REPORT TO PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Community Garden Program Guiding Principles & Rules Update 2022
Report
BACKGROUND
The purview of the Parks & Recreation Commission includes the review of parks and recreation programs and services.
In 2017, the Parks & Recreation Commission recommended approval of the program participant priorities for eligibility, access and use of the Eddie Souza Community Garden, the City's first community garden. On June 19, 2018, the Commission recommended approval of the Community Garden Program Guiding Principles.
On November 17, 2020, the Commission recommended approval of the program participant priorities for eligibility, access and use (Attachment 1) for the proposed community garden to be located at 3450 Copper Place in the new Lawrence Station Area to be constructed by the residential developer SummerHill (Nuevo Garden), as well as recommended approval of the Guiding Principles and Garden Rules. The City's second community garden has 26 raised garden beds, container garden display beds, picnic benches, a shared storage shed, compost area, five specimen fruit trees, and community blueberry bushes.
DISCUSSION
Since 2019, the Department has maintained an interest list for the new community garden site that was featured in the Activity Guide and on the Department's program registration system. The community garden is projected to open later this year. Staff will conduct a membership outreach meeting on January 20, 2022 to introduce the overall Community Garden Program and staff as well as the Guiding Principles and Garden Rules.
Based upon the November 17, 2020 eligibility criteria, staff will advertise and hold a lottery among eligible residents to be assigned a garden bed. The lottery will be based on geographic proximity, income, age, and residency in the following order:
1. Santa Clara residents living within the Community Facilities District No. 2019-1 (Lawrence Station) boundaries
2. Santa Cla...
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