Thanks to
the efforts of committed citizen volunteers, the City of Elyria is becoming a
more sustainable, friendly, beautiful and safe community. As part of the Mayor’s Office on Volunteer
Engagement, the City offered residents an opportunity to plant their own
gardens on vacant city-owned properties where homes have been demolished using
Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds.
The City has
been working very hard to eliminate homes that have become a nuisance because
of neglect or abandonment. Since January
1, 2013 we have demolished 59 nuisance homes and we have another 53 in process
using both federal NSP funds and monies made available through a national
mortgage settlement. An additional 17 properties are currently being
evaluated. Demolishing these homes
reduces crime, makes your block safer and more attractive, improves your
property value and provides us with an opportunity to return these vacant
properties to productive use. One way to return vacant properties to productive
use is for the City to lend the properties free of charge to residents who have
an interest in creating community gardens.
This past
winter we began to advertise the opportunity for community gardens. As a result, eight teams of residents stepped
forward to embrace the program. They
attended two workshops, completed applications, a User Agreement and Liability
Waiver, and committed to gardening and maintaining the properties for one
year. Neighbors of the properties were
also contacted to secure their support and answer any questions. Our Volunteer Garden Coordinator, Holly Huff,
has offered a wealth of knowledge, information and resources to help new
gardeners begin the process.
As you have
time this summer, please walk or drive by one of these eight gardens. While
they are still in the infancy stages right now, their bounty will become very
apparent in the next several weeks. Each
garden is different, some with vegetables, fruits, herbs, ornamental plants and
flowers – and lots of tender loving care.
Here are Our
2013 Community Gardens Teams:Louisiana Avenue – Captain: Tamela McDermott
Second Street – Captains Jimmy Thornton and Ann King
Furnace Street – Captain Barbie Blackhall
Gates Avenue 1 – Captain Sean Nichols
Gates Avenue 2 – Captain Sean Nichols
Sumner Street – Captains Matthew Gembka & Andrea Weir
Lowell Street – Captains Rev. Bob Gross and Amy Chizmar
North & Chestnut Streets – Captain Holly Huff
To find out how you and your neighbors can participate in
the Community Garden Program next summer, email Holly Huff at forward2holly@yahoo.com or call the Mayor’s
Office at 326-1402.
If you can't see the slideshow, click below to view the gallery.
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| Community Gardens 05-21-13 |
