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Council reviews lease for community garden on former water-tower site; lease would require fence, insurance and public access
Summary
City staff presented a draft five-year ground lease for roughly 0.23 acres to a community group seeking to create a public community garden on a former Owasso water-tower parcel; staff will bring the lease back for council approval next week.
Owasso staff presented a draft ground lease to allow Oklahoma Community Roots (referred to in the meeting as “OK Roots”) to use a former city water-tower site for a public community garden. Staff said the property is approximately 0.23 acres, southwest of Smith Farm Shopping Center along Garnett Road, and is currently vacant city property with abandoned water lines.
Alexa Beamer, a city staff presenter, summarized the draft lease: a five-year term at $10 per year, renewable, with the city reserving the right to terminate on 60 days’ written notice if the property is needed for utilities or right-of-way work. The lease requires the lessee to erect a fence, carry liability insurance of at least $1 million, indemnify the city from injuries or damages on the property, and prohibit parking in the city grassy right-of-way adjacent to the site.
Shelley Wing, representing the leasing group, said the garden would be open to the public for growing produce and for educational uses such as school groups. “People can come there and pick tomatoes and take them home and eat them,” Wing said when councilors asked whether produce would be sold. She also said the group has discussed planting pollinator-friendly flowers and has spoken with local beekeepers.
Councilors asked about practical details: whether neighboring properties had agreed to allow parking (staff said that would need to be worked out with adjacent property owners), whether a water tap exists (staff said no water tap is currently on the lot), whether plantings would be limited (city staff said only that applicable laws apply and the lease prohibits permanent structures), and whether the lessee has the right of first refusal if the city later sells the property (staff said the property must go out to competitive bid and the lessee would be notified; they would not get an automatic sale without a competitive process).
Staff asked to bring the lease back for council review and approval at the next council meeting.
