MILL CREEK — The Mill Creek City Council unanimously passed a resolution in support of community gardens March 9.
The resolution supports the creation and operation of community gardens, also called P-patches, in hopes of raising public awareness of the opportunity. The city also will foster cooperation with groups interested in development of community gardens.
“The city knows there is interest in the community for a garden,” said Camille Chriest, senior planner with the city’s Community Development Department. “Community gardens provide a good opportunity for people to get together, an inexpensive option for growing food and a great opportunity for newer gardeners to learn from those with more experience.”
The next step is to find space in Mill Creek for a garden and residents to organize and run it, Chriest said. Through the resolution there is the possibility that conditional use fees for land not zoned for a garden, up to $2,500, could be waived.
A potential site was explored. However, the property owner decided the cost of development — adding raised beds, a gravel roadway and making water available — was higher than anticipated and the location was scrapped as a garden site.
“Even in a suburban community, where you would think everyone has space for a garden, there are people in condos and apartments who don’t,” Chriest said. “Sometimes lots are too small or there is too much shade. We’ve heard from residents that the social side of community gardening is a huge attraction.”
Property owners with a potential site to host a community garden and citizens interested in organizing a site should contact Chriest at 425-921-5738 or camillerc@cityofmillcreek.com.
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