By Gretchen Webster
WESTPORT — The fate of Westport Community Gardens, a thorny issue debated for more than a year as plans for a new Long Lots Elementary School took shape, was discussed again Thursday at a Town Hall meeting and a field trip to the Baron’s South open space property.
But the gatherings, attended by about 40 gardeners, yielded no final decisions on how to proceed, while the current site of the two-decade-old gardens is poised to be part of a construction zone for the new Long Lots next year.
The first meeting at Town Hall with the Long Lots School Building Committee was convened to discuss what the gardeners need if they decide to return to a not-yet-determined site on the Hyde Lane property after the new Long Lots is completed, likely not until the 2028 growing season.
The second gathering was a tour of the site on town-owned Baron’s South to discuss the proposal by First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker to instead replant the community gardens there.
On Thursday, there was no clear agreement among the gardeners on either option.
Some were concerned that, in the end, there would no suitable land left for gardening on the 24-acre Long Lots property after the new school is built, the old building is demolished and a new multipurpose athletic field is added. The gardens cannot grow without adequate sunlight, they said, but the exact location of the “restored” gardens will not be determined until final architectural plans for the new school are adopted and possibly not even until after it is built.
The land proposed for the relocated gardens on Baron’s South, however, contains what Public Works Director Peter Ratkiewich called “natural arsenic.” The soil — fill that was excavated when the Westport Center for Senior Activities was built — has been tested and retested, he said, and is safe for gardening.
Some gardeners want to return to the Long Lots property, while others were happier with Tooker’s recommendation, which could be available years earlier and allows more accessible hours. Because of school security rules, the existing gardens can be visited only when classes are not in session.
Given the difference of opinions, several gardeners suggested there be two smaller gardens, one in each location. That is impossible, Tooker told them.
“This is not in addition to the gardens on Hyde Lane,” she said of the Baron’s South plan. “It’s a replacement.”
At the first meeting with the gardeners, two members of the Long Lots Building Committee, Chairman Jay Keenan and Srikanth Puttagunta, listened to gardeners’ “wish lists” of what would be required to rebuild the gardens on the Long Lots property. “Sunshine — lots of sun,” was noted by several gardeners as the top priority for re-establishing gardens on the school property.
Other needs called out by the gardeners included water lines, good soil, wood chips, planter boxes, electricity and a portable toilet. Fencing to keep out deer, groundhogs and rabbits is also needed, and a separate entrance from the school property would be welcome, they said.
The site “needs to be level,” one gardener said, and “The land needs to be remediated after construction,” said another.
One request — “I’d like to go back to my plot in the exact same place” — is likely impossible, Keenan said. The Long Lots property is going to be a construction site for several years, he noted.
During the Town Hall meeting, many gardeners appeared to favor returning to the Long Lots property. But when they gathered at Baron’s South for the field trip with Tooker, the fact that they could start gardening again as early as next spring and would have more access to their plots made that alternative more palatable to some.
Concerns about the quality of the soil remained, however, with some worried about the possibility that the soil contained other toxins, in addition to the arsenic. Ratkiewich said the soil is safe, according to the testing results in the 2020 “Thunderbird Report” posted on the town’s website.
If the gardens are relocated to Baron’s South, an 8-24 land-use report must be approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission, Tooker explained. An application for an appropriation would also have to be made by the Westport Community Gardens to the Board of Finance, several Representative Town Meeting committees and the full RTM to pay for leveling out the property and adding amenities such as water lines, she said.
But first, the gardeners need to make a choice. A meeting of the group’s steering committee is planned Friday, Nov. 1, according to Sally Kleinman, a committee member.
The gardens on Hyde Lane will be accessible, except during school hours, until Dec. 31. It may be possible to extend the closing date for a few months, Keenan said, so that plants can be moved during winter when they are dormant, as some gardeners have requested.
Anyone with additional comments or concerns about the gardens may email Keenan at jkeenanllsbc@gmail.com or Susan Chipouras, the project manager for the building committee, at smchipouras@vinmas.com.
Freelance writer Gretchen Webster, a Fairfield County journalist for many years, was editor of the Fairfield Minuteman and has taught journalism at New York and Southern Connecticut State universities.
I’m curious to know why it is “impossible” to have 2 gardens ? Can anyone out there explain that to me. It appears on the face of it to be an incredibly vindictive stance.
The gardeners who have every right to remain on the long lots property post construction, as permitted under the 8-24, have been subjected to all sorts of bully boy tactics.
Between their being endlessly taunted during the entire process, to the after 4pm only, during school hours new unnecessary rule, to the threat of possibly a shaded area making gardening more difficult, to the twisted arm offer of Barons South, ( as an alternative – not an additional, the reason, other than to literally force their hands completely escapes me)
Has the Administration of this town completely lost their minds.
All the talk about green space in the downtown, and destroying businesses to get it, AKA forcing downtown customers to choose going to the likes of sono mall because parking already a nightmare would be A CATASTROPHE, yet, we aren’t willing to offer the tax paying residents of this town 2 community gardens. Let’s not forget all taxpayers are having to suck it up, and pay for the new school build because the last 3 administrations refused to maintain Long Lots correctly.
I sincerely hope I am one of thousands who would like to know what makes having both locations “impossible”.
DISGRACEFUL
I hope the gardeners stand firm together, turn down the offer of Barons South and return to Long Lots after construction. After all that is what the 8-24 permits.
All tax payers in this town should be demanding more community gardens in any available space.
In 2018, to save 15k in carting costs, the town illegally dumped hundreds of yards of construction fill laced with plastic, rubber, concrete, glass, stumps, asphalt and shards of asbestos pipe in Baron’s South.
