The La Mirada City Council will review the possibility of having a community garden return to La Mirada at Frontier Park. In November 2020, city staff began to explore the feasibility of establishing a community garden program at Frontier Park. A community garden would provide access to fresh food and produce, offer physical activity through garden maintenance, and improve social connections among community members. The addition of a community garden program at Frontier Park could also provide children attending the afterschool program access to the garden and its educational opportunities.
Frontier Park, located at 13212 Marquardt Avenue, is a six-acre passive park with play equipment, picnic areas, and a community building. This neighborhood park has ample open space that the city believes could support the addition of a community garden.
The area of Frontier Park most suitable for a community garden is a portion of the northeast section of the park. This section of the park measures approximately 5,100 square feet and could accommodate approximately 24 10’x15′ garden plots. This area would require site preparation including removal of existing turf, relocation of recently planted trees, water access with the installation of hose bibs, staking and construction of garden plots, placement of walkways, the establishment of a central refuse collection area, and construction of a perimeter fence and gate. Staff estimates preparation of the community garden site to cost approximately $45,000.
Once established, access to the community gardens would be made available to La Mirada residents in one of three proposed ways.
Proposal #1 – The first way community members could participate in the community gardens program would be similar to how the program was managed prior to its suspension in 2017. Residents would request a garden plot from the City and be assigned one based on availability. Plots would be allotted to individuals on an annual basis for a set fee. The fee would be approximately $120 to $150 annually. Each gardener would be required to sign a use agreement outlining the policies governing the community gardens program.
Proposal #2 – An alternative to providing access to the community gardens would avoid the assignment of garden plots to individuals and make the community gardens a communal project. Garden plots would not be available to individuals and instead, the entire site would be available to any resident who wished to participate. Community members would be invited to the gardens during open hours to take part in planned and/or scheduled activities. Volunteers with experience in gardening would be recruited to lead activities in planting, tending, and harvesting produce grown in the gardens. Events such as farmers markets featuring produce grown in the garden, as well as outside vendors, could be hosted at the site as well. This approach would allow more than 24 individuals to participate in the community gardens program. It would open opportunities to residents who have an interest in gardening but are unable to devote significant time to this activity. A drawback of this option would be that without dedicated users of various sections of the garden, it could result in City staff performing the necessary maintenance.
Proposal #3 – A third option could be a hybrid approach where a number of plots are assigned to individuals and a section is dedicated to open communal use. As the use of the community gardens is tracked, the allotment of the site could be adjusted.
If you have questions or would like to learn more about the proposed community garden program and Frontier Park, contact the Community Services Department at (562) 943-7277.
Source: City of La Mirada