FACN Sees Positive Response at Public Hearing

A group of local community members organized as the Friends of Atlantic City Nursery (FACN) has been advocating that Seattle Parks and Recreation convert the closed Atlantic City Nursery into the Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands Restoration Project.

The core idea of this project is to transform the existing horticulture buildings into sustainable food-growing facilities to provide fresh food for local food banks and school programs, along with job training and youth education opportunities. The project also calls for restoring the wetlands area on the site and making it come alive again with native flora and fauna. This would allow social justice, urban agriculture and environmental stewardship to be combined all in a single project!

Thanks to all of you who attended and/or sent comments for the August 12 Seattle Parks Board public hearing on the future concept plan for the nursery. The testimony can be found here. (Our part starts at the 26-minute mark.)

The tone of the hearing was upbeat and the commissioners and lead staff seemed very engaged with the concept. The next step is the commissioners’ recommendation to the acting superintendent on Thursday, September 9 at their regularly scheduled meeting (7:00 p.m. at 100 Dexter Avenue N.).

One excellent outcome of the hearing was that previously skeptical community members expressed support for the urban farm and wetlands restoration, and focused their safety and security concerns on other aspects of Parks’ concept plan. No one spoke in opposition of an urban farm/wetlands restoration.

Now is the time to keep the positive energy flowing: If you haven’t had a chance to send in your comments, please do so soon.

Send your email to:

Sandy Brooks at sandy.brooks@seattle.gov

Talking points:

1. Converting the existing nursery to a neighborhood-appropriate urban farm is the best future use of the existing Atlantic City Nursery facilities.

2. Restoring the many wetlands areas at the Atlantic City Nursery as protected wildlife habitat with native plants is the right way to steward this major portion of our local ecosystem.

3. Neighbor concerns about safety and security are best met by an active and positive use of the site as an urban farm and restored wetlands.

The deadline for written comments is September 2.

Questions? Contact the Friends of Atlantic City Nursery at rburbanag@gmail.com.

The next general FACN meeting is at the Rainier Beach Public Library on Saturday, September 11 from 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.

About the author: Harry Hoffman is a Rainier Beach resident and Co-Chair of the Friends Of Atlantic City Nursery.  His interest in urban agriculture and food security stems from his personal commitment to social justice. A native Seattleite, Harry serves as the Executive Director for the Housing Development Consortium of Seattle – King County, the professional association for the local affordable housing sector.

Related posts:

1. Convince Parks to Let Atlantic City Nursery Get One Step Closer
2. Tilth and FACN Chosen to run Rainier Beach Urban Farm!
3. Urban Farm at Atlantic City Nursery One Step Closer to Reality

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