Just Some Land To Call Their Own

Some gardeners are already starting their seeds in hopes of a bountiful Spring crop, but the supporters of a community garden in Corte Madera are still looking for fertile ground.

Their initial hopes of building a community garden in Town Park near Neil Cummins School have been blocked so far. The garden might still end up in Town Park, though, in an effort to reach some common ground.

Supporters have proposed a new site in the park, behind the Park Madera shopping center, which is owned by the Town. The shopping center is already undergoing some changes to welcome a proposed cafe.

Designs for the original site called for 80 individual plots, a shared orchard space, a tool shed and compost bins. The new site is larger and could accommodate up to 90 plots. It does have its problems, though, including the fact that it slopes into a drainage ditch.

Not everyone is happy with the new proposal, but there is hope that the garden will be established soon. One supporter said it will involve a lot of hard work to remove the trees and bushes and kill any rats that been nesting on the site, but that "we'll be fine."

The group's proposal will likely next be considered during a public workshop.

"The issues are about finding right spot. The original one was close to the wetlands, which are too sensitive. This one is underutilized. I hope that it might go through," Corte Madera Mayor Bob Ravasio said. "The other issue that we haven't resolved yet is what does it mean if we have a private entity on public land. What does that mean for the town? We'll have to talk with the Town's attorney about that."

The Corte Madera Community Garden Group had considered sites on San Clemente Drive and in the Porter Cooley area, but found there was no real support for a garden in those neighborhoods.

The initial proposal for a 8,500-square foot garden near a pond in Town Park was opposed by groups who wanted to make sure the park didn't lose any of its open field space and by environmental groups eager to protect the birds that call the wetlands home. Some neighbors expressed concern over how the garden would look during the fallow season and whether it would attract crime, including vandalism and break-ins. Some folks were more concerned over letting a private non-profit entity take control of public land.