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Volunteers, Sustainable Solano and property owners plan nonprofit community garden at Bruning & 3rd
Summary
A group led by Jeanne McCormick and local volunteers plans a community garden on private property at Bruning & 3rd. The organizers intend to form a nonprofit, file a conditional use permit, partner with Sustainable Solano for classes and certification, and rely on a water arrangement with the property owner; the goal is an operational garden by next spring.
Organizers told the commission they plan to establish a nonprofit community garden on private property at Bruning & 3rd. The property owners (the McCormick family) have offered the site and an arrangement to provide initial water; the group plans to file a conditional use permit with the city and then operate the garden as an independent nonprofit with periodic city updates.
Partners and governance: Commission staff said the initial nonprofit board would include Tammy Mitchell (farmer's‑market certified and operator for the Rio Vista Downtown Association), Helga Garcia (native plant and pollinator expertise), Roxanne Donnelly and others. Sustainable Solano (Patrick Murphy) has expressed willingness to provide education, a startup grant and up to 20 classes over the coming year. The library will support a seed‑library project that complements the garden.
Water, liability and timeline: Organizers discussed water access: the property owner (Scott Bridal) offered to provide water for the startup; staff and the commission noted the nonprofit will need to arrange meters/backflow devices and carry appropriate insurance. City staff identified insurance and liability as responsibilities of the nonprofit. Organizers set a goal of having the garden operational by next spring and said they will coordinate a roundtable of stakeholders to finalize logistics.
Next steps: The organizers will continue work on the conditional use permit and nonprofit formation. Commissioners asked staff to treat the project as a neighborhood partner project and to expect nonprofit updates; staff said it will coordinate on permitting and water‑service details.
