[Community_garden] Tommy Thompson Garden preserved in perpetuity

[rainbowpauline at earthlink.net]

Jim,

Congratulations.  What an accomplishment and a credit to you and your  
city for their 'good sense'.

Let's give a great
! ! ! HOORAY ! ! !
for community Gardens ! ! ! ! !

Pauline Tessier


On Oct 24, 2006, at 8:04 AM, Jim Flint wrote:

> October 24, 2006
>
> Dear ACGA colleagues,
>
> This past summer a news story circulated on the ACGA list serv  
> regarding the
> potential sale of publicly owned land in Burlington's Intervale. The  
> story
> was of particular interest as the parcel of land to be sold included  
> the
> five acre Tommy Thompson Community Garden, which is the largest  
> community
> garden in Vermont.
>
> During the past four months of advocacy, public input, and  
> negotiations, an
> easement protecting the community garden in perpetuity at its existing
> location was added to the land sale Memorandum of Agreement. The  
> easement is
> in addition to a larger farmland easement that conserves the organic  
> farms
> located in the Intervale on the 199 acre parcel of land.
>
> The Tommy Thompson Community Garden, with its 150 plots, will continue  
> to be
> managed by the Burlington Parks and Recreation Department. While the  
> land
> for the five acre garden site will be transferred from the city owned
> Burlington Electric Department to the nonprofit Intervale Center, the  
> Parks
> and Recreation Department will retain access to the land and ownership  
> of
> all improvements on the garden site.
>
> The passage of the land sale agreeement, as highlighted in the article  
> below
> in today's Burlington Free Press, represents a win-win partnership for
> organic farming and community gardening in Burlington. Previously, the  
> Tommy
> Thompson garden had a nine year lease with Burlington Electric; as a  
> result
> of last night's City Council vote, the community garden site is now
> protected in perpetuity.
>
> Jim Flint, Executive Director
> Friends of Burlington Gardens
> 33 Tracy Drive
> Burlington, VT  05408
> 802.658.5733
> www.burlingtongardens.org
>
>
> Burlington City Council approves Intervale land sale
> http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/ 
> 20061024/NEWS02/610240307/1007
>
> Published: Tuesday, October 24, 2006
> By John Briggs
> Free Press Staff Writer
>
> The administration of Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss won a solid victory  
> Monday
> night when the City Council approved the sale of 199 acres of  
> city-owned
> land in the Intervale to the non-profit Intervale Center. The vote was  
> 7-5.
> The sale of the land for $200,000 seemed at times over the last two  
> months
> to be headed for delay if not defeat in the council, as some  
> complained that
> the price was too low and the sale unnecessary.
>
> Kiss won over the influential Friends of Burlington Gardens group by
> negotiating language in a memorandum of agreement with the Intervale  
> Center
> that guaranteed the Tommy Thompson Community Garden, located on the  
> sale
> land, would stay where it is "in perpetuity" and with a possibility in  
> the
> future to expand.
>
> The Community and Economic Development Office made a question and  
> answer
> sheet on the transaction available at meetings and on its Web site,  
> also
> posted the agreement and created a newspaper insert. As the information
> about the sale became easily available to residents, much of the  
> opposition
> melted away. Few residents attended the last public meeting, held Oct.  
> 4 in
> Contois Auditorium.
>
> The land is owned by the Burlington Electric Department, and much of  
> the
> sale land has been leased by the Intervale Center from BED since 1996.  
> The
> Intervale Center, under the terms of that lease, had the right of first
> refusal when BED decided to sell the land. The land will continue to  
> be used
> for agricultural development.
>
> The city won another concession from the purchaser by holding on to an
> undivided 1 percent ownership of the land, which means in practice  
> that the
> city would be involved in a future sale of the land. The city would  
> have the
> first opportunity to buy the land back. The council also will have a
> representative on the Intervale Center's board, and its management  
> plan for
> the land must be approved by the council every 10 years.
>
> While opponents on the council argued that the city should retain the  
> land
> and explore giving the Intervale Center a long-term lease, Kiss said  
> BED
> couldn't give the city title to the land; instead, it must sell it for  
> the
> benefit of BED ratepayers, meaning the city would have to find the  
> money for
> the purchase. The Intervale Center argued in public meetings and in
> information sheets that ownership of the land would enhance its  
> ability to
> raise grant money for continued agricultural improvements. Over time,  
> the
> adjustments to the memorandum of agreement and the continued  
> involvement of
> the public convinced a majority of councilors that the sale made sense.
>
> Monday, those voting in support of the sale were: Council President Ian
> Carleton, D-Ward 1; Jane Knodell, P-Ward 2; Cheryl McDonough, P-Ward  
> 2; Tim
> Ashe, P-Ward 3; Clarence Davis, P-Ward 3; Russ Ellis, D-Ward 4; and  
> Barbara
> Perry, I, Ward 6. Voting against the sale were: Kurt Wright, R-Ward 4;  
> Bill
> Keogh, D-Ward 5; Joan Shannon, D-Ward 5; Andy Montroll, D-Ward 6; and  
> Carmen
> George, D-Ward 7. Sharon Bushor, I-Ward 1, who supported the sale, and  
> Paul
> Decelles, R-Ward 7, who opposed it, were absent.
>
>
>
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