Garden City:Workshop I

Identifying Land for Gardensin San Francisco, CA

October, 2009

Site Types – Land Estimates

LAND ACRES

Backyards 1,887*

Street Parks 400 *

Private Vacant Lots 108

Sidewalk landscaping

650 *

Presidio Trust 1,491

RPD 3,466

Community Gardens

Recreation and Parks Dept.

PRO Space May be

depaved already

May have water meter

Access

CON Space – no

conflicting uses

Funding Can take

time Conforming

to RPD designResources:

http://www.sfgro.org/http://www.parks.sfgov.org/site/recpark_index.asp?id=27048

Street Parks

Unaccepted Streets

www.sfpt.org

Street Parks Program

PRO Space Programmat

ic support from SFPT

Access

CON Can take

time Funding Community

organizing

Resources:http://www.sfpt.org/Default.aspx?tabid=86http://www.sfgov.org/site/sfdpw_page.asp?id=66230

Vacant Lots (Private)

Privately Owned Vacant Lots

PRO Space Potential for

“site control”

New GDA's being developed by Planning

CON Can take time Water may or

may not be available

Legal agreements site dependentResources:

http://www.permaculture-sf.org

F. U. E. L. Friends of the Urban Edible Landscape

Utilize privately owned vacant lots Remediate soil Design Food/Fuel/Fiber Forests Perennial Polyculture Landscapes To grow fresh organic food in the city to be distributed

to: Volunteer urban farmers Local homeless populations Local food banks Local communities in need of fresh organic options Local farmer’s markets or other market opportunities

Other yields include “Nursery” stock of important vegetation for SF climate Waste diversion through heavy OM mulches Education opportunities Urban beautification And more…

F U E L – How?

o Source then communicate– Cross reference two web resources– Create database of potential sites– Contact property owners with form

letter– Set up email and phone for follow

up– Respond to opportunities

o Design then implement– Coordinate gardening teams to soil

test– Analyze water situation– Remediate, sheet mulch– Plant starts/trees

F U E L – How?

Vacant lot database Vacant Infill site locator:

    http://infill.gisc.berkeley.edu/ Cross reference lot addresses

with  this: Owner dB:

    http://gispub02.sfgov.org/website/sfparcel/INDEX.htm

Also: http://gispub02.sfgov.org/website/nuviewer/planningmap.asp

F U E L – Who Benefits? - Free opportunity to utilize your land for

community service     - Intention: to produce food on private vacant land     - Volunteer effort     - No cost     - Benefits for property owner        - Soil remediation = increase in property value        - Plants on site = potential increase in property value        - No cost for weed abatement        - Good press exposure for public service        - Increase in value of adjacent property values (in case they own)        - Improved community health        - Risk free     - No liability (community garden model)

    - $1 annual lease proposal     - 10 day (? Could be more, could be less) notice to remove all plants if owner decides to develop     property guaranteed by agreement   

- Specific request for next action - follow up phone call or email to     kick off the process

How Many?

F U E L – Let’s Get Started Get Address of Owner

Go to http://gispub02.sfgov.org/website/sfparcel/INDEX.htm

Click appropriate connection E.g., Broadband Connection and then click

“I understand the disclaimer - GO” Click –”Find Address or Intersection” Enter property address of vacant lot and

click “Click to Locate Address” Click on “Block/Lot Number e.g., 1228

013A” Populate database with mailing address

for property See example as follows

Save FUEL db file or send to kevin@uas.coop

Database

Sidewalks

Privately Owned Sidewalks

PRO Space Aquifer

recharge Access

CON Can be

expensive Vegetation

selection limited by conditions

Water access Resources:http://www.plantsf.orghttp://www.sfpt.org/Portals/0/SLP%20guidelines%20commentary.pdf

Gleaning

Gleaning

PRO Immediate if

existing trees

Full utilization

If donated, legal on private land

CON Community

research Harvests small

at first Violation of

park code for parkland

Resources:http://www.sfglean.org/California Code Section 58501-58509 Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act

School Sites

• 72 elementary and K-8 schools• 13 middle schools• 19 senior high schools• 37 state-funded preschool sites• 9 active charter schools authorized by the district

SFUSD

PRO Space Desire and

need for maintenance

CON Can take time Water may or

may not be available

Funding Access can be

challengingResources:http://portal.sfusd.edu/apps/SCHFIND/showmap.cfmhttp://www.sfgreenschools.org/home.html

Backyards

www.sfvictorygardens.org

Backyards

Privately Owned Backyards

PRO Space Potential for

“site control”

Water access

Proximity Quickest

CON Requires trust

relationship Access can be

difficult

Resources:http://www.permaculture-sf.orghttp://gardenregistry.org/http://www.sfvictorygardens.org/http://www.kitchengardensf.org

Ease of Site Implementation

Liability considerations Personal liability clauses CA Civil Code 846

Water Access Funding Community Organizing

Resources:http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=civ&group=00001-01000&file=840-848

Site Types – Comparison Table

LAND Ease of Site (1-5)

# of Potential

Sites

Backyards 1 60,000+*

Street Parks 2 500 *

Private Vacant Lots

4 952

Sidewalk landscaping

2 20,000+ *

SFUSD 3 150

RPD 4-5 ?

Future…

Mayor’s directive about surplus, vacant city property Likely public Fall 2010 ~ 60 acres, 40-50 sites of

various size Leasing RPD land Community Orchard

land-use designation

kevin@uas.coop