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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Michael Davis, Member of Rodale Pleasant Park Community Garden
3:19:54
ยท
97 sec
Michael Davis, a member of the Rodale Pleasant Park Community Garden in East Harlem, testified about the importance of community gardens and the challenges they face due to budget cuts and potential displacement. He emphasized the value of green spaces in providing positive experiences for the community, contrasting this with the profit-driven approach of private investors.
- Highlighted the suspension of composting programs due to budget cuts
- Warned about the threat to community gardens, citing the example of Elizabeth Street Community Garden
- Argued that community gardens should not be evaluated solely on their profitability, as they provide essential public utility
Michael Davis
3:19:54
Hello, chair Krishnan and members of the committee.
3:19:58
My name is Michael Davis and I'm a community garden member at East Harlem, Rodale Community Garden.
3:20:04
There's no better time than summer to embrace the magic and beauty of nature.
3:20:08
Unfortunately, we gardeners haven't recovered from the recent budget cuts of New York City parks.
3:20:14
People come to us with food scraps to be composted only to be rejected because the program has been suspended.
3:20:21
Green spaces are currently underfunded and at risk of displacement.
3:20:26
They provide a good experience as opposed to generating profit.
3:20:30
Basically, when you hand over public utility to private investors, they consistently cut costs as much as possible to generate profits.
3:20:39
This usually leads to a worse experience for our people.
3:20:42
We've seen this in industry after industry and we've even seen that happen with the threat to the Elizabeth City, the Elizabeth Street Community Garden.
3:20:51
Basically, the New York City Housing Authority took over the land in 02/2012.
3:20:56
The plan is to erect residential housing there.
3:20:59
What's happened to Elizabeth Street Community Garden should set alarms and shock throughout the community.
3:21:07
A lot of people have already commented my other points, but in conclusion I just say that Rodale is one of over 550 community gardens across the city.
3:21:19
If community gardens were a private business, it would have closed decades ago, but they're not.
3:21:25
So we don't have to think like private business.
3:21:27
And it's a gamble, it's worth a risk.
3:21:29
So I land my plane.