Good Evening esteemed members of the Redondo Beach City Council. My name is Shirly Barrett. I am the current Garden Manager and Master Gardener for the \Hermosa Beach Community Garden(HBCG). I am encouraged by Brianna Egan and her volunteer team to establish a community garden in the City of Redondo Beach. A Community Garden is a valuable asset to the community at large, by offering land to grow food, for the residents that do not have land to grow their own food. The Community Garden(CG) offers an opportunity to build community as well. An opportunity to interact with neighbors and members of the community at large. The CG provides opportunities for learning about, food, flowers and pollinators; how to compost green and food waste; how worms are important to the success of composting and the black gold they produce, natural and free fertilizer as well as a soil builder. I have been approached by no less than 20 individuals in the past 2 years looking to become members at the HBCG. Unfortunately, I had to turn them away, as the HBCG rules only permit HB residents to become members of the HBCG. Of the requests I receive, they are reaching out, because the opportunity does not exist in RB. I am in full support of the efforts of Brianna and her team, I encourage the RB City Council to listen and hear what her team is requesting and hope you all will give her the support to build the RBCG. Thank you all for listening to her, hearing her and considering to approve her request. Thank You, Shirly Barrett, Hermosa Beach Community Garden, Garden Manager and Master Gardener.
I support a community garden. Before approving the 900 Torrance Blvd. site you should analyze the soil to see if it is contaminated from the location of Viking Cleaners there during the 50s and 60s.
I am a resident of Redondo, but a volunteer at the Hermosa Beach Community Garden. We talk to numerous Redondo residents at the park and on-line who would love to see a community garden in Redondo!
We need a community garden! If Covid-19 taught us anything, it’s that we need to be prepared for emergencies. We can’t be 100% dependent on grocery stores. It would allow us to be self sufficient. We need a community garden!
A Community, exactly what you think of when you hear Redondo! It's well known a Community garden focuses on the good nature of one person to teach another, and to create a safe place for people of all ages to learn and to take their knowledge home to share with family and friends. A Community garden would literally plant seeds across the community, of Redondo Beach for future generations.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'the time is always right to do what is right'. Community gardens benefits are well documented. Let's have many of the RBUSD kids initiated to gardening by BCHD volunteers make another step toward sustainability.
District 5, resident 11 years
I fully support a community garden in Redondo Beach. As a lifelong resident of Redondo Beach, I know that there is intergenerational appetite for spaces around which we can build connections. A community garden uniquely addresses this need because it creates opportunities for people to share their time and work toward healthy food that nourishes us, including those among us who may not have enough money for healthy eating. I am very proud of efforts through the Blue Zones Project that have prioritized our community's health and well being. I see this proposed effort as squarely in line with that theme. Moreover, it would positively impact the social fabric of our community and give folks a constructive outlet to "pay it forward." I know the organizers have been extremely thoughtful and dedicated in planning this effort and I look forward to seeing the literal fruits of their labor become a new cornerstone of our community.
I am in full support of a community garden. There are so many benefits with gardening.
Here are some known facts of community gardens. Source: https://sustainablefoodcenter.org/latest/gardening/strengthening-communities-through-community-gardens
"Community gardens draw members who live nearby, they provide the opportunity to meet, work beside, and even form friendships with people in your neighborhood.
A growing body of scholarly literature points to the health benefits of gardening and spending time in nature. Studies have shown therapeutic benefits for people recovering from psychological ailments such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; mental and emotional benefits for aging seniors; and improved attention in children with Attention Deficit Disorder.
They are a place for children (and adults!) to explore nature in the middle of urban areas. Spend 5 minutes at a community garden, and you’ll find birds, lizards, plants and insects at all stages of life--a vibrant ecosystem in action.
Gardening has been shown to provide a plethora of benefits in children, including improved attitudes toward healthy food, improved understanding of life science concepts, and improved interpersonal skills.
They provide a space to grow low-cost, fresh fruits and vegetables for people without space to garden at home."
