NEW YORK—A public hearing was held at the Chelsea Recreation Center on Tuesday to discuss new regulations proposed for community gardens.
The new rules are set to take effect Sept. 17, after the current agreement, which was settled upon by Mayor Bloomberg and then-Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in 2002, expires.
The New York City Community Garden Coalition (NYCCGC), a nonprofit organization founded in 1998 for the preservation of community gardens in the city, stated that the new regulations do not offer the same type of protection from real estate development as does the 2002 agreement. They are calling for the continuation of the 2002 agreement, which stipulated that “all gardens are for preservation as community gardens.”
Nearly 80 people came to the NYCCGC-organized rally across the street from the hearing Tuesday to show their support for the long-term protection of the city’s community gardens.
New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn attended the hearing, asking for revisions in the rules to include a guaranteed renewal of gardening licenses and a 180-day grace period for unqualified gardening groups to find replacement, reported DNAinfo.com. In the effort to find permanent solutions to preserve the status of community gardens, Quinn also suggested long-term leases and the designation of the gardens as parkland.
Last week, the NYCCGC organized a rally on the steps of City Hall, where a large group of garden and park preservation advocates spoke out in support of a more permanent protection of the gardens, citing their numerous health, social, and environmental benefits.
There are currently 301 community gardens in New York City under the protection of the 2002 agreement.
The new rules are set to take effect Sept. 17, after the current agreement, which was settled upon by Mayor Bloomberg and then-Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in 2002, expires.
The New York City Community Garden Coalition (NYCCGC), a nonprofit organization founded in 1998 for the preservation of community gardens in the city, stated that the new regulations do not offer the same type of protection from real estate development as does the 2002 agreement. They are calling for the continuation of the 2002 agreement, which stipulated that “all gardens are for preservation as community gardens.”
Nearly 80 people came to the NYCCGC-organized rally across the street from the hearing Tuesday to show their support for the long-term protection of the city’s community gardens.
New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn attended the hearing, asking for revisions in the rules to include a guaranteed renewal of gardening licenses and a 180-day grace period for unqualified gardening groups to find replacement, reported DNAinfo.com. In the effort to find permanent solutions to preserve the status of community gardens, Quinn also suggested long-term leases and the designation of the gardens as parkland.
Last week, the NYCCGC organized a rally on the steps of City Hall, where a large group of garden and park preservation advocates spoke out in support of a more permanent protection of the gardens, citing their numerous health, social, and environmental benefits.
There are currently 301 community gardens in New York City under the protection of the 2002 agreement.
