the property, he said.
“We continually go out and pick up garbage,” he said. “Our intent here is to maintain the peace and be a good neighbour.”
But the board “can’t prevent students from going where they want to on their own time,” Wright said.