Friday, September 2, 2011

Community Gardens move Update....Pictures Added

I received the following e-mail from the garden program administrator this morning:

Hi Robin,

This is what I know as of now.  More details will follow.
·         You will be able to finish out the season at the current location. Plots at the new site will be available early next spring.
·         The quality of this soil is excellent and should be great for growing vegetables.  Jeff and I were at the new site earlier this week to check the soil again. Bob turned over a small patch of grass so we could see the soil.  It really is the best soil you could get.  He left this small patch of soil exposed so if you want to see it for yourself, it’s in the section that is closest to the road and across from Cedarview Apartments.
·         Glenn Solt, Director of General Services has said: the plans have been under way for a new building that will house the Cetronia Ambulance Corps, the Lehigh County coroner and county emergency services. Glenn also said the county hopes to erect the new building next year. The Cetronia Ambulance Corps has sought some state funding to augment its own fundraising efforts for the new building. The new structure would help the ambulance corps bring its services under one roof.
·         The strip of trees/bushes down the middle of the site will be removed (this will become a road) and also some tall trees at the far end will be removed. I hope this helps!

Regards, Kathy

There was an article this morning in the local on-line paper. Which you can view here.

I am planning to go to the new site later today and hopefully take some pictures and check out the soil.

There will also be a meeting with the gardeners once the county has given Farmland Preservation more details on the move.

I went down to the new site this evening and took some pictures. I was told that the county will start working on the site this month.

This is the front of the site. The trees will be removed.

These trees are in the center and will be removed for a road.

This is an area behind the trees. As you can see if you enlarge the picture....the bunnies are there and waiting!

19 comments:

  1. I like the new header :) I don't care for the information you received though. Is the new site further away for you?

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  2. Thanks Mrs.P, When the decision makers down town tell Farmland Preservation what is going on. Then they can tell us. This is typical goverment at work.

    No, the new site is not further away. It is the same distance.

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  3. Maybe the new site will be a blessing!..I thought at first I was at the wrong blog ...I'll get used to it..

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  4. Oh, no. Is that good or bad? After you did all that work. Will you be able to move the bed timbers? Will you have the same size? Changes! Yikes!

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  5. Ginny, I change the picture at the top quite often. I guess the last picture was there for a long time. I even change the color in the fall and winter! I just took pictures of the new site. I will upload them soon. Hopefully the county will get their act together and get the ground ready this month!

    Marcia, I am not happy but getting over it. Yes, we will have to move plants, beds, fencing and the gate. It's going to be some work!

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  6. I hope that the new place is even better for you :)

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  7. Will you get some compensation? - It is going to be quite a task removing those large trees - haven't they a preservation order or anything.

    Surely these plans were known about before they let out your plot and they could have warned you then.

    It must be an even bigger wrench for anyone who has had a plot for years and is faced with losing fruit bushes/trees etc.

    I hope it works out.

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  8. Jane, Thanks...me too!


    Sue, Last night I was talking to some of the guys who who had to move when they moved the gardens 20 years ago. The gardeners who had to move didn't have to pay any rent for 2 years. I don't know if that will happen this time.

    I am sure that the officials down town knew about the move some time ago. However, they did not notify Farmland Preservation until last week!

    The county parks department will be clearing and preparing the site. I just hope it is ready before the winter and are able to get some stuff done this fall.

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  9. It looks like a beautiful site! Hope it works out well for you!

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  10. Even tho I know this is an unwanted move, the pictures are lovely. (don't kick me ;) So it is happening fast!! Has anyone addressed the need to move perennials and how that is going to work? Or is this just sort of a "Deal with it" thing they are throwing at you?

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  11. Thanks Shawn Ann, It will be a lot of work.....once again!

    APGal, I won't kick you! It does look like it is happening fast. Everyone at Farmland Preservation is aware about the perennials from me and some of the old timers there. All of these things will be addressed when we have a meeting. I really don't think that they will be doing the site work for the new county buildings before April of next year. So, hopefully, we will be able to move our perennials at the appropriate time.

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  12. The move process is definitely a pain in the patooty but hopefully you can demand and get some free rent for a while to compensate for the costs and inconvenience of moving everything. As for the site - I think it has a lot of potential and may not be a bad relocation once it is settled after all.

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  13. Robin, I think the new site looks wonderful! looks like a nice piece of land..boy would I like to have a big place like that :o) I'd have me some chickens for sure...I don't think they heard me up there..:o(

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  14. Laura, It would be nice if they give the gardeners who move free rent for a year or two. I'm concerned about some of the older gardeners and those who don't have cars. I've mentioned this to the administrator. Hopefully, there will be help available.

    Ginny, the site is nice. I would like to have that much land for myself too!

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  15. I bet the bunnies' lobbyists were behind the whole move. Darn rabbits.

    I am sure it will be a huge pain, and I hope their is some help available for people who will need it to move. Any chance of contacting a nearby college/university/high school to request help? Our campus volunteer center would recruit student volunteers to help with this type of project.

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  16. Ali, I bet you're right about those lobbyists!

    That's a great idea! There are two universities within 2 miles of the gardens and several others within several miles. I will e-mail the administrator and look in to it! Thanks again for the suggestion!

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  17. Robin what a pain. I sure hope they get onto things so some work can be done this fall. Your community garden is much more extensive than ours. We have 13 4x12 plots and that is it. One of the rules however is no perennials and all beds must be cleaned up by October 1st. Not sure they will stick with the October 1st is we haven't had a frost but time will tell.

    Good luck with the move. Do any of the schools around you offer horticulture? I would thing the move and reestablishing a new community garden would be just the thing for them.

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  18. Wilderness, I'm not looking forward to the move. We have almost 100 plots at our gardens and who knows what the soil will be like at the new spot.

    I'm going to look into the schools within the next couple of weeks.

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  19. Oh no, what a pain, you just put so much work into your plot and you have to move and start all over again.

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