A bulldozer rumbled into the Beach Flats Community Garden early Thursday morning, March 24, tearing out mature fruit trees and nopales plants that city staff had earlier promised would not be touched, and damaging an already strained relationship between the City and community.

Parks workers ripped out stakes and string marking out garden plots, and moved the orange fence marking the 60/40 percent split between the garden and land to be taken over by the Seaside Company, increasing the company’s share substantially.

Interim Parks and Recreation director Mauro Garcia claimed the destruction of fruit trees and other plants was a “mistake” due to “miscommunication.” Emilio Martínez Castañeda, a long-time gardener involved in the talks with city staff, was saddened by the destruction and blatant violation of trust on the part of Garcia.

“The city is going back on their word by moving the fence and removing plots,” Don Emilio said, through a translator. “As for the fruit trees, Mauro’s asking for forgiveness, but what good is forgiveness after they’ve been destroyed?”

Despite the loss of land, fruit trees, and nopales, the Beach Flats Gardeners are committed to making the best of the 2016 planting season. The Beach Flats Garden Coalition calls upon all supporters of the garden to contact both the City of Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz Seaside Company to insist they stop the destruction of the Beach Flats Community Garden.

An Open Letter to Santa Cruz from the Gardeners | The Day the Bulldozers Came | Contact City and Seaside Company to Halt Destruction in Beach Flats Garden | Bugs in an urban jungle: What green spaces mean for ecology and community

Previous Coverage: Under Increasing Threat Of Legal Action, Beach Flats Gardeners Sign City Letters | Hundreds March for Beach Flats Community Garden | Plastic Fence Divides Beach Flats Community Garden | Call for Action to Prevent Beach Flats Community Garden Plots from Destruction