For garden guy, the lot beckons

In February, Ed Thornton will be starting seeds. In the meantime, he's started a petition.

It's posted at change.org, and it's entitled 'Let Ed Garden in 2015.” So far, as of this typing, there are 173 signatures.

You may recall that Thornton's gardening made news last summer. He planted vegetables on a vacant lot behind the three-plex where he lives near the corner of Sixth Street Southwest and First Avenue West. The land was bought out by the city following the flood using federal block grant dollars.

Did he seek permission? No. But three growing seasons came and went without a word from the city. Thornton figured a garden would be better than a weedy lot, and his neighbors appreciated the produce he gave away.

City officials, however, disagreed, and sent him a letter last June saying he and his vegetables were trespassing. By August, scuttlebutt spread like Creeping Charlie that the city planned to bulldoze Thornton's plot.

Instead, the city smartly let Thornton finish the growing season. Now, he's hoping to plant again in 2015, if the city isn't going to develop the land.

'If someone is interested in putting a building there, I'm not going to stand in the way of progress,” Thornton said. 'But if that's just going to be a weed field in my backyard next year, I'm not going to be happy.”

'We have received a letter of interest to construct housing on the lots,” city communications chief Maria Johnson said in an email. 'We are making a concerted effort to get every viable lot into production for housing in 2015.”

So a project is possible, but it's no done deal. If housing doesn't pan out, Johnson said it will be up to the City Council to decide 'other potential uses.” Thornton's name has been placed on a list of 'interested parties.” Sounds like one of those don't-call-us-we'll-call-you sort of lists.

I can't see any reason why Thornton shouldn't be allowed to plant tomatoes if no developer is going to plant housing in 2015. And his story begs the question whether other residents might be allowed to garden on other vacant lots sitting in weedy limbo, awaiting development. Imagine if a Blue Zone city famously 'open for business” also pruned away barriers to neighborhood gardening. Matthew 25's ambitious, successful urban gardening initiative could lead the way for more modest efforts.

Drive around in the flooded core, and you'll see a lot of vacant lots. And as remarkably successful as the city's redevelopment efforts have been, there are going to be gaps for years to come. If they're not slated for development or flood protection, and neighbors want to garden in those gaps, why not let them?

I'm sure the city can come up with 251 reasons why it's a lousy idea. Legalities, regulations and processes could likely be sprayed on it like Roundup. But it seems like Thornton is on to something.

'Everyone in this neighborhood knows each other because they've all come to that garden. This is a way to actually build neighborhoods,” Thornton said.

'(City officials) have an opportunity to really come out smelling like a rose here, and all that they're being is a thorn,” he said.

' Comments: (319) 398-8452; todd.dorman@thegazette.com