I know first hand what an amazing experience community gardens are. When I lived in Mar Vista I was part of the Ocean View Farms and I truly miss it. And the joy and pride of your harvest. The feeling of satisfaction when you get to pick the fruit of one's labor.
Thank you!
I live right on the border of Redondo and Torrance, and my Hollywood Riviera location allows us to have a community plot in Lago Sego Park, a short distance from our home.
We've had this for about six years; it's been an extraordinary gift, and never more so than in this past 12 months! We are able to grow spinach, beets, tomatoes, cauliflower, peas and on and on and on.
It has given us an entirely new appreciation of what it is like to be able to eat truly fresh food. It also enhances the work that I do volunteering with the Blue Zones community and the Restaurant Ambassadors group, which is all about encouraging plant-based, healthy eating in our community.
I know the impact of Blue Zone's project with their gardens at the RB elementary schools; it's amazing for a child to realize where food comes from, and the fact that it actually grows in the ground, NOT on the shelves in the supermarket.
I strongly endorse the idea of enabling residents to have access to community garden plots.
To have anything other than a positive response to the community garden, the RBCG Committee, or the SBPC in its work pertaining to the community garden (which is the topic being discussed and the agenda item), is immature and unfounded. The SBPC does great, proactive work for our green spaces and helps to ensure the health and well-being of the residents of this community by helping protect and nourish our limited nature and parklands. Politics doesn't belong in the discussion about the community garden. Let's remove it. The Recreation and Parks Commission unanimously approved this project to send to City Council many months ago. During the pandemic, it became extremely clear that residents wanted to cultivate something new and healthy; many planting their own little gardens with the limited space they had. We owe it to our residents and children to give them a designated space for this purpose, and we need devoted volunteers like the RBCG committee and SBPC committee to help oversee the process of getting it going and keeping it functional. While there's some logistics that need to be figured out, the proposal is thorough and thoughtful and the Council should do everything in its power to get this going in an efficient, timely fashion. Emphasis on timely. Thank you.
Kate Korman-Sooper
Chair, Recreation & Parks Commission
I love the idea of a community garden, and Redondo Beach couldn’t be a more perfect place! Community gardening promotes healthy living on a number of levels: it provides connection between community members and common purpose, it promotes healthy eating, it encourages multigenerational and multicultural engagement, and gardens provide beautiful green spaces. As a registered Blue Zones community, we are already clearly committed to the aforementioned benefits, and a community garden would continue our evolution as a healthy beach community.
I joined the RBCG committee to bring the following benefits, among others, to the residents of Redondo Beach:
-Community gardens boost public health, mental health, and access to healthy nutrition.
-Gardens improve green space and beautify neighborhoods. They take eyesores and swaths of grass and replace it with productive spaces.
-Community gardens bring the community together, and strengthen community connections and resilience.
-Growing your own food reduces the carbon footprint of your diet. Soil management, composting, and growing fruit trees all help to draw down carbon from the atmosphere to combat climate change and urban heat islands.
I support the idea of a community garden. What I DO NOT support is the "non-profit" South Bay Parkland Conservancy or any of the people who are associated with that organization having anything to do with this, for the following reasons:
1) SBPC continues to take political contributions, donations and hosts the domains for certain candidates from this last election like Bill Brand, among others. If that's not a conflict of interest, then I don't know what is.
2) SBPC as a non-profit, should be completely transparent with their financials and what their funds are used for - THEY ARE NOT despite NUMEROUS requests from various private individuals in Redondo Beach. What 501(c)3 gets to ignore a request of this kind? In my opinion, this is not only pretty shady, but downright bad practice, if not possibly criminal.
3) This organization hasn't provided proper proof to anyone or the City Council that they are IRS compliant and they simply refuse to do so.
4) These facts alone should mean that Bill Brand, who's on the SBPC board, along with Nils Nehrenheim and Todd Loewenstein (who also possibly had donations, etc. from/via SBPC) can't vote on ANYTHING having to do with the SBPC or the parkland issue because this presents a huge conflict of interest and they should not be allowed to participate in discussions to support them.
