Valley Independent Sentinel

Two Sites Proposed for Shelton Community Gardens

by Jodie Mozdzer | Apr 19, 2010 7:03 am

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Posted to: Shelton

Shelton —

The city is now looking to place community gardens at two locations — the Klapik Farm off Longview Road and the field behind a city-owned house at 279 Soundview Ave.

Although plans for the gardens appear to be moving forward, it’s still not clear if plots will be available to residents this year.

The Community Garden Committee is not selling plots yet and is still waiting for an official decision from the mayor on the two proposed sites, according to Shelton Conservation Agent Teresa Gallagher.

Mayor Mark A. Lauretti has told the committee to start tilling the land at Klapik Farm, Gallagher said in an e-mail message. But Lauretti also said to hold off on selling plots for now, according to Gallagher.

Opposition

The proposal hit a bump when residents in the Longview neighborhood came out in droves opposing the first proposal to put up to 60 garden plots on the Klapik Farm.

The residents were concerned about traffic on a cul-de-sac where gardeners would access the farms, litter and vandalism at the site.

Now, the city is mulling whether to put 30 plots at each of the proposed sites instead of 60 plots at the one Klapik Farm site.

The Soundview site would need some work — including access to water and deer fencing — before it could be operational.

It likely wouldn’t be opened this year, Gallagher said in an e-mail update to the Conservation Commission this month.

Because it’s getting late in the gardening season, the proposed gardens at Klapik Farm may have to wait until next year too, Gallagher wrote.

New Members

The Board of Aldermen appointed two new members to the Community Garden Committee last week — one of which will serve as a representative for the residents in the Longview neighborhood.

Phil Barber, the Longview representative, was unable to be reached for comment Friday.

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