Community Garden Will Be Pulled Up by Its Roots

[DBoon]

Per LA Times, http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-garden13oct13,1,2051081.story?coll=la-headlines-california

(registration required):

More than 300 urban farmers face eviction at year's end when a large community garden in South Los Angeles, created in the wake of the 1992 riots, is converted to industrial space.

The land was originally intended for a trash incineration complex. Residents pressured the city into abandoning the plans. The site was then made into the largest community garden in the western US - 360 plots.

[Democrats unite]

1. Will just be another piece of American history...

how sad.

[JitterbugPerfume]

3. wil there ultimately

be nothing left for the likes of us? this is so sad

[Fovea]

8. Not true.

We can work, fight, consume, or die. According to Bush, what else do we need?

[Alpharetta]

2. Day of Reconciliation

Yesterday was a "Day of Reconciliation" at many churches across the U.S.

I'm pretty sure that all got started after the Rodney King riots.

I guess the media will be so surprised the next time some riots happen....

[Don_G]

4. That's A Shame

There are more than 50 Community Gardens in my city on unused plots of land scattered throughout the area. It helps the poor and elderly stretch their food dollar as well as providing a healthy, peaceful outlet for those who need to serve community service.

[SpiralHawk]

5. Let them eat genetically mutant food

What's good for agro-industry is good for America. So sit down, shut up, and eat your mutant porridge.


"An evil exists that threatens every man, woman and child of this great nation , we must take steps to ensure our domestic security and protect our homeland."
-Adolf Hitler

[Xithras]

6. It's unfortunate, but the correct decision

I support community gardens, and tried to help save on in Sacramento a short while back, but I agree with the decision here. The government took this mans property and livelyhood through eminent domain, and then did nothing with it, so they SHOULD have to give it back. I have no problem with the use of eminent domain to take peoples property when it is going to be used for legitimate public works projects that will benefit the community as a whole, but in this case the property was taken and nothing was done with it. It's unfortunate that these gardeners got caught in the crossfire of this lawsuit, but I do have to side with the evicted owner on this one.

Besides, as the article points out, development probably IS the better use for this land. While the gardens do benefit some of the areas poor, developing this land into an industrial tract has the potential to create many jobs that are desperately needed in this poor area. I'd oppose development if they were talking about putting in a strip-mall or mega Walmart, but an industrial tract presents the potential for the creation of higher paid skilled, and semi-skilled jobs which will help far more poor people than the garden currently does.

[DUreader]

10. There are plenty of blighted areas to build factories, keep the garden

compensate the original owner and restrict this BS eminent domain abuse

[ConcernedCanuk]

7. It' same old thing - if the Rich can get Richer - feck everyone else !

. From the Article:

When community protest defeated plans for the incineration plant, the land was lent to the food bank for a community garden. As the garden entered its second season in 1994, the city sold the land to the Harbor Department as part of the Alameda Corridor development. Only a fragment was used and the garden continued.

The sale to the Harbor Department, however, eventually prompted Horowitz to sue. His suit alleged that he was to have been offered right of first refusal if the city sold the land. In an out-of-court settlement, the city and the Harbor Department agreed to sell the land back to Horowitz, thus forcing the end of one of the country's largest urban gardens.

/snip/

Since its dedication in December 1992, the garden has been divided into 360 plots averaging 30 feet by 30 feet and tended by 330 families. Most of the families who grow food on the plots have household incomes of between $12,000 and $22,000 a year, said Ray Calzada, a certified master gardener and food bank garden liaison.

/snip/
On Sept. 23, the Harbor Department sent a letter to Flood notifying him about the closure of the garden.

"Without a doubt, your administration of a community garden has provided invaluable assistance and enriched the lives of the neighborhood in countless ways," the letter read. "It is therefore with regret that I inform you that the tenancy of the Food Bank must come to an end in the near future We anticipate issuing the 30-day notice to vacate no later than December 1, 2003."


FECKADEE -

Heartless Ba$tards -

- like alot of things take longer to grow than 30 days !!

- why not give them more time to harvest what these people have put their hears,backs and sweat into ?

- What's the friggen rush ?

- oh - I get it, by the time the peeps (over 100 farmers) get a petition up, or an injunction, it'll be flattened.

- KKKorporate Amerikkka Rules !!

- It's always been about $$$$



- feck the "little" people !

Just my Humble Canadian Opinion

[treepig]

9. i say enough already

bring in the bulldozers!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=162226

oh yeah, that'd mean we'd have the bring the troops home first, so never mind . . .