April 24, 1998

On April 24, 1998 Mayor Rudolph Giuliani ordered the cancellation of all the leases on 741 GreenThumb community gardens in all five NYC boroughs --he then requested transfer of the land to the department of Housing,Preservation andDevelopment (HPD), according to a fax memorandum issued by HPD. This mandate immediately threatens almost all of the nearly 800 community gardens citywide with destruction for development plans. The City Land Committee may approve the transfer as soon as May 8th.

The Mayor is trying to destroy over 90 acres -and perhaps as high as 200 acres - of green space, an area two to four times as large as the 52 acre Brooklyn Botanical Garden. As half of the 776 gardens were already targeted for development in Mayor's mandate of 1996, the new mandate now targets every garden throughout New York City! This leaves only a handful of non-Green Thumb gardens and the 32 community gardens which have either been transferred into parks already or purchased by land trusts. The immediate transfer of 741 gardens to HPD for housing and commercial development is an outrage, when there are 14,000 truly vacant lots that can be used for housing without targeting the gardens. There are 30,000 community gardeners in New York City and 1/2 million residents who directly benefit and use the gardens. It makes little sense to destroy the efforts of New York City's community minded volunteers who transformed the City's neglect that left a wasteland in the 1970's, into thriving oases of nature, culture, and positive community life!

The City has failed to acknowledge after 20 years, that these gardens have become more than temporary use of vacant land. These gardens have transformed neighborhoods riddled with abandoned buildings and neglected rubble-strewn vacant lots that had become dens of crime, drugs, and toxic waste. People worked together out of their own volunteer initiative to improve their neighborhood, planting trees, flowers and vegetable gardens. Over the past quarter of a century these gardens have also grown into more than needed green open space, they have become living multi-cultural community centers bringing people from diverse backgrounds together in neighborhoods that are often divided racially and culturally. As the City slashes the budget for social services and cultural programs, these gardens are providing millions of dollars worth of services free of cost to the city.
IMPORTANT GARDEN EMERGENCY EVENTS TO ATTEND:

Monday May 4,
RALLY PRESS CONFERENCE
11:30 am City Hall Steps called by Council Member Tom Duane

Mon, May 4, 8:30 PM.
Garden Crisis Coverage, Manhattan Cable Channel 34, Treebranch-on-Air.

Wednesday May 6, 6-8pm
RALLY- Giuliani attending awards ceremony event City Museum of New York, 103rd and Fifth

Friday May 8, 6-8pm
Leica Gallery, 670 Broadway
Gallery opening of Mayor Giuliani's favorite photos of New York City. Bring photos/signs of your gardens!!!

Sunday May 24, 10am-6pm
8th Annual Rites of Spring: Procession to Save Our Gardens, Lower East Side, NYC starts: 10am Forsyth Street Garden Club (Forsyth bet. Broome and Delancy) Call (212) 777-7969 to volunteer and for complete route and schedule

WRITE * CALL* FAX * YOUR LOCAL AND CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS
Letters in support of the NYC community gardens should be sent to:

PLEASE ALSO SEND/FAX COPIES OF LETTERS TO:
New York City Coalition for the Preservation of Gardens
638 East Sixth Street, 3rd floor
New York, NY 10009
Tel: (212) 777-7969
Fax: (212) 505-7303

KEY CITY-WIDE OFFICIALS:
MAYOR RUDOLPH GIULIANI
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
T: 212/788-3000
Fax: 212/406-3587

DEPUTY MAYOR RANDY MASTRO
T: (212) 788-3137
Fax (212) 788-3142

Hon Richard T. Roberts
Commissioner Housing Preservation and Development
100 Gold Street
New York, NY 10038
T: 212/863-6100
Fax (212) 267-2565

Ms. Mary Bolton
Commissioner of Planning and Policy,
Housing Preservation & Development
100 Gold Street,
New York, NY 10038
T: 212/863-8492
Fax: 212/863-8504

Mr. Peter Vallone
City Council, Speaker
250 Broadway,
New York, NY 10007
T: 212/788-7210
Fax: 212/788-7207


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