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Resident asks Anaheim to partner on restoring Common Ground community garden
Summary
A resident proposed restoring the shuttered Common Ground community garden and offered to lead volunteer and fundraising efforts; he said the nearest alternative is 15.5 miles away and called for city partnership.
Alexander Garcia, a resident and Ph.D. candidate studying sustainability, asked the Anaheim City Council during public comment on Feb. 4 to help restore the Common Ground Community Garden on Coachella, which he said fell into disrepair during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Garcia said East Anaheim Community Garden is the only other nearby option but is roughly 15.5 miles from his home and has 78 plots. “Community gardens are more than just plots of land,” he told the council, saying restored gardens can provide food access, biodiversity benefits, educational opportunities and cultural space.
He offered to lead volunteer recruitment, fundraising, and program planning and said he had prepared a Google Doc with a restoration plan and outreach strategy. Council members asked him to email the plan to the addresses on the city website and said they would review the materials.
Why it matters: Community gardens provide neighborhood green space, food access, and educational programs. Garcia framed the restoration as an opportunity for environmental stewardship and cultural revitalization in east Anaheim.
Outcome and next steps: Council members asked Garcia to send his plan and noted contact information for staff is available on the city website; no formal referral, funding request, or vote occurred at this meeting.
Ending: Garcia said he would follow up with written materials; council members encouraged the submission and offered to review his plan with staff.
