Located on a lot at 8th Street, Astoria Boulevard and 30th Avenue, the site has become an active gardening area for more than 200 members for three years. Members secured a city license through Green Thumb, but fear the city may have other ideas for the location.
Concern arose when Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) secured $460,000 for the Parks Department to provide a public park there. The site is a Parks property, known as Goodwill Triangle.
The area was developed as a park in 1998, but fell into disrepair.
“We want the garden to maintain its ability to allow local residents the opportunity to garden and grow together,” said Stacey Ornstein, an active member of Two Coves.
A letter-writing campaign to both Vallone and the Parks Department is underway. But according to published reports, Vallone is hoping to reach a compromise. Plans call for the money to be used to install benches, an irrigation system and other upgrades that could be shared with the entire community.
It was also reported that Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski promised that no work would begin during the upcoming gardening season and would be completed before the 2010 season.
Both Vallone and Lewandowski had praise for the community garden.
Renee Edwards, another cove gardener, pointed out the area already has several parks and recreational areas. “What this community needs is healthy food, grown locally,” Edwards said.
Gardener Garrett Ramirez noted that volunteers not only garden, but pick up trash and shovel sidewalks in the winter. “We’re a public space that pays for itself, that the entire community can enjoy.”
