City to add new, limited protections for community gardens in effort to satisfy critics
New York Daily News
September 7, 2010
By Erin Einhorn

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/09/07/2010-09-07_city_sprouts_community_gardens_compromise.html?r=ny_local

City officials eager to quash a green rebellion are planning to announce a compromise this week on the fate of community gardens.

A source familiar with the city’s latest proposal says new guidelines would give gardens more protections from development – but would stop short of guaranteeing their existence.

“Legally, nothing is permanent, but we need to make protections stronger,” said a city source who saw a draft of proposed new rules.

The rules would require the city to give the community additional notice if a garden might be threatened and would give extra protections to gardens that are in good condition and where gardeners follow city rules.

Gardeners – some dressed as flowers or vegetables – loudly protested an earlier draft of the rules, and some say they’re still not satisfied.

“It sounds like they’re negotiating, which is awesome, but we want the gardens to be permanent,” said Bill Di Paola of the environmental organization Times Up!