Thursday, August 5, 2010

COMMUNITY GARDENS PUBLIC HEARING

Public Hearing on Community Gardens
Tuesday, August 10th, 11:00 a.m.

The Flatbush Gardener has posted a report and a slide show from the rally and press conference held yesterday on the steps of City Hall to protest the proposed changes in an agreement that protects community gardens. A New York Times editorial says
The new rules talk mostly about transferring gardens — making them available for sale or development — and they remove the section of the 2002 agreement that creates a process for offering gardens to the city. In short, critical safeguards vanish for unprotected community gardens — those not owned by a land trust or the parks department.
The public hearing will be held at the Chelsea Recreation Center at 430 West 25th Street (between 9th and 10th avenues) in Manhattan.

Full details about the proposed changes and how you can help (phone calls, e-mail, letters) if you can't attend the rally are on the New York City Community Garden Coalition's website.