March to City Hall to Support Beach Flats Community Garden

The proposal, the only one on the evening agenda, is "Beach Flats Garden--Permanent Site" It includes, according to the Council agenda :

Motion directing the Mayor to write a letter requesting a lease renewal for the Beach Flats Garden property while the City of Santa Cruz, the community and the property owner work towards a long-term solution, and by doing so establish a commitment on the part of the City for a permanent community garden in the Beach Flats Neighborhood.

Motion directing staff to: (1) negotiate with the goal of acquisition of the current Beach Flats Garden property to allow it to continue permanently as a community garden operated by the City; (2) consider a variety of purchase options and funding sources to include the City’s Public Trust Fund, Community Development Block Grant Funds, State and Federal Park Funds and private funding; and, (3) report back to the City Council on progress in six months.

The staff report can be found by going to http://scsire.cityofsantacruz.com/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=683&doctype=AGENDA and then to Item 1 on the 7 PM Agenda. Click on Supporting Materials on the right of the screen. A lot of correspondence is also there--pro and con--which I find quite educational.

Freedom Sleepers and HUFF support the preservation of the Community Garden. I personally, think less commercial and more community space is what's called for down there--by direct action if that seems to be the only way get it. The Seaside Company's Beach Boardwalk has been getting fat perks from the City for too many years and is operating, as far as I'm concerned (its Tidelands parking lot for instance) on stolen space.