City of Shoreline to Design a New Community Garden at Twin Ponds Park

As part of the City’s adopted Healthy City Strategy the City of Shoreline will break ground on a new community garden at Twin Ponds Park in the spring of 2012. A public meeting to give input on the garden’s design will be held Thursday, January 19 at 7:00 p.m. at , 1315 N. 160^th Street in Shoreline.

In September 2011 the City adopted its Healthy City Strategy. The Strategy calls for the City to use its resources and influence to create an environment that supports and encourages community members to make healthy lifestyle choices around eating, physical activity and healthy behaviors.

Community gardens bring residents together to share knowledge about gardening, grow vegetables and flowers or other plants and build community. Community gardens are also valuable assets for neighborhood residents living in condominiums and apartments. Long term, the City hopes to support more community gardens as resources and community interest grow. Individual garden plots at Twin Ponds will be available for adoption by residents. The spring 2012 Shoreline Recreation Guide will provide details about how to register for a plot.

Community gardens are not new to Shoreline. There are a growing number of gardens tended by students at , , and to name a few. and both installed gardens that grow fresh produce for Hopelink’s local food bank and provide plots that residents can adopt.

Another Shoreline group, Diggin’ Shoreline, promotes gardening and offers resources to help start community gardens. It played a key role in getting in the ground at Aldercrest Annex, a Shoreline School District site.

To learn more about the City’s community garden at visit shorelinewa.gov/communitygarden or contact Parks Project Coordinator Maureen Colaizzi at mcolaizzi@shorelinewa.gov or (206) 801-2603. For information about the City of Shoreline’s Healthy City Strategy contact Community Services Manager Rob Beem at rbeem@shorelinewa.gov or (206) 801-2251.

Source: City of Shoreline.