City and Garden Club advance Holland Gardens community garden concept at Jacinto Neal Park

City parks staff presented conceptual plans for a community garden at Holland Gardens (Jacinto Neal Park), outlining a possible layout with roughly 46 raised beds, ADA‑accessible plots, a tool shed near the parking lot, and planned irrigation. Staff said the city would provide infrastructure build‑out and irrigation; plots would be managed by a community nonprofit overseen by a lease or use agreement, and participants would either pay modest fees or perform service hours to maintain common areas.

Brandon (parks manager) reviewed two potential site locations in the park and showed a hand‑drawn layout and a scaled sketch (grid) indicating approximate bed sizes and an ADA access aisle. Staff noted existing Garry Oak trees would be preserved and integrated into the design and said the site is underutilized now. Erin Veil of the Oak Harbor Garden Club urged prioritizing the project and said the initial layout could accommodate 46 to 60 plots with room to expand westward.

Staff described governance: the city would seek a community‑based nonprofit to operate the garden under a no‑cost lease; the nonprofit would manage plot assignments, rules, and a modest program of service hours or fees. Staff will continue to draft lease language and rules and will return to the commission with a full presentation and a request for a motion to forward a lease to council when the oversight board is formed.

Next steps: staff will refine conceptual plans and lease language with the Garden Club, confirm a final plot count and site layout, and return to the commission for consideration before bringing any lease and construction request to council. Funding for infrastructure build‑out was not specified; staff said city funds would cover infrastructure and that garden participants would manage plots under the nonprofit board.