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Council members urge phased walkway funding, highlight community-garden volunteer and school partnerships
Summary
Council members and advocates discussed the long-running Pocomoke community garden's value to students and residents and recommended phased city assistance to build durable walkways and improve accessibility for wheelchairs and scooters.
Members of the Pocomoke City mayor and council and community advocates discussed operational needs at the Pocomoke community garden and urged city assistance to improve accessibility and long-term infrastructure.
A council member reported having recently spoken with a garden advocate who could not attend and summarized the garden’s volunteer-run operations. The garden, in operation for more than a decade, receives in-kind support from Lowe’s, Worcester Technical High School and the University of Maryland (donated sheds), and provides produce and native-plant educational opportunities. Speakers said the garden donates produce to the community and hosts school groups; the garden reportedly distributes more than 500 pounds of produce annually and regularly hosts more than 100 students for programming.
Why it matters: Garden advocates told the council that lack of paved walkways limits access for wheelchair users and mobility scooters and suggested a one-time capital investment to build durable walkways. Council members recalled a prior request to apply for grant funding for walkways that included a 20-year grant restriction the city was unwilling to accept, and they emphasized a phased approach — completing sections of walkway over several years — if the council approves funding.
Supporting details: A past estimate (around two years earlier) for full walkway construction was about $16,000; council members noted that costs may be higher today and discussed a possible phased approach with smaller, incremental city allocations (for example, $3,000 to start one section this year). The garden houses roughly 17 raised beds and includes several certified master gardeners among volunteers, and council members said the site also functions as an educational resource for schools.
Council action: No formal vote was recorded. Council members asked staff to consider available funds and to explore phased or grant-assisted approaches that would preserve municipal flexibility.
