WORCESTER—A $4.2 million investment in Green Hill Park is about to bear fruit—quite literally.
Applications are now open for the Green Hill Park Community Garden, a newly constructed facility featuring more than 120 planting beds and a suite of park improvements funded through the city’s Capital Improvement Program. City leaders flagged the opening for the city council last week in a routine memo—but the real action starts now, with an opportunity to nab a plot.
“Community gardens are known to reduce food insecurity and increase access to healthy food,” City Manager Eric D. Batista wrote in a letter to the council. “Investing in the city’s green spaces has been a large priority in the municipality’s strategic plan.”
The garden officially opened last August with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Department of Parks, Recreation & Cemetery (DPRC) and the city manager’s office. The project included not only the garden complex but also a new greenhouse for municipal plant cultivation, reconstruction of the park entrance roadway and improvements along Green Hill Parkway, and restoration of a historic stone wall that once formed part of the original Green family homestead.
The newly completed garden offers 124 raised planting beds of various sizes, three ground-level beds and eight accessible raised beds designed for residents who use mobility devices. Amenities include a shelter, benches, storage shed, water spigots, debris bins, pedestrian lighting, security cameras, fencing, security gates, wood guardrails and improved access to the adjacent golf course via a newly paved road. The area is also surrounded by new walkways and accessible parking.
In a memo to the city manager, Parks Commissioner Robert Antonelli wrote that the project “is not only aesthetically appealing, but also promotes healthy lifestyle, encourages community engagement, and provides residents with access to fresh, locally grown food.”
Applications to reserve a planting bed are available on a first-come, first-served basis through April 3. Residents can also contact DPRC at 508-799-1190 or via email at worcestercommunitygarden@worcesterma.gov for more information.
If the ribbon cutting marked the ceremonial beginning, the growing season will mark the real test: how quickly 124 beds can sprout into a patchwork of cukes, peppers and community pride.
Have a story tip, community concern, or insight to share? Email Editor Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org.
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