It was an eyesore. This has been said by even those who love the historic garden on the corner of Lafayette Place and Genesee Avenue has been transformed over the last 2 months. Some say that the garden had been allowed to go fallow for a long time. Thing is the garden has not been allowed to go fallow for any length of time. The site was not productive in 2013 because of flooding and other catastrophes beyond the control of gardeners. This photo documentary demonstrates that the site has not been neglected.
Even those who are categorically against the garden have proven that this land has only been used for the purpose of gardening for over 100 years. This is the stuff of which historic sites are made. It has special historical significance beyond the scope of one man or one woman.
On September 23, 2014, the City Council is scheduled to have another discussion of the resolution that would designate the garden an historic site. Please attend this City Council meeting and support the designation of this treasured PLACE as an historic site.
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| May 28, 2011 When I decided not to farm my backyard any further, my roto tiller was given to the men who garden in this spot. I recently planted some greens that Mr. Gainey gave me that he bought in South Carolina. Those seeds made some great salad eating. I must remember to allow a few plants to seed up. The seeds may be dried and saved for planting next season. |
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| May 28, 2011 Deacon Norman and George Owens brother Kenny. They started a garden in the vacant lot across the street from the Lafayette garden, but only used the sitefor one season. I suspect that the area was shaded too much of the day. |
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| June 23, 2011 Note the wild grow in the western part of the garden. This was a haven for groundhogsand other small animals. |
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| April 19, 2012 Most gardeners in this region begin summer crops after May 15. This is traditionally thought of as the last day of expected frost. Ideally, this growth would have been turned into the soil with organic matter. Stalks should be removed during fall cleanup. Insects winter in the stalks and lay eggs. Leftover stalks provide insects a great place to hatch and grow. |
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| May 6, 2012 We were told that the present condition of the garden is unsightly and does not fit in with the surrounding neighborhood. Here the traditional rows are beautiful. Take a look at the gardens border. Does that represent the neighborhood? |
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| May 6, 2012 These photos were taken on my birthday. I visited the garden often and was just beginning to document the goings on in the 4th Ward. Again, check out the borders of the garden. Look at the overgrown borders and the ribbon by the street. Mr. Gainey and George Owens are good farmers and used a technique that my father and large farmers used in the south in farm country. The site slopes downhill towards the east and Lafayette Place. These seasoned farmers plowed their traditional rows across the space going north and south. This practice slowed the flow of water down to hold it in the garden. |
 Councilman Wayne Hamer's First 4th Ward Town Hall at Community Baptist Church. A Genesee Avenue Resident complained about unsightly vegetation in
the garden.
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| October 27, 2012 10 days after the Resident's complaint about rotting vegetation and his collision with a deer. He blamed this on the garden. There was merit in his complaint. He had a valid point. He just wanted the corner to look better all year round. The bulldozer removed the cold crop. All of the crops that withstand frost were scraped off the garden site. Collards, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, lettuce were removed and discarded. |
substituting for Mayor Frank Huttle III and presided over the Council that night. The Council agreed informally, without taking a vote that the garden could remain a garden. Mayor Huttle returned from his Florida trip and was there at the end of the meeting. The City Manager and I had some words. He was not very nice, to say the least. That is history. It seems that somewhere between that Tuesday, April 23 and that Thursday, April 25 this decision was reversed. Orders were given to destroy the garden. A neighbor of the called me and I got there minutes after the bulldozer left the site.
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| April 25, 2013 - The date of the Englewood Public School District's re-organization meeting. 3 new School Board Members were sworn in on this day. The New School Board Members had a very joyous meeting that included a lot of applause. This took place only a few hours after the bulldozer retreated from the site leaving tracks in the street. One of the New School Board Members had to drive pass this site everyday. |
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| April 25, 2013 - Nothing was ever supposed to be planted here again. Another larger machine wassent in after the bulldozer did its work. This large piece of machinery had a large metal heavy drum with3 inch spikes on it. I spoke to the driver and asked him what he was doing. He told me that he was tillingthe soil. I told him that the machine he was driving is using to compact dirt roads in the south in preparation for black top. He told me that the machine was used to prepare the parks for grass seed. I assured him that we were not planting grass seed and asked him to please stop. |
An online Petition was developed in which we asked the Mayor and City Council to designate the over 100 year old garden site a historic site. We collected over 3,000 signatures, mostly from New Jersey residents. A Change.org petition asking the Mayor and the City Council to create and ordinance that would designate the garden a historic site has collected 3,510 signatures. This is the Garden State. We must keep the Garden State Green when and where we can.
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| May 3, 2013 Rick Whilby, John Khorhian, Norman Gainey, Curtis Caviness |
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| May 10, 2013 |
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| May 10, 2013
The first load of topsoil intended to help repair the garden was donated by
a local landscaping business. Ricardo Whilby of Red Hills Towing
and Better Image, a local Landscaping business.
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| May 10, 2013 Demonstrates the depth of soil removal |
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| May 22, 2013 |
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| May 23, 2013 |
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| May 24, 2013 |
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| May 28, 2013 May 15 is traditionally the last day of frost in the spring. Tomatoes, peppers and various other vegetables are planted at this time. Spinach, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, beets, potatoes and other early vegetables would have been planted already. |
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| June 7, 2013 |
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| June 19, 2013 |
They tried. That little garden tiller is just
not built to do the job of a harrow disc tiller
on the back of a real tractor.
not built to do the job of a harrow disc tiller
on the back of a real tractor.
Check out how this landscaper's roto tiller is not even going down 3 inches deep. The crust that
needs breaking is down at least 6 to 8 inches. This simple garden tool is just scraping the top
of the crust. We really needed a harrow disc to go down deep to turn the soil to aerate it.
MUNICIPAL LAND USE LAW
New Jersey Statutes Annotated Historic Preservation Related Sections
NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION • NATURAL & HISTORIC RESOURCES • HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
http://www.nj.gov/dep/hpo/3preserve/mlul_7_07.pdf
C. 40:55D-65.1
HISTORIC DESIGNATIONS IN ZONING ORDINANCES
HISTORIC DESIGNATIONS IN ZONING ORDINANCES
A zoning ordinance may designate and regulate historic sites or historic districts and provide design criteria and guidelines therefor. Designation and regulation pursuant to this section shall be in addition to such designation and regulation as the zoning ordinance may otherwise require.
Except as provided hereunder, after July 1, 1994, all historic sites and historic districts designated in the zoning ordinance shall be based on identifications in the historic preservation plan element of the master plan. Until July 1, 1994, any such designation may be based on identifications in the historic preservation plan element, the land use plan element or community facilities plan element of the master plan. The governing body may, at any time, adopt, by affirmative vote of a majority of its authorized membership, a zoning ordinance designating one or more historic sites or historic districts that are not based on identifications in the historic preservation plan element, the land use plan element or community facilities plan element, provided the reasons for the action of the governing body are set forth in a resolution and recorded in the minutes of the governing body. L. 1991, c. 199, § 5, eff. July 9, 1991. C.
To be continued......
How are the children?
