Roscoe Village Community Garden in Early Planning Stage

A community garden could be coming to Roscoe Village in 2014, with the help of two women who have already seen success with a similar garden in Northcenter.

Although land plans aren’t finalized, the garden is slated for Clark Park, east of the Chicago River near the soon-to-be boat house and Kerry Wood Cubs Field. 

The Clark Park Advisory Council—a nonprofit group that supports the park—designated space for native plants and a community garden after the city bought the park land.

Lisa Hish and Elizabeth Wenscott presented the concept to the Roscoe Village Neighbors at a meeting Tuesday night.

Only two months into the planning process, Hish said they approached the neighborhood association, “way early in the game” to gauge interest for a partnership. 

Hish and Wenscott are no strangers to community gardening. They were the driving force behind the Montrose Green—a garden that opened in 2012 at 1819 W. Montrose Ave. 

The garden’s 137 plots were sold out in less than 24 hours, Hish said. More than 100 families reserved plots along with areas for the Common Food Pantry and local restaurants. 

“The model worked,” she said. 

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The two, who served on the Northcenter Neighbors’ environmental committee, started working with Ward 47 Ald. Ameya Pawar’s office to research other community garden locations. 

Since the proposed location is outside the Northcenter Neighbors’ borders, Hish and Wenscott wanted the support of the Roscoe Village Neighbors before moving forward with the project. 

Hish said the associations’ commitment would be more volunteer-based than financial, with plot owners paying for their space.

Treasurer Chris Wilcox, who was running the meeting in the absence of President Brian O’Connell, said he’d be interested in keeping informed about the garden as it progresses.