Council approves one-year pilot lease with Urban Seed for community garden; council adds conditions

The Warren City Council voted May 20 to approve a one-year pilot lease with Urban Seed to convert a vacant city lot into a community garden and distribute produce to neighbors. Council members and staff agreed to several amendments before approval, including limiting the leased parcels, ensuring water service and metering, consolidating prohibited activities into one section, and changing operating hours to “sunrise to sunset.”

Urban Seed has an established model in nearby Eastpointe and sought use of a vacant city parcel to plant produce for neighbors in Warren’s south end. Council discussed exhibit A (parcel description), whether multiple Collier parcels should be included, access to water, and storage needs. The administration and counsel said they removed shed and sign language from the final draft after public-service review; the public-service director approved meter/water-service language and monthly invoicing to the lessee.

Key conditions - The lease will cover 13690 Topher (identified as the primary Topher parcel) plus at least one Collier parcel to permit a water meter or water access to the garden; council directed staff to include an easement or license for a water connection as needed. - The lessee (Urban Seed) is responsible for the monthly metered water charges; the lease now states the city will provide a metered water connection and the lessee will pay monthly utility charges. - No permanent sheds or signage are allowed in the current draft; Urban Seed agreed volunteers would bring tools as needed. - Hours of operation were changed to sunrise–sunset and the lease will not require winter closure; the council asked the administration to combine prohibited activities into one exhibit to avoid conflicting language.

Why it matters The pilot aims to address local food insecurity by making city-owned vacant land productive and distributing produce to neighbors. Council members said they wanted the lease to be finalized quickly so planting could proceed in the current growing season, but also wanted final review and a completed draft circulated to council before the reconsideration period expired.

Next steps Council required a final draft reflecting the negotiated changes be provided to council before the reconsideration deadline. Staff said the public-service director had reviewed language earlier the day of the meeting and would make a last pass; council conditioned final approval on public-service sign-off.