5) These individuals need to recuse themselves on any votes on this matter.
Before ANYTHING proceeds with this issue, South Bay Parkland Conservancy needs to show proof that they are in IRS compliance and show this proof to the City Council and any private individuals who have requested documentation. Anything less, in my opinion, would be not only fiscally and morally irresponsible but almost criminal.
Additionally, do we really want to open ourselves up to more lawsuits, since Jim Light sits on their board and he has been party to or instigated various lawsuits against our city on more than one occasion, for various reasons, to the tune of over $1.5 million?
Let's be smart about this, Redondo City Council.
There are many residents in our community that do not have the space to adequately garden. It would be wonderful to have a spot where we can gather to grow our own food, share our produce and teach our children. Gardening has many proven benefits to helping people to stay active and relieve stress. In addition, a community garden brings neighbors together, all while respecting and protecting the environment. Please consider supporting the Community Garden to enhance our our already beautiful city.
I am FULL support of this community garden as I have seen what impact it provides as a Garden Docent at my son's School (Alta Vista) for the past 3 years. Gardening has the power to really UNITE this community along with providing Fresh Produce, Cleaning the Environment, beautiful our City and so much more! We need MORE opportunities to get the children involved. Thank you! Valerie
I support building a community garden in Redondo Beach. Lots of people have started gardening during the pandemic. Gardening is a great way to get outside, get some fresh air and exercise, and you get food! This is long overdue in our city.
Community gardens are great for the environment and our community. Plants clean our air. Gardens are happy spaces for people. Growing healthy food, working along-side our friends and neighbors, and sharing produces will be perfect hands-on educational experiences for our children and ourselves. This will bond us to each other and create a happier South Bay. I will definitely get involved to help build our community garden, especially if I can walk and not drive to it.
Christine Ng and Kim Wong
33-year residents of Redondo Beach, District 5
Good Evening esteemed members of the Redondo Beach City Council. My name is Shirly Barrett. I am the current Garden Manager and Master Gardener for the \Hermosa Beach Community Garden(HBCG). I am encouraged by Brianna Egan and her volunteer team to establish a community garden in the City of Redondo Beach. A Community Garden is a valuable asset to the community at large, by offering land to grow food, for the residents that do not have land to grow their own food. The Community Garden(CG) offers an opportunity to build community as well. An opportunity to interact with neighbors and members of the community at large. The CG provides opportunities for learning about, food, flowers and pollinators; how to compost green and food waste; how worms are important to the success of composting and the black gold they produce, natural and free fertilizer as well as a soil builder. I have been approached by no less than 20 individuals in the past 2 years looking to become members at the HBCG. Unfortunately, I had to turn them away, as the HBCG rules only permit HB residents to become members of the HBCG. Of the requests I receive, they are reaching out, because the opportunity does not exist in RB. I am in full support of the efforts of Brianna and her team, I encourage the RB City Council to listen and hear what her team is requesting and hope you all will give her the support to build the RBCG. Thank you all for listening to her, hearing her and considering to approve her request. Thank You, Shirly Barrett, Hermosa Beach Community Garden, Garden Manager and Master Gardener.
I support a community garden. Before approving the 900 Torrance Blvd. site you should analyze the soil to see if it is contaminated from the location of Viking Cleaners there during the 50s and 60s.
As a lifetime resident of Redondo Beach I fully support and look forward to having a community garden. I’d love to be part of it!!
I'm in support of a community garden for Redondo Beach. What a great way to engage the community and beautify our city at the same time.
I am a resident of Redondo, but a volunteer at the Hermosa Beach Community Garden. We talk to numerous Redondo residents at the park and on-line who would love to see a community garden in Redondo!
We need a community garden! If Covid-19 taught us anything, it’s that we need to be prepared for emergencies. We can’t be 100% dependent on grocery stores. It would allow us to be self sufficient. We need a community garden!
A Community, exactly what you think of when you hear Redondo! It's well known a Community garden focuses on the good nature of one person to teach another, and to create a safe place for people of all ages to learn and to take their knowledge home to share with family and friends. A Community garden would literally plant seeds across the community, of Redondo Beach for future generations.
