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Twentynine Palms planners open comment and move to study community garden permits after resident disputes report
Summary
A resident told the Twentynine Palms Planning Commission that a Joshua Tree community garden is still operating and urged consideration of a proposal to start a garden at the Twentynine Palms Senior Center; the commission moved into a study session on temporary use permits and cooperative garden greenhouses and left public comment open.
At a meeting of the Twentynine Palms Planning Commission, a community garden advocate said a Joshua Tree garden remains active and asked the commission to consider a proposal to start a garden at the Twentynine Palms Senior Center. The commission moved into a study session on temporary use permits and cooperative garden greenhouses and left public comment on the matter open for a later agenda item.
Crystal Wiesong, who identified herself as a community-garden board member, told commissioners: "Hi. I'm on the board of military and I oversee the community garden we have in Joshua Tree." She said a recent report in the Desert Trumpet incorrectly stated the Joshua Tree garden was no longer operating and that she wanted to correct the record before the commission considered a local proposal.
Wiesong said the group had submitted "a proposal to the city of 29 to start a garden here," and that "our state senator had offered funding to help start a community garden at the senior center." She told the commission one of the co-directors would arrive later in the evening around 5:30 to speak further about the proposal.
A member of planning staff told the commission, "So this sounds like it's from the agenda item too. So come back up at that point to speak on this item," and later, "We can keep that public comment open. But in this particular instance, this letter came in a little bit earlier this afternoon. We can definitely go into more detail at a future planning commission. And if the commission decides to give direction in a certain way, then we'll take it." Those remarks indicate staff planned to place the proposal for fuller discussion at a subsequent agenda item.
No formal action or vote was recorded on the community-garden proposal during the portion of the meeting in the transcript. Commissioners proceeded to a study session described by staff as addressing "temporary use permits and cooperative garden greenhouses." The commission did not adopt any rules or approvals at that time.
The item drew at least one in-person commenter and one written submission referenced elsewhere on the agenda; commissioners set a process of returning the matter to a future meeting for fuller consideration and possible direction to staff.
