Buffalo Rising Online

Mar 31st 2007, 3:42pm By queenseyes

It's been almost two years since a community near the University District (city's East Side) decided that they were going to convert a vacant corner (city owned) lot into a community garden. The plan did not start off being as ambitious as it is now, but that is often what happens when a spark is lit in an area that is in desperate need for signs of progress. Mark Bostaph, a Community Planner with Street Synergy and a member of Americorps Vista, is excited to see such a collaborative of groups and individuals coming together at the corner of Bailey Avenue and Dartmouth. "You should have seen this lot a couple years ago... it was a dumping ground filled with refrigerators, car parts (and an entire car), garbage and overgrown weeds. As the enthusiasm grew for the corner, so did the number of volunteers. We saw what was happening over on Connecticut Street (West Side) and knew that we had to do something over here."

The abandoned little corner started to attract a lot of interest from people who could help to transform the site into something much more exciting than a pretty garden. Jim Pavel, Director of Keep WNY Beautiful, was one of the first to hop on board with the project. With Jim's help (among others), people began to see the true potential of the corner.

But there were still some key components missing that would be crucial for proper implementation. Rough concepts were great, but how would the activists turn rough concepts and ideas into reality? It was at that time that Kevin Connor, UB's School of Architecture and Planning, sent out a series of Request for Proposals (RFPs) in search of non-profits in the city involved with ecology. The search yielded just two responses, but one was from Street Synergy (founding member Patricia Jeffery - an English gardener). That was the break that the project needed, because with the help of Kevin and his students there were now crucial design resources available to plan the park. Soon the park design became an interactive community corner. An unusual earth-bag plastered arch became the focal point, and UB students collaborated on solution-oriented designs that served a number of functions. A Blue Bike hub with a roof reservoir was incorporated into the drawings. Not only would the neighborhood be able to ride the bikes, the water stored in the catchall would be necessary to water the plants. Pat Leonard, Veggie Garden Supervisor, told me that they were already receiving donations from homeowners and nurseries. She went on to say, "We are hoping that youth groups will meet two times a week to tend the gardens. Then we want to have neighborhood picnics where everyone can enjoy the fruits of their labor. There will eventually be a flagpole where we will have flag raisings and a Christmas tree will mark the holidays ... can you imagine the tree lighting?" Other features include checkers and chess tables donated by Antoine M. Thompson, New York State Senator, and pavers donated by Bonnie Russell, Buffalo Common Council - University District. Future plans include hopes of procuring the property next door, where proponents would like to see the existing structure converted into a greenhouse. In the meantime there are plans to project movies on the side of the house... an outdoor theatre of sorts. The group is looking for a non-profit group to act as an umbrella organization in order to see those plans through. Street Synergy is not interested in owning properties, which would be a requirement for the conversion. If you know of a community group that would be interested in helping, please contact me. The team is hoping to have a completed park in two months time. In the meantime Mark Bostaph has been meeting with Forever Elmwood Director, Justin Azzarella, in regards to acquisition of a Green Machine (they're getting a Billy Goat sidewalk sweeper next week). Street Synergy Community Garden Collaboration (In no particular order):

Grassroots Garden

UB (Natural Building Systems: A design/build studio

Community Residents

Keep WNY Beautiful

County of Erie Parks Dept.

Street Synergy Board Members (President Kate Sullivan)

City of Buffalo

Elbers Nursery

Dore Nursery

WNY Nurseryman Assoc.

ABC Hardware

Mayor's Impact Team

Johnson Park Homeowners Assoc.

AmeriCorps

University District Council Member Bonnie Russell

Buffalo State College Volunteers

Hewitt Harmony Block Club (among others)

Weeks Nursery

Unilock

Fox Tires

Birch Grove Landscaping/Nursery

Bailey Business Assoc.

Antoine M. Thompson, New York State Senator

Blue Bikes