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Planning Commission <br />Meeting Minutes <br />August 13, 2015 <br />Page 7 of 22 <br />Tengler asks that given this is in a more trafficked area than Harney Lastoka, is there any notion <br />of providing security or monitoring or oversight? What is to stop somebody from picking a <br />basket of vegetables? <br />Heaney says nothing. Hopefully, we will be able to work that out. If there appears to be a need, <br />we will put some sort of fencing up, but you will not keep out people who want to get in. <br />Perhaps we can have a plot up front where they can take vegetables if they wish. <br />Moline asks if the community garden association members will be responsible for maintaining <br />the land outside of the plots? <br />Heaney says Parks and Recreation has indicated yes, that we will be responsible for mowing. <br />Parks and Recreation mows a 3' strip around both sides of that property. <br />Public Comment: <br />Robin Rathweg, 605 W Hawthorn Street, Louisville, CO <br />I have been working with Mary Ann for about one year on this. I am an avid gardener and the <br />garden coordinator at Sister Carmen Community Center. I work with the cooperative garden in <br />Downtown Louisville. I come on board as someone who is interested in gardening and has been <br />working with the general public in gardening. I am in support of this because when I look at what <br />community gardens are available in Louisville, there are only a few garden plots available. They <br />are a far distance for people who are walking. One of the things about this site that I think is <br />great is it is fairly close to a lot of multifamily dwellings and some lower income housing in <br />Louisville. I hope we will get some of the people from that area to participate in this. One of the <br />questions brought up is what is going to happen about the trash or the mowing. Part of the idea <br />about making this a community garden is that everyone who signs up for a garden plot will have <br />another job. It may be one or two hours a month mowing, or hauling the trash, or maintaining <br />the irrigation, or being the communication (emails) of what is going on. In that way, everybody is <br />going to be involved and taking care of the upkeep. It will not be one person. We will be <br />supervising each other and get everyone on board with that. One of the reasons that I am in <br />support of this is due to my work at the Sister Carmen Community Center where we have a <br />small garden. It does not touch the amount of food that they need for the people they are <br />serving through their foodbank. The food we raise mostly goes to the foodbank, but it offers an <br />opportunity for a lot of people to volunteer in the garden. They get to know each other, they <br />share community, and they build friendships. It gives an opportunity for large groups to work <br />together. We have camps of kids visiting and building things. They get to know each other <br />through real work. If you have ever seen a crowd of 12 year -olds who have never picked <br />carrots, they pick this "thing" having no idea how big it's going to be. It is magic and they get so <br />thrilled. They compare how big the carrots are and then eat them. It connects them with the <br />earth in a way that our society sometimes doesn't allow. I know one of the questions about the <br />garden is will it attract pests? I think there is a possibility there will be rabbits but anyone living <br />in Louisville already knows there are rabbits here. Somebody thought that in taking down a lot <br />of these weeds, it might disturb some of the wildlife there. This might occur but I think this plot <br />is so small, I do not think there is a lot of wildlife that will be displaced. Mary Ann said something <br />about having a flower garden. Part of our idea with the flower garden is it would be beautiful in <br />front to take one plot and grow flowers. It would attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and <br />hummingbirds. It will create something beautiful. It might also be a barrier to people who are <br />interested in taking tomatoes without permission. <br />Betty Solek, 725 Lincoln Avenue, Louisville, CO <br />I live three or four blocks from this location. I know some people submitted email comments. <br />Have you received them and are they in your packets? I have been a part of two community <br />gardens here in Louisville. The first was the Art Center Garden at Memory Square which was <br />started by a garden club active in the 1990s. That garden was planted around 1997. It has been <br />through its ups and downs of maintenance and I am happy to see that City Staff has it looking <br />