As Part of Open Space Plan Implementation Lawrence Announces Three New Community Gardens
Mayor Lantigua led the ribbon cutting at the corner of Spruce and Myrtle Streets to officially open 3 new community gardens in Lawrence Neighborhoods
Mayor William Lantigua and Groundwork Lawrence announced today that the Lawrence Community Gardens Program has increased by 126 new garden plots with three new locations: Spruce and Myrtle Streets, Cross and Cedar Streets, and Giuffrida Place.
The Community Gardens Program has been a joint effort of the City’s Planning and Community Development Departments and Groundwork Lawrence. The Planning Department identifies city owned land appropriate for open space and community gardening reuse and manages the disposition process; Groundwork Lawrence, a local nonprofit which assists the City with Open Space planning and implementation, undertakes environmental analysis and site design, and the Community Development Department applies for and manages Massachusetts PARC funding combined with Community Development Block Grant funding.
Mayor Lantigua thanked Federal and State funders for their support of the City of Lawrence. He noted, “If you came by this site last year you would have seen a lot with illegal dumping and littered with debris. Now we have given the land back to the community for a positive use.”
Speakers at the event also included Ann Carroll from the Washington Office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, who noted that the City Of Lawrence is a national model; Tennis Lilly, Chairperson of the Lawrence Conservation Commission and a neighborhood resident, and State Representative David Torrisi. Also attending the event were June Black, representing Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, and Melissa Cryan, representing the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
The total cost of the project was $612,528 with the HUD Community Development funding of $187,608 leveraging a $424,920 PARC grant. “The Community Gardens program demonstrates the effective use of HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) because it is used to attract State funding.” said Community Development Director James Barnes.
The Lawrence Neighborhood Community Gardens Initiative provides all Lawrencians with healthy spaces to grow fresh fruits and vegetables. The hands-on outdoor educational spaces in the gardens are used to teach residents about nutrition and entrepreneurship. The gardeners take responsibility for all stewardship by maintaining their beds and common areas. The three new gardens join the already active 4 gardens nearly doubling the number of garden plots.
Lawrence’s community gardens typically reposition vacant and derelict sites into productive neighborhood assets. According to a recent study, cleaning and greening vacant lots can increase the value of adjacent properties by as much as 30 percent. Conversely, neighborhoods with higher concentrations of derelict vacant lots displayed lowered property values by as much as 18 percent.
The City, through the Community Development, will continue to seek funds and partners to expand the Community Gardens program.
CONTACT: James Barnes
Community Development Director
978-620-3511