I support a community garden for Redondo Beach. Community gardens are a great way to promote healthy lifestyles for our city.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'the time is always right to do what is right'. Community gardens benefits are well documented. Let's have many of the RBUSD kids initiated to gardening by BCHD volunteers make another step toward sustainability.
District 5, resident 11 years
I fully support a community garden in Redondo Beach. As a lifelong resident of Redondo Beach, I know that there is intergenerational appetite for spaces around which we can build connections. A community garden uniquely addresses this need because it creates opportunities for people to share their time and work toward healthy food that nourishes us, including those among us who may not have enough money for healthy eating. I am very proud of efforts through the Blue Zones Project that have prioritized our community's health and well being. I see this proposed effort as squarely in line with that theme. Moreover, it would positively impact the social fabric of our community and give folks a constructive outlet to "pay it forward." I know the organizers have been extremely thoughtful and dedicated in planning this effort and I look forward to seeing the literal fruits of their labor become a new cornerstone of our community.
I am in full support of a community garden. There are so many benefits with gardening.
Here are some known facts of community gardens. Source: https://sustainablefoodcenter.org/latest/gardening/strengthening-communities-through-community-gardens
"Community gardens draw members who live nearby, they provide the opportunity to meet, work beside, and even form friendships with people in your neighborhood.
A growing body of scholarly literature points to the health benefits of gardening and spending time in nature. Studies have shown therapeutic benefits for people recovering from psychological ailments such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; mental and emotional benefits for aging seniors; and improved attention in children with Attention Deficit Disorder.
They are a place for children (and adults!) to explore nature in the middle of urban areas. Spend 5 minutes at a community garden, and you’ll find birds, lizards, plants and insects at all stages of life--a vibrant ecosystem in action.
Gardening has been shown to provide a plethora of benefits in children, including improved attitudes toward healthy food, improved understanding of life science concepts, and improved interpersonal skills.
They provide a space to grow low-cost, fresh fruits and vegetables for people without space to garden at home."
I know first hand what an amazing experience community gardens are. When I lived in Mar Vista I was part of the Ocean View Farms and I truly miss it. And the joy and pride of your harvest. The feeling of satisfaction when you get to pick the fruit of one's labor.
Thank you!
I live right on the border of Redondo and Torrance, and my Hollywood Riviera location allows us to have a community plot in Lago Sego Park, a short distance from our home.
We've had this for about six years; it's been an extraordinary gift, and never more so than in this past 12 months! We are able to grow spinach, beets, tomatoes, cauliflower, peas and on and on and on.
It has given us an entirely new appreciation of what it is like to be able to eat truly fresh food. It also enhances the work that I do volunteering with the Blue Zones community and the Restaurant Ambassadors group, which is all about encouraging plant-based, healthy eating in our community.
I know the impact of Blue Zone's project with their gardens at the RB elementary schools; it's amazing for a child to realize where food comes from, and the fact that it actually grows in the ground, NOT on the shelves in the supermarket.
I strongly endorse the idea of enabling residents to have access to community garden plots.
To have anything other than a positive response to the community garden, the RBCG Committee, or the SBPC in its work pertaining to the community garden (which is the topic being discussed and the agenda item), is immature and unfounded. The SBPC does great, proactive work for our green spaces and helps to ensure the health and well-being of the residents of this community by helping protect and nourish our limited nature and parklands. Politics doesn't belong in the discussion about the community garden. Let's remove it. The Recreation and Parks Commission unanimously approved this project to send to City Council many months ago. During the pandemic, it became extremely clear that residents wanted to cultivate something new and healthy; many planting their own little gardens with the limited space they had. We owe it to our residents and children to give them a designated space for this purpose, and we need devoted volunteers like the RBCG committee and SBPC committee to help oversee the process of getting it going and keeping it functional. While there's some logistics that need to be figured out, the proposal is thorough and thoughtful and the Council should do everything in its power to get this going in an efficient, timely fashion. Emphasis on timely. Thank you.
