Roger That Community Garden May Be Developed

Most of my thoughts stem from the garden that used to be on Franklin, where the gardeners were told to leave but then nothing (yet) has been built.

When a building is built, at least someone gets to live there.

The problem that we're seeing is that TYC doesn't seem like they are the ones going to build on the land, but probably sell to someone else. Because of the situation with the back taxes, it doesn't look like movement on the property could even begin for several months. That just leaves them in a position to tear down what is there and leave a mess sitting around. We'd like to try to find some way to keep the garden in there as long as possible and leave, if that is what it comes down to, responsibly. We want to avoid what happened on Franklin and try for a better option: letting something good come out of the land until they are finally ready to move on it.

They may believe the land is most valuable to a new buyer without the garden present.

So, you might be able to stay on it for the longest possible time by creating an agreement which states you will leave Nov 1, or forfeit a deposit you have given them.

You'd want to specify that you are aware said document could not be construed as a lease, and involve a lawyer who has drawn up a similar agreement.

We have been working with 596 Acres to figure out the best legal way to remain on the land, and BQLT has been offering some opinions as well. Unfortunately, our biggest hurdle is just trying to get TYC to communicate with us. They've largely ignored any attempts at contact over the past three months, but at least came to the garden while it was being walled up and agreed on paper to a meeting where we can cover some of these options.

Where ownership is not your goal we have the gardens at Brower Park where volunteers and contributions are welcomed and loved by all.

The members of the garden have recently decorated the construction fence:

Glad you captured an image of that because I walked by today and all of the posters had been ripped down. 

The photo was actually taken by a garden member, right after it was finished.

I suspect the landlord didn't approve of them using his fence to plead for their survival. He also probably didn't smile upon them ripping part of it down.

I chuckled at the irony of the untended plants starting to creep over the fence at the corner of the property. Its as if they are waging their own attempt to get out of dodge before the inevitable construction begins.

Its a bit amusing to watch those that have benifited from all of the change in the neighborhood, starting to protest all of the change in the neighborhood once it affects them personally.

Yes.

I also found it somewhat naive that one of the landtrusts would use their limited money at this location.

The landtrusts wisely spend their money where opportunities to "build community" are lacking the most, and where they can secure several plots for the price of this one.

Answer: East Brooklyn.

There, the residents are disproportionately poor and disabled and don't have the ability to engage in safe, productive recreation. There, local gardens provide a much more needed resource.

Here, they serve a far more "able" clientele.

As a result, I attended the April 12th fundraiser (see grainy photos above) not because I thought it would save the Roger That Garden, but because it would be a nice little transfer of wealth from "here" to "there".

It's a bummer to see negative assumptions about who we are and the stuff we do in the neighborhood. Many members have been in the neighborhood for more than a decade, and while others like myself have only been here for 5 or so years, we are very active in the local community. Assuming we only care about stuff going on when it happens to us personally is kind of weird and a downer? Feel free to come by the garden anytime we are working there to talk to us about it and find out real information about what's going on and all the things we're involved in. 

The flyers came down in the rain, they weren't torn down by anyone. 

Little to no money was actually going to be used by the BQLT for our garden, it was all going to be raised by us and donated to the BQLT for the purpose of supporting/securing the garden (and if purchase of the land became impossible, the money would be donated to BQLT for whatever they saw fit). The person from BQLT doing a majority of the organization with us is the former President, now retired from the board, as well. 

If anyone is interested in keeping up with developments on the garden, I highly recommend using www.rogerthatgarden.org as a resource and way to stay in touch. 

I don't think it is really important how long garden members have been in the community, or how active they are with other things/causes. Whether such assumptions are made about your members is irrelevant.

This is strictly about money: This plot of land will be used by its present owners in the manner that creates the most of it.

If a land trust was able to buy it, they could (and would) pursue goals other than money.

...but their ROI calculations don't seem to justify it, and the present owners seem to know that any offer a land trust makes would be far below the land's value.

737 Park place could use some TLC  plantings and perhaps is available to purchase at a much lower price being a less than a "corner plot"
http://www.propertyshark.com/mason/Property/151604/737-Park-Pl-Brooklyn-NY-11216/

Today's NY Post states that the developer will sell the Roger That site to the gardeners for $1M.

If they don't come up with the $, they need to be gone by Sept.

http://nypost.com/2014/08/17/developer-demands-1m-from-crown-heights-garden-volunteers/

115 Rogers

749 Park Place

Kickstarter time?

Packing time.

Someone should have a chat with that school on Rogers that seems to own the rubble, weed, and junk car-strewn property facing Sterling.

It doesn't seem to be doing anything useful with it, and it sure would be an improvement as a CG.

I second that suggestion, eastbloc. A community garden would be so nice in that location! Maybe the rusted out cards can be turned into a giant plant container or something.

BTW -- does anyone know the history of the vacant lot next to the Carmel Christian School? It looks like there was a fire, but does school still happen in the adjacent building?

That lot is nice because it has an existing fence.

"Now he has doubled his asking price, all for a lot that the gardener say is worth about $80,000."
http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2014/08/developer-demands-1-million-for-crown-heights-community-garden/

Um, I can't think of a corner lot anywhere in CH that is worth only $80k.

This is the classic argument between value and cost. It may have only cost $8 in materials to create that afghan blanket, but I will price it at $50 because that is what people will pay for it!

Same story in Ditmas Park:

http://ditmasparkcorner.com/blog/news/neighbors-fight-for-an-imperiled-garden-they-transformed-from-an-abandoned-lot-into-an-oasis-of-green

Gardeners put lots of work into a vacant plot, and then feel they should be able to stay because they equate work and possession with ownership.

This is the classic argument between value and cost. It may have only cost $8 in materials to create that afghan blanket, but I will price it at $50 because that is what people will pay for it!

One puts in hours of labor in transforming $8 worth of yarn into that afghan blanket.  (Actually depending on how big the blanket is, the raw materials probably would cost more! )The $50 asking cost may include some of that labor. There was some labor involved in Mr. Billings's tracking down the heir to the previous owner of the lot. 

When looked at on an hourly basis, that labor might not have even been that really well paid.

...one has to include all of the times he researched a property, tracked down its owners, and wasn't able to buy it in order to come up with mean hourly earnings.

Returning to Roger That, I do love how a politician is taking credit for what is a standard procedure.

...DOB already doesn't issue new permits when they have unpaid taxes on them.

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140925/crown-heights/community-garden-fighting-orders-leave-plan-paint-new-mural

so really, Mr Billings paid $214,000 for the lot not zero as someone is quoted saying in article, since he inherits the tax lien with the title. Of course he may be able to renegotiate that lien with the city.

The city is in a strong position re: developers wanting permits, so I suspect they will demand the full amount owed.

Detroit is in a different situation; that city begs for people to build.

Looks like the Roger That crew was out again this weekend. They painted a mural on what remains of the construction wall with their website and a request to save the garden. I am impressed with their stick-to-it-ness.

While they clearly have grown attached to the plot of land, they seem to be denying the inevitable.

I am not sure I would use the word "impressed".

Here is a photo of the mural from the air, as it appears on their Facebook feed: