East New York Residents Say Community Garden Was Unfairly Closed Because Someone Grew Marijuana
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Neighbors in East New York, Brooklyn are fighting for their community garden, after the city closed it because of what was growing there.
As CBS2's Tracee Carrasco reported, the Green Gems garden has been a sanctuary in the East New York, Brooklyn neighborhood for the past 23 years -- enjoyed and carefully maintained by volunteers in the community such as James McCrae.
"Everybody in the community is more than welcome to come in and plant vegetables, and help us keep the yard nice, and make the community look nice," McCrae said.
But in the fall of 2014 and again last summer, someone brought marijuana plants into the garden. After a warning the first time, the Department of Parks and Recreation put a lock on the gate nearly a year after the second incident on May 31, and shut down the garden.
"I don't think it's fair, because of two violations in 23 years, that they should just come down here and put a lock on the gate," McCrae said.
McCrae, the city-licensed steward of the garden, said the Parks Department is unfairly trying to take it away.
"I didn't know at all the pot was here until I was told the pot was here. I had no clue. But they make it seem like the fact that the license is in your name, and that I should be a 24-hour inspector," he said. "What do they take me out to be? A pot grower? Because it seems like that's what they're doing."
The garden has gone unwatered and unattended for three weeks now as residents in the neighborhood rally around McCrae to get it back.
"It's sad to see it closed, because you know, it's like taking a piece of the community," said Maria Zamora of East New York.
The Parks Department told CBS2 there will be a meeting about the garden soon to begin the process of finding others to maintain this space. Until then, the lock will remain.