How much is a community garden worth to Arvada?
Arvada Gardeners have been building community and providing food both for themselves AND the Arvada food bank in the same spot for over 40 years. Now, the City (AURA – Arvada Urban Renewal Authority) might take the property, for the benefit of private builders and the taxes it will bring in (an apartment complex). AURA is hoping that the people who live in the apartment complex will be spending money at the new Triangle development.
Such a shame! A beautiful place that has been touted over and over again by local media, and the City of Arvada itself, is losing out to become … well … nothing special. Arvada will lose a piece of what makes her unique.
Come on, Arvada – pick another spot!
I love Arvada, as I’ve said over and over again, but this makes me feel sick.
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I assumed there would be public meetings, but can’t find any announcements of such. In fact, the only reason I know about this story is I stumbled across a plea for help issued by Bill Orchard. Here’s the Arvada Community Garden’s president’s plea for help saving the Arvada Community Garden (Keith Sorci).
Opinions expressed in this post are mine, and not those of Arvada Gardeners, Bill Orchard, or Keith Sorci.
Arvada Community Garden website
My post on the Arvada Community Garden
For more info, contact Bill Orchard or Keith Sorci.
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Thank you for your lovely feature on the Arvada Community Garden and your support. Today was our spring cleanup day and we had some new neighbors stop by interested in joining and after giving them that info, we asked if they had been contacted by the Urban Renewal folks about their plan to put in high density housing on our spot. These were homeowners that live less than a block away on 57th and they had no clue. Found out this week that the Urban Renewal Board had elected a new president that is opposed to leaving the garden without any public participation or hearings announced for residents to voice their opinions. Sounds to me like some backroom politics going on there!
That is just heartbreaking news. Seems people got more up in arms about the trash collection system possibility changing, than they have about such a wonderful and unique part of what makes Arvada special.
Here is a list of all the public meetings held on the issue where the OPD was discussed or presented. There does not seem to be any backdoor dealings. There has been a bunch of participation. Perhaps the only participation that will Mr. Points will accept is if the garden stays in place at the risk of losing out chance for re-development.
Triangle Advisory Committee Meetings:
o October 2, 2008
o October 30, 2008
o December 18, 2008
o February 19, 2009
o April 14, 2009
Open House to display Concept Plan and gain citizen input:
o May 12, 2009
Planning Commission Study Session:
o July 7, 2009
City Council Study Session:
o July 20, 2009
KATV – Program on Triangle Area Concept Plan
o Aired on Channel 8 during the fall of 2009
Garrison Street Charrette:
o February 16, 2010
Ralston Group Project Team:
o Decision to Create Project Team – 2/26/10
o Triangle Area ODP put on hold – 2/26/10
o Team began meeting 5/3/10 – Present
o The Triangle Area Concept Plan was displayed at the following public
meeting:
•
Ralston Road Corridor Plan Public meeting – 2/10
•
Indoor Turf Fields Relocation Public meeting – 4/8/10
•
Ralston Road Corridor Plan Public meeting – 5/10
•
Ralston Central Park Public Workshop – 10/26/10
•
Ralston Central Park Public Workshop – 12/7/10
•
Independence Street Neighborhood Meeting – 1/22/11
City Council Study Session in conjunction with Ralston Group:
o January 24, 2011
While I feel bad for the gardeners this is a silly argument. They were never promised permanent usage of the land. It is time to redevelop the property into something that has a higher and better use.