Residents describe Rodney Reservoir community garden as foundation for neighborhood health, education and park plans

Jamila Davey, co‑leader of Green for the Greater Good, told the Wilmington City Council Health, Environmental, Aging and Disabilities Committee on May 21, 2025, that neighborhood volunteers built and maintained the Rodney Reservoir community garden and that the site has grown into a center for food access, outdoor education and neighborhood organizing.

Davey said the group first organized in May 2022 after learning the city had requested bond‑bill money to demolish water infrastructure at the site and pursue potential development; residents coalesced to keep the site public, green and accessible. She described raised‑bed gardening at Rodney, free farm stands, school partnerships with Lewis Dual Language Elementary, a university‑supported community design process and plans for a new nature‑and‑community park that will include gardens and outdoor classrooms.

Why it matters: Presenters and public commenters framed community gardening as a public‑health, education and neighborhood‑stewardship tool. April Collins, a community health nurse and member of Green for the Greater Good, said community gardening provided mental‑health and physical‑health benefits for participants during the COVID‑19 pandemic and expanded access to fresh vegetables for households in food deserts.

Details from the presentation and public comment: Davey said the planned Rodney Reservoir park will include over 300 native trees, more than an acre of native meadow, stormwater infrastructure and outdoor classrooms; the site is roughly 3.67 to 3.68 acres. Historically, Westside Grows administered the garden with an annual plot fee that Davey said was “about around $30 a year.” She said the city of Wilmington has supported the park design and that Hinge Collective is an implementation partner. The University of Delaware’s bachelor of landscape architecture program and the Biden School of Public Policy participated in community design workshops.

Committee response and requests: Council members thanked gardeners and residents and asked how the council can help. Davey asked council members to advocate for resident leadership in opening and operating the garden, to support accessible (universal‑access) keyhole beds and to help catalyze partnerships and volunteer garden‑build days. Council members suggested coordinating with Parks & Recreation and the Wilmington Public Library to expand gardening and education across neighborhoods.

Public testimony: Multiple gardeners and neighborhood residents described personal and community benefits from gardening, including intergenerational education (Phyllis Mobley, educator), neighborhood connection (Mikey Reppy), mental‑health benefits for frontline workers (April Collins), climate‑resilience and heat‑island mitigation (Laura Filan), and family learning experiences (Tara Hubbard). Cornerstone West CDC confirmed its role as fiscal agent for West Side Grows Together and connected the garden to broader west‑side revitalization planning.

Decision and next steps: No formal committee action or vote was taken. Presenters asked council to help “get over the finish line” for garden activation and to include resident leaders in the opening and programming process. Council members said they would follow up with staff and district offices and indicated willingness to host events and partnerships.

Ending note: Garden organizers said they plan build days and programming and requested continued partnership with the city to ensure the site reopens as a resident‑driven community garden and outdoor classroom.