Plan for community gardening in parks getting review

LYNN – Water cans and rakes remain stored in basements and garages, but city officials are thinking ahead to gardening weather and a potential plan allowing people to convert corner sections of parks and playgrounds into small garden plots.The ideas requires the Board of Park Commissioners? review, but tentative discussions call for duplicating garden plot popularity in Cook Street Playground and on Munroe Street across the city.The plan?s broad outline calls for residents interested in gardening to apply for and obtain city approval to tend “raised” gardens with one plot proposed for each household seeking permission to garden in a park or a playground.Instead of planting in the ground, raised plots are constructed roughly a foot high off the ground with a geothermal cloth barrier beneath the plot. Applications would also be reviewed to ensure a watering source is available for the proposed garden.?The whole premise is to increase access to healthier food,” said city Health Director Maryann O?Connor.O?Connor said providing room in parks for community gardens is part of a bigger city effort to improve local nutrition and fitness. Community gardens already dot the city with a building-sized plot producing vegetables on Munroe Street. The Food Project, a 23-year-old farming organization, has worked since 2007 to create raised gardening plots on private land, including 50 located on Lynn home lots.?We provide training, assistance and seedlings,” said Food Project spokeswoman Charu Gupta.O?Connor said Food Project and local Food and Fitness Alliance representatives will discuss community gardening in detail on May 6 with park commissioners. Alliance Director Kristina Pechulis said the discussion will focus on the availability of park land for gardens and how gardens can fit into current park uses.?The idea is the park would be used for what it is currently used for,” she said.Pechulis said there is a waiting list of people interested in gardening in the Munroe and Cook Street playground plots and said she hopes city officials and gardening advocates can reach agreement on a community garden plant in time for gardening season.?We?re trying to create a streamlined policy for people to start gardens, especially people living downtown without ready access to gardens,” Pechulis said.