to: Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager
from: Butch Kisiah, Parks & Recreation Director
John Richardson, Sustainability Officer
subject: Report on Community Gardens Initiative
date: February 23, 2009
The purpose of this report is to provide information regarding a community garden proposal that has emerged as a result of the Town Council’s 2008 resolution in support of community gardens.
In September 2008, the Council adopted a resolution encouraging the Active Living by Design Committee to explore community gardening opportunities in Chapel Hill (Attachment 1). Over the last few months, the Committee has worked closely with the Parks & Recreation Department, the Office of Sustainability, and the University of North Carolina Campus Y Homeless Outreach Poverty Eradication (HOPE) organization to further the Council’s goal of exploring community gardening opportunities in Chapel Hill. Through this collaborative partnership, the Active Living by Design Committee submits a community garden proposal from Campus Y as part of an update to the overall community gardens initiative (Attachment 2).
The attached proposal (Attachments 2 through 5) calls for the establishment of a community garden on the Town-owned Carolina Sport Art property located on Homestead Road in Chapel Hill. The garden is intended to serve as a personal development tool for the homeless (i.e., skills training), as well as a traditional community garden with individual plots for community members. The Town Parks & Recreation Department is in a position to offer assistance with basic site preparation for the garden. Campus Y proposes to manage the community garden through a lease agreement with the Town. To date, Campus Y has secured approximately $1,500 for the project. The organization has applied for $20,000 of additional funding and will be notified by the granting agencies in March. Further details concerning this proposal are found in Attachments 3 through 5.
That the Council receive this report and the corresponding attachments.
1. Community Gardens Memo & Resolution 2008-09-22/R-5 (p. 3).
2. Community Garden Update from ALbD (p. 8).
3. Community Garden Proposal from Campus Y HOPE (p. 10).
4. Community Garden Strowd Grant Application Budget (p. 14).
5. Community Garden Peace Grant Application Budget (p. 15).