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Save Henry's raised bed garden in Somerville, MA
The Petition
Update: the City of Somerville and Steven MacEachern and his colleagues, plan to use City resources to remove this garden on or after October 22nd, 2012.
(Here are some photos, including the mess the City left when removing a tree, and the garden it deems "illegal"):
Yet Somerville's Superintendent Highway Lights and Lines thinks these flowers are dangerous.
Steve MacEachern, the Superintendent of Highway Lights and lines, has written the following to me:
Steve MacEachern, the Superintendent of Highway Lights and lines, has written the following to me:
"It has come to attention that there is, what was called over growth, in the tree pit area that need to be removed. The highway dept went out to cut the "over growth" only to find flowers planted. The flowers are growing to a height causing a safety problem and need to be removed. I am giving you a chance to re plant before the highway crew returns Monday July 30th to clean the grass area. If you have any questions please let me know..
Thank You
Steven MacEachern
SMacEachern@somervillema.gov
Superintendent Highway Lights and Lines
City of Somerville"
Thank You
Steven MacEachern
SMacEachern@somervillema.gov
Superintendent Highway Lights and Lines
City of Somerville"
Though our family's letter-writing campaign, a wonderful protest by a local, innovative day camp, and the kind support of my Alderman, Bob Trane, enough attention has been raised regarding the issue that destruction has been delayed for an indeterminate amount of time. We still do not know the fate of this garden.
The Director for Communications of the City of Somerville has written the following to us:
"So far as I know based on my discussions with the DPW, the City does not object to residents planting and tending small flowering plants in the plots surrounding City-planted and City-owned trees, but structures of the size and type you have created – and collections of flowering plants of the height to which yours have grown – are not permitted on these public way verges anywhere in the city.
We are happy in the midst of our other duties to explore what options may be open to you. And, while we continue to explore these options, I can assure you that no action will be taken to remove the box garden you built on public property. I can also assure you that we will report back to you, and any other interested parties, as soon as we are satisfied that we fully understand the matter. I should emphasize, however, that both Denise and I will ultimately defer to the judgment: of our DPW colleagues: this is their field of expertise.
I appreciate your patience while we continue our review.
Thank you again for all of your communications.
Sincerely,
Thomas P. Champion
Executive Director of Communications and Cable
City of Somerville
These plants are not "overgrowth"-- they are contained flowers and vegetables in a carefully constructed bed that built with our children to memorialize a very old tree torn down without notice by the city of Somerville last year. We don't understand how small sunflowers (they are not the 6-8 foot variety!) and vegetables planted in a bed can be a traffic hazard, nor do we understand what standards are being applied in coming to any sort of decision at all.
We've written: "I would very much like to know what an acceptable height for flowers is--and also how that differs from standards for shrubs planted in Blvd. medians and how this differs from standards for trees. As we've mentioned, a very wide and tall tree was removed from this very spot.
I would hope from the extremely supportive response we have received (both online and from our neighbors) the city would carefully consider whether it's really in anyone's best interest to remove a small, entirely innocuous bed with a few flowers in it based on a single complaint from a single neighbor. Of course it's the city's prerogative to raze an eight-year old's small garden in front of his house if it's administrators choose, but that doesn't make such destruction a right or kind decision."
Help us keep green public space tended with the wishes of the community in mind, and help us support urban agriculture in Somerville.