Kate Korman-Sooper
Chair, Recreation & Parks Commission
I love the idea of a community garden, and Redondo Beach couldn’t be a more perfect place! Community gardening promotes healthy living on a number of levels: it provides connection between community members and common purpose, it promotes healthy eating, it encourages multigenerational and multicultural engagement, and gardens provide beautiful green spaces. As a registered Blue Zones community, we are already clearly committed to the aforementioned benefits, and a community garden would continue our evolution as a healthy beach community.
I joined the RBCG committee to bring the following benefits, among others, to the residents of Redondo Beach:
-Community gardens boost public health, mental health, and access to healthy nutrition.
-Gardens improve green space and beautify neighborhoods. They take eyesores and swaths of grass and replace it with productive spaces.
-Community gardens bring the community together, and strengthen community connections and resilience.
-Growing your own food reduces the carbon footprint of your diet. Soil management, composting, and growing fruit trees all help to draw down carbon from the atmosphere to combat climate change and urban heat islands.
I support the idea of a community garden. What I DO NOT support is the "non-profit" South Bay Parkland Conservancy or any of the people who are associated with that organization having anything to do with this, for the following reasons:
1) SBPC continues to take political contributions, donations and hosts the domains for certain candidates from this last election like Bill Brand, among others. If that's not a conflict of interest, then I don't know what is.
2) SBPC as a non-profit, should be completely transparent with their financials and what their funds are used for - THEY ARE NOT despite NUMEROUS requests from various private individuals in Redondo Beach. What 501(c)3 gets to ignore a request of this kind? In my opinion, this is not only pretty shady, but downright bad practice, if not possibly criminal.
3) This organization hasn't provided proper proof to anyone or the City Council that they are IRS compliant and they simply refuse to do so.
4) These facts alone should mean that Bill Brand, who's on the SBPC board, along with Nils Nehrenheim and Todd Loewenstein (who also possibly had donations, etc. from/via SBPC) can't vote on ANYTHING having to do with the SBPC or the parkland issue because this presents a huge conflict of interest and they should not be allowed to participate in discussions to support them.
5) These individuals need to recuse themselves on any votes on this matter.
Before ANYTHING proceeds with this issue, South Bay Parkland Conservancy needs to show proof that they are in IRS compliance and show this proof to the City Council and any private individuals who have requested documentation. Anything less, in my opinion, would be not only fiscally and morally irresponsible but almost criminal.
Additionally, do we really want to open ourselves up to more lawsuits, since Jim Light sits on their board and he has been party to or instigated various lawsuits against our city on more than one occasion, for various reasons, to the tune of over $1.5 million?
Let's be smart about this, Redondo City Council.
There are many residents in our community that do not have the space to adequately garden. It would be wonderful to have a spot where we can gather to grow our own food, share our produce and teach our children. Gardening has many proven benefits to helping people to stay active and relieve stress. In addition, a community garden brings neighbors together, all while respecting and protecting the environment. Please consider supporting the Community Garden to enhance our our already beautiful city.
District 1
Resident 28 years
I am FULL support of this community garden as I have seen what impact it provides as a Garden Docent at my son's School (Alta Vista) for the past 3 years. Gardening has the power to really UNITE this community along with providing Fresh Produce, Cleaning the Environment, beautiful our City and so much more! We need MORE opportunities to get the children involved. Thank you! Valerie
I support building a community garden in Redondo Beach. Lots of people have started gardening during the pandemic. Gardening is a great way to get outside, get some fresh air and exercise, and you get food! This is long overdue in our city.
Community gardens are great for the environment and our community. Plants clean our air. Gardens are happy spaces for people. Growing healthy food, working along-side our friends and neighbors, and sharing produces will be perfect hands-on educational experiences for our children and ourselves. This will bond us to each other and create a happier South Bay. I will definitely get involved to help build our community garden, especially if I can walk and not drive to it.
Christine Ng and Kim Wong
33-year residents of Redondo Beach, District 5