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Parks staff proposes pilot community garden behind City Hall with 12 raised beds
Summary
Staff proposed a pilot community garden behind City Hall, funded in this year’s budget with $12,000; commissioners favored 4x8 raised beds, split-rail fencing, volunteer build days and partnership with Outgrowing Hunger for coordination and outreach.
Greg, a parks staff member, reviewed lessons from the city’s earlier community garden (2010–2017) and said the 2026 budget includes $12,000 for a pilot community garden. He described site-selection criteria—city ownership, accessibility, parking, ADA, and water availability—and recommended a location behind City Hall to balance accessibility and preservation of the multiuse field.
Commission discussion focused on bed size, materials, irrigation and management. Commissioners favored initial 4-by-8 raised beds, with a few elevated bench-height beds for accessibility, and wood (cedar or chemical-free pine) as the preferred material. Greg said composite prefab beds cost about $1,000 each. On water, staff proposed installing host spigots or connecting beds to the irrigation system; commissioners preferred simple spigots to encourage gardener commitment while acknowledging the city would supply initial soil and construction support. Greg said the city plans partner outreach with Outgrowing Hunger and possibly the rentals transitions program for coordination.
The commission discussed fencing (split-rail with tighter wire), on-site composting versus hauling green waste, volunteer planting days, and a resident-priority allocation for plots (Wood Village residents given first access). Staff will refine design, pricing and operations and target a build-ready date for the late spring planting season.
