Gardeners Plea for One Year
The Red Bank Community Garden Committee is hoping borough council will compromise by allowing them to plant for one year.
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When it comes to establishing a longterm garden along the banks of the Navesink River on Red Bank-owned property, borough council just doesn't seem to have any answer other than "no" for community gardeners.
At a recent council meeting, the Red Bank Community Garden Committee again appealed - just as they did a year ago - to develop a garden on a plot of land behind the Red Bank Public Library. The appeal was rejected, though not officially yet, just as it was last time around. This year, however, gardeners are hoping the borough will consider a compromise.
While the council, led by Mayor Pat Menna, have outright rejected the idea of establishing a garden along the Navesink, gardeners are wondering if Red Bank would consider letting them plant on the highly visible and centrally located plot for just one year. The hope is that the garden will draw the attention of residents and local volunteer organizations who would then support it following its forced move after year one.
Kathleen Gasienica, a member of the American Littoral Society's board of trustees, said the community gardeners would leave the site virtually the same as they found it. The importance of the location is more than finding land suitable for growing, she said. Along the Navesink there's more visibility and accessibility for the public, including those living in several nearby high-rises. In her experience, the more visibility a garden has, the more people who get involved and support it.
"We went to be in a more urban setting for the same reason," she said. "We're asking for a little more support for this great spot. Yes, there are alternative spots that would be good, but none are as great as this one location."
The community gardeners inspected nearly 60 plots of land throughout Red Bank last year in hopes of finding a suitable one. None offer the advantages of the library site. As an alternative, garden committee member and regular council foil Cindy Burnham suggested an alternative to the library site, Marine Park.
That alternative was not well received.
"The second site involves Marine Park which we've just spend about two and a half million (restoring)," Menna said. "It's our most-used park."
Menna further added, though prior to Gasienica's compromise, that he thought it unlikely that the council would change its position on the library plot, either, saying that the answer has and will continue to be "no."
The council has objected to the location at 94 Front St., though has failed to provide an actual reason, instead telling the gardeners to pursue other locations. Some feel as though the borough doesn't want to commit to having a garden occupy a valuable piece of waterfront land.
The matter will likely appear on the agenda March 27.
Andres Simonson
7:08 am on Friday, March 16, 2012
Mayor and Council need to explain to their constituents, simply and clearly, their reasoning for the denials (remember, you passed a resolution supporting a garden). As explained first hand to me, initially it was a water connection issue. When that issue was resolved by the volunteers, it all of sudden morphed into a handicap accessibility issue. When that objection was explained away, well, I was met with silence. And, because this is the only recent objection I've heard, sorry and with due respect, but "because I said so" is reasoning best saved for dealing with those under the age of ten.
Jennifer Woods
10:06 am on Friday, March 16, 2012
t's funny how you liken the council to 10 year olds. What about the gardeners? They're no better. With their "We're going to hold our breaths until we turn blue unless you give us the plot of land at the library."
Move on from Marine Park & the library & work out a reasonable offer for the other 58 properties.
Andres Simonson
11:59 am on Friday, March 16, 2012
Jennifer,
I'm not likening the Council to juveniles, I work with many of them on volunteer endeavors, I can vouch that they’re very capable adults. I simply challenged them, calling that specific argument immature.
Maybe you’re right and the answer will be to move on. But, that’s the point, can’t tell right now. So, I would not recommend rolling over without asking for an explanation. Is that really unreasonable? Saying "no" to end the discussion is not what I want to hear from leadership.
As a happy recap, here's where we are: Council approves a garden, in theory, via resolution. A group of volunteers completes pretty thorough due diligence on several sites, with notes about each site. All signs point to one ideal lot, but two compromises are acknowledged. Not one citizen that I know of has been vocal against the prime sites (maybe just indifferent or cynical on the topic in general). So, we have a group pro, but none specifically anti. Based on that (admittedly unscientific) sample, if it went to referendum, it would pass. Yet, the Council disapproves, providing explanations that are later addressed and remedied. Still, all signs point to the Council holding fast on “no.” How, on this particular topic, is that representation?
BTW: good turn of my analogy, “We're going to hold our breaths until we turn blue...” got a chuckle from that one...
Rob Meyer
12:16 pm on Friday, March 16, 2012
I don't think it's ridiculous to ask for a reasonable explanation of why not behind the library or marine park. Further, "it's our most used park" sound like a great reason to have a garden there, not the other way around!! As was stated in the article, the more public the site, the more people will be interested. The spot being considered in marine park is completely unused. It's not big enough to have any sort of sports activities, and there are no benches there, so as of right now, it's the least used part of the most used park. Putting a garden there would fix this problem.
Cindy Burnham
4:39 pm on Friday, March 16, 2012
It is absolutely insane that the Red Bank Council promotes the "Mayors Wellness Campaign", has speakers tell the public how important healthy eating is and how we need to eat more fresh fruits & veggies and then denies the alternate location of a Community Garden.