Zion CDC says, 'Let there be veggies'

by PAUL MORTON

Associate editor

Legion Field could become Legion Community Garden, at least for one year, if city council approves an agreement with Zion Community Development Corporation at their next meeting.

At their March 1 meeting, council directed city manager Eric Norenberg and law director Eric Severs to prepare a lease or a service agreement to allow Zion CDC to start a community garden for a one-year trial. Zion had presented a plan to develop the garden over three years.

Legion Field is the former baseball field at the northwest corner of West Hamilton and South Professor streets. It has not been used for baseball since the opening of the baseball and softball fields at the Hamilton Street recreation complex.

Zion CDC executive director Judy Wright said the organization has been in talks with various community groups for about a year. She said a residential survey, distributing survey cards to every home within two miles of Legion Field, had 40 responses, of which only one was not in favor of the community garden.

The plan submitted includes about 40 public plots set aside for individual gardening initiatives, a forest garden, a butterfly-hummingbird garden, compost arbor, a wetland pond, greenhouse, a food washing station, and benches and tables. She said the facilities would help residents come together through a common interest to energize the community.

"This is about relationships, this is about helping people eat healthy, and this is about neighbors getting to know neighbors," Wright said. "This is what we want in Oberlin."

The facilities and various gardens would be built over three years, according to the plan. Wright said Zion CDC had secured funding through grants from the Nordson Foundation and the National Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, and was in the process of applying for a grant from the Lowe's Foundation.

"The total budget for the three-year plan is $96,438, but that's on the high side," Wright said. "But I think we can do it cheaper than that."

She asked the city to waive the tap-in and capacity fees to tie into the city water system, and to supply the necessary materials and labor to install a 1-inch tap at the site for irrigation purposes. A resident who goes by the name of Sundance said Zion CDC plans to use drip irrigation and rainwater catchment to reduce the need for city water.

Norenberg said the recreation commission had initially opposed turning the former baseball field into a community garden. But he said they have recently softened that stance, saying many people view gardening as a form of recreation.

Council member Bryan Burgess said he was hesitant to approve the garden for the entire three-year plan until the city receives a report from a recreation facilities study council recently commissioned. Norenberg said the study should be completed by late summer.

Council vice president Sharon Soucy suggested, since Zion does not yet have all of its funding in place, council could approve the community garden for one year on a trial basis. Severs said council could accomplish that through either a lease or a service agreement.

"A lease is typically used when you have permanent improvements that will be used for several years," Severs said. "A service agreement would work for just one year. Actually either one would work. It's your preference."

Council unanimously approved a motion to have Norenberg and Severs prepare the necessary documents and legislation for the March 15 meeting.