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The New York City
Garden Preservation Coalition
Document written: 1/97
What is the New York City Garden Preservation Coalition?
The New York City Garden Preservation Coalition is a network of gardeners, community members, local schools, religious institutions, community centers and organizations working together to preserve the network of community gardens in New York City. The Lower East Side Garden Preservation Coalition was founded in November 1994, to explore the possibility of forming a Land Trust and other preservation options, such as Permanent Site Status. In December of 1996, we reached out to gardeners throughout the city, including: Harlem, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and the Upper West Side of Manhattan, all communities facing the threat of destruction to their gardens, and formed the New York City Garden Preservation Coalition.
Due
The New York City Garden
Preservation Coalition as a unified voice of diverse gardens and people with
various approaches to preserving the gardens, provides the necessary powerful
constituency of thousands of people that is needed to preserve the gardens
and the ecological and cultural heritage of the neighborhood.
What is a Land Trust?
A non-profit organization of community representatives legally empowered to
act on behalf of the community, to campaign for the transfer of lands to the
Land Trust, for permanent protection and preservation as natural open spaces.
The Land Trust while legally protecting and insuring that the land will
forever remain as a community garden, allows each garden to have its own
garden life and rules, in which the Land Trust has no jurisdiction and does
not interfere. Since the City owns the land and will not hand over the land
to individuals, the Land Trust offers a legal and non-profit mechanism by which
the community can truly protect the land and its specified use as a garden
forever. There are examples of successful Land Trusts formed to protect
community gardens in Boston and Philadelphia.
What is permanent site status?
Permanent Site Status provides an officially designated status of protection
under the Parks Department. However, this designated status can be revoked
should development become a priority. As the 6th & B Garden received
Permanent Site Status in May 1996, this may prove to be a viable and easier
option. Trust For Public Land can answer questions at (212) 677-7171.
Why a Land Trust and Permanent Site Status?
It is a fact that many of the gardens are currently threatened by development
plans. 9th & C, 10th BC and Green Oasis gardens all are on a list for
proposed housing sites, ABC garden was destroyed for a development project in
January 1996, and leases now clearly state that they can only remain on the
site until a development project begins construction.
As
the entire neighborhood is targeted for development projects, some that would displace the
low-income community, and would destroy the peace, tranquility, a vital open
space that is necessary for a livable community, a Land Trust, among other
options such as Permanent Site and Parks Department status, are solutions to
save the gardens permanently.
Since
November 1994, The New York City Garden Preservation Coalition has been
working on this proposal, a collaborative effort of hundreds of gardeners and
over 5,000 thousand community supporters. The full land trust proposal
includes photos, history and information of these locations, as well as a
video tape.
These
gardens provide an invaluable natural, as well as cultural resource, for
thousands of people in the community, including: needed open space, fresh
air, trees, and flowers; outdoor environmental and gardening classes for
school children; multi-cultural centers, featuring theater, music, arts
programs, public festivals and events; inter-faith churches for religious ceremonies, weddings and funerals;
healing centers for seniors, the handicapped, and those dying of AIDS; and a
place to grow vegetables, needed food supplements for many people.
The
gardens have also removed the drug dealers from these former untended vacant
lots, removed sites of toxic waste dumping, reduced crime by attracting
children on the streets and engaging them in a positive life affirming
activity, and relieved tensions that exist between the diverse cultural and
special interest groups by
uniting people through nature to get to know one another and discover their
common interests and goals.
As
The New York City Administration Further Slashes The Budget For Social
Services, Why Destroy The Gardens That Are Providing Millions Of Dollars
Worth Of Social Services To The Community For Free?
The
gardens have thousands of supporters in the community who believe that the
gardens' environmental, social, and cultural positive impact for the past 25
years in the community can not
be destroyed. To destroy these ecological treasures, would only ruin
the quality of life and value of the neighborhood for everyone. In addition,
open space only increases the value of surrounding real estate, so for real
estate developers and city planners not to recognize the value of what already
exists is short-sighted.
The
magnificent New York City Gardens are an ecological landmark, recognized
world-wide. They contribute not only to the health, well-being, peace, and beauty of the community,
but also contribute to the economic prosperity and value of the neighborhood.
The New York City Garden Land Trust and other preservation options offers the
community a resource that benefits the rehabilitation of th entire
neighborhood, that can truly serve the people by protecting their quality of
life they have strived to create over the past 20 years, the value of the
neighborhood, and an exemplary city model of ecological balance for the 21st century.
NEW YORK CITY COALITION FOR THE
PRESERVATION OF GARDENS MEMBERS & ENDORSERS:
CITY-WIDE GARDEN NETWORKS
New York City Garden Preservation Coalition, Manhattan (includes over 50
gardens)
Dome Garden, Upper West Side, Manhattan
La Perla Garden, Upper West Side, Manhattan
Pegassus Garden, Upper West Side, Manhattan
104th Street Garden, Upper West Side , Manhattan
Project Harmony, Harlem, Manhattan
Circle of Hope Garden, Park Slope, Brooklyn
Mermaid Garden, Coney Island, Brooklyn
The Dug Out, Coney Island, Brooklyn
Bears Garden, Brooklyn
Childrens Garden of Eden, Coney Island, Brooklyn
Cherry Tree Association, South Bronx
Following organizations are members, supporters, and endorsers of the New
York City Garden Preservation Coalition
COMMUNITY CENTERS/BLOCK ASSOCIATIONS
Learning Alliance
Challenge For Those Who Dare
Henry Street Settlement
Lower East Side Anti-Displacement Project
600BC East 9th Street Block Association
6th Street Community Center
5th Street Block Association
Sirovich Senior Center
Immigrant Rights Association
SCHOOLS
PS61 Elementary School
PS 64 Elementary School
Children's Workshop School
The Earth School
Little Mission Day Care
Lower East Side School
ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
Trust for Public Land (Technical Assistance)
Global Education Associates
Greenpeace
Save the Animals/Save the Earth
Wetlands Preserve
Lawyers Alliance (Technical Assistance)
CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS
Theater For The New City
Open Center
Collective Unconscious
Gargoyle Mechanique
Hit and Run Theater
9th Street Theater
R.A.P. Studios
Little Molasses Theater Company
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
East 7th Street Baptist Ministry
Evangelical Christian Church
Middle Collegiate Church After-School Program
Park Slope United Methodist Church
Russian Orthodox Cathedral
St. Brigid's Church & School
Trinity Lower East Side Lutheran Parish
Jews For Racial and Economic Justice
8th Street Shul
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New
York City Community Gardens
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