For as long as residents in London's Westmount neighbourhood can remember, there were two ways to access Lynngate Grove Park.

One was a public walkway off Lynngate Grove, a small cul-de-sac just east of the small park in the subdivision west of Wonderland Road.

The more common access point was through the parking lot of a convenience store located at 699 Village Green Ave.

This barbed-wire fence appeared last spring between the parking lot of 699 Village Green Ave. and Lynngate Grove Park. Residents used the parking lot to access the park and some aren't happy about the fence. A city report, however, says the fence doesn't violate city bylaws because there is no easement on the property to legally allow pedestrians access to the park. (Andrew Lupton/CBC)

Then last spring, a seven-foot tall fence topped with barbed wire was erected along the property line between the park and the parking lot of 699 Village Green Ave. The property had sold, the variety store was closed and the new owner, Mapleton Homes, began to renovate the property for use as their office space.

About the time the fence went up, city crews removed a concrete path that ran from the park's play structure to the edge of the parking lot at 699 Village Green Ave. The path was built when the play structure was added to the small park back in 2000.

Lynngate Grove Park includes a small play structure and green space. (Andrew Lupton/CBC)

Now the landowner has applied for a zoning bylaw amendment that if approved, will expand the allowable uses of the property to include a medical or dental office, a wellness centre or studio.

Kyle Shack has lived on Village Green Avenue for years. He and many of his neighbours aren't happy the fence has restricted access to the park.

"It was really great for anyone who lives on this side of Village Green to be able to access the park from that way," said Shack. "With that fence being there now, it's forcing everyone to walk all the way around. A lot of people walk by and say 'Hey, how to we get into the park now?'"

Mapleton Homes president Albert Scarpelli did not respond to calls for comment from CBC News.

No easement means fence is legal, report says

According to city staff, the landowner was within his rights to build the fence because there was never an easement on the property to provide legal access to the park.

Here's how it's explained in a city staff report:

"While the previous owner allowed informal public access to Lynngate Grove Park over their private lanes, it was never formally established through an easement. Without an easement, there is no legal mechanism to obligate the new owner to continue permitting public access. As such, they are within their right to construct a fence provided it is in compliance with the city's fence by-law. As the site is currently zoned commercial and the barbed wire projects inward to the property the fence is in compliance with the fence bylaw."

The lighter-coloured grass shows wHere a concrete path once ran from the playground to the parking lot of 699 Village Green Ave. City crews removed the path after the landowner put up a fence on the property line in early 2019. ( )

The landowner's application is on the agenda of Monday's planning committee meeting.

Notices about it were sent to neighbours, five responded with concerns about the barbed-wire fence.

"This property owner has proven to be an unfriendly addition to our neighourhood. They installed barbed wire along the property and closed the entrance to a long-time family-used park," wrote Lynngate Place resident Janice Richmond. "Now they seek neighbourhood approval for something?! How galling. Once the barbed wire is removed, perhaps I will consider."

Kyle Shack lives across the street from the park entrance and says he's no fan of the fence that blocks access to Lynngate Grove Park from Village Green Avenue. 'The fence is a bit much for this area, with the barbed wire, it doesn't give a community feel.' (Andrew Lupton/CBC)

Lionel Mendes has lived in the area for five years. His son learned to ride his bike on the park's now-removed section of pedestrian path.

"The fence has basically rendered the park useless for the west side of the neighbourhood, because no one is going to walk the whole way around," he said.

Mapleton Homes is applying for a zoning amendment to allow for more permitted uses on the property. (Andrew Lupton/CBC News)

Mendes says the industrial-looking barbed-wire fence is a poor fit in what he says is a quiet, family oriented neighbourhood.

"They didn't just put up a fence, they put up a seven-foot tall fence with barbed wire on top.We don't think it's the right image for our neighbourhood," he said.

Councillor hopes for compromise

Ward 10 Coun. Paul Van Meerbergen said over the years, people became accustomed to walking through the parking lot to get to the park. Access between the two properties benefited everyone, including the variety store owners.

But he said a few incidents of vandalism happened while Mapleton was renovating the property and the fence was suddenly installed.

"There's a lot of emotion here," said Van Meerbergen. "And it was a shock when the fence went up. We all took it for granted that was the way to access the park."

Van Meerbergen said he's met with the property owner and hopes a compromise can be worked out.

"I'm trying to bring people together and work something out that everyone can be happy with," he said.

The zoning application is scheduled for a public participation meeting at Monday's planning committee meeting, sometime after 4 p.m.