Community garden planned in Monongahela
The garden will be located at Mounds Park in the former playground area.
The garden will be located at Mounds Park in the former playground area.
Monongahela plans to develop a community garden at Mounds Park.
Michelle DeSantis, the project’s director, announced the community garden at Wednesday’s council meeting.
“I know that we have been talking for maybe a little over a year now, and I think we finally have our ducks in a row to where we’re ready to (start) this year,” DeSantis said.
The community garden will be placed in the area of the park’s former playground. In addition to building the garden, there will be workshops and events held at Mounds Park for those with a green thumb.
“This is something that I’m hoping the young and the old can get together with and see what we can do down there, and just make it another focal point down there for the city residents,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis told council she has some supplies for the garden already, including fencing and raised garden beds.
She intends to invite other local organizations to take part in the garden.
“Hopefully, it’ll expand as the years go on,” she said.
DeSantis will keep council abreast of what’s going on with the garden as it develops and intends to hold the initial planning meeting in the first week of March.
“Obviously, I’ll be conversing with you guys, and you guys are kind of like my boss, but I’m OK with that,” she said. “I do want the city involved in this as much as possible.”
DeSantis also said she has plans to put in at least a couple garden beds at Hillcrest Park, but that project is in its “beginning stages.”
To volunteer at the community garden, send an email to moundscommunitygarden@gmail.com.
For those who may want to donate materials for the garden, a wish list is available on Amazon: https://www. amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ ls/19R47H1BDGJMD?ref.
In other business, council voted to:
• Reappoint Michael Stillwagon and appoint Chris Spahr to the municipal authority board.
• Apply for a Small Water and Sewer Grant through the Department of Community and Economic Development.