Using a bulldozer, it leveled the pile off and told the astonished neighbors that the dump was a “privacy berm”.
Concerned citizens soon blew the whistle. Department heads dove for cover. Subsequent soil testing found concern levels of arsenic and DDT. The test author noted that the dump wasn’t a threat to the public because so few go there and even fewer have physical contact with the contaminated soil.
The First Selectman subsequently promised the RTM the illegal dump would be cleaned up in 90 days.
That never happened.
About a month ago, in response to a direct question from a well known local elected official, Mr. Ratkiewitch admitted that he needed to remove the dump and explained that he planned to fully restore the site with assistance from DEEP.
But now that’s all been walked back. Now the offer to the gardeners is: grow food on top of the dump and feed it to your families. Take it or leave it.
Why must we expect so little from our government? Is it really such a big ask to do the right thing?
Morley, it is insanity what this administration thinks it can do! It’s like the DESPOTS of Westport with a bunch of total morons licking their feet ! Who do they actually think they are ?
Where do they think they get off ?
One idea more stupid than the next. One agenda on top of another- all terrible ideas, and borne out of narcissistic gas lighting.
Impossible to put the gardens on both long lots and somewhere else certainly not barons toxic garbage soil.. intentionally not remediated by the town..
How utterly disgraceful!
Somebody’s counting votes for next November and figures they got more with long lots parents than with gardeners. Same with Parker Harding, apparently the merchants don’t get a say because they are just tax payers and not residents( though lots of us are both)
It’s like the same premise of opening borders, legalizing the illegals and moving them to the swing states.
But more worrisome is the Despot Trend of setting residents against one and other while the adultchild is throwing a tantrum in their own perceived sandbox.
It’s so tiresome.
Can nobody just do the right thing anymore ?
Apparently not !
From Day #1, the community gardeners witnessed their approaching displacement.
Yet, the simple truth remains, as was proven by the site plans generated by numerous architects and engineers who rallied in an attempt to save the community gardens;
the Long Lots School site possesses adequate square footage to build a new school structure, provide sufficient parking and ball fields and most importantly, leave the community garden in its exact location.
For some reason, the Tooker Administration, including her hand picked Long Lots School Committee, remain unwilling to acknowledge and respect a community institution that long proceeded not only her political career but her residency within our community.
Our First Selectwoman demonstrates a leadership style grounded in steamrolling all who oppose her, reflecting her inability or unwillingness but most certainly her unworthiness to lead this Town. True democratic leadership involves hefty doses of compromise, empathy, humility and grace, all traits missing from our current leader.
Westport residents should keep this mind for Election Day 2025 when those in local office seek re-election.
It’s the same people from the CMS committee, is it not?
It’s actually quite easy to destroy things of value, beauty and promise.
The former public park known as Baron’s South is a case in point. We have a large, wooded campus in the very heart of our downtown – it’s the only one of its kind in the entire state.
We paid millions to acquire it and yet the land has been been, by turns, mistreated and ignored for decades.
It has attractive, vintage buildings which, despite the town’s general indifference, could yet be brought back to service for various uses.
The interesting topography has been thoughtlessly used as a convenient dumping ground while invasives such as Mile-a-minute spread unchecked.
In sum, this public asset has been brought to its knees by the very people we have elected to safeguard it.
And it was easy.
All it took was apathy, a lack of vision – and a quiet inclination to betray a fundamental responsibility to that which is in the public trust.
Is this what you call …. Extortion? Coercion? Blackmail? Abuse of authority?
There is absolutely no need to destroy the existing garden in order to build a school. Period.
There is absolutely no excuse not to build additional gardens elsewhere while maintaining the existing site.
Town leaders, you cannot possibly believe we have too many gardens?
Stop the coercion. It is conduct unbecoming and a disgrace to all manner of Westport citizens.
Rise Up.
“The beatings will continue until morale improves.”
So why did you not accept Barons when you and Lou had a meeting with the Selectwomen’s office?
Westport could have had two gardens right now, also established!
Because it meant giving up the Hyde Lane garden, just as now. Same tactic. In fact I suggested at that time that Baron’s South could be IN ADDITION to the existing site. The FSW refused to considered it then, as now.
Giving up land that the Community Gardens signed off on in 2022 willingly and knowingly that the garden would be destroyed and relocated for the LLS rebuild? it was temporary since being relocated now twice from two prior school rebuilds, was it not?
Missed on two seasons at Barons so far, enough already.
Not sure where you got that. In 2022 there was an agreement from the town to build the Preserve. Had nothing to do with the garden. Separate entity; separate issue. The WCG NEVER gave up the Long Lots Site.
I too wonder why 2 gardens were absolutely put off the table by our Administration especially after viewing the offered Baron’s space, half of which, will be on an incline and perhaps with dubious soil even after remediation. We have 20 Athletic fields for our youth yet 1 Garden has been deemed sufficient for a very high percentage of population our over 50 not to mention at least 4500 seniors according to the last census – and all are tax payers.
These gardens require no dollars from the town once established and provide numerous benefits and we have the room with judicious
planning. Two Gardens will also give our youth a great opportunity to learn to incorporate gardening into their lives and a break from technology, academic stress etc as well as an excellent venue for multigenerational interaction. One Garden only seems short sighted and limits so many wonderful possibilities.
Also keep in mind as of now we have well over 300 plus apartment units already approved and about to build and who knows how many more in the near future without any, or very limited outdoor space. It just makes good sense to allow more of us,and the newcomers, to have access to such a healthy pastime which also benefits our environment. I find it a shame our Administration will not consider the benefits both now and in the future to the citizens of OUR town…