Council Gives Garden Park A Green Thumb's Up

By Martin Henderson, originally posted Wednesday, 7:54 p.m.

Dozens of residents descended on the Lake Forest City Council meeting Tuesday like worms on compost. 

And by the time they cleared out, they had cast an indelible mark on their city leaders. 

A garden party just two weeks in the making, all five council members said they liked the idea of a proposed garden park in the city. One, Adam Nick, was ready to till soil by the end of the week. He said the concept was "a no brainer."

The group was led by Kenton Boettcher, who was speaking on behalf of six people who ceded their time to him. Six other public speakers also presented their case for a garden park to be included in the City's five-year strategic plan, which was the agendized item.

By the end of the discussion, the group had been encouraged to take their case to the Parks and Recreation Commission because that's the natural place for such a project to develop. 

However, the council added the garden park to the plan as an unfunded project, and essentially put it on the same playing field as a proposed dog park and a proposed indoor soccer facility.

The proposed location is about six acres of empty space—including sloped land—on the south side of Lake Forest Drive near Dimension, just west of the drive-through Starbucks. It is just below the Whispering Hills community, which also endorses the concept.

However, that space is also being eyed by the other projects, and councilman Peter Herzog was the first to warn that it may or may not be the best location for the community garden and that Parks and Rec should be the next point of contact, which was the majority feeling.

Among the speakers was former councilwoman Marcia Rudolph, who said "this project can be done with minimal City financial support." Boettcher suggested there are various grants, and corporate opportunities, available to fund such a venture.

Boettcher began the groundswell by passing out 1,300 postcards at the Fourth of July Parade. The group's website, LFgardenpark.com, shows what a park might look like, and its Facebook site shows some concepts produced by interior designer Cecilia Ratto and logo produced by her 15-year-old son, Brad Ratto.

"It's a start," Boettcher said of the council's reception. "In a two-week period we went from zero to filling the room. They're very receptive."

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The consensus from the dais seemed to be that council members would love for a garden park to be ready by the city's 25th anniversary beginning in December 2016.

"It's truly a park, with pathways and arbors, and someone can take a rest from the urban area," Boettcher said. "The real magic is that it's all-inclusive." 

It's a project suitable to young and old, male and female, he said while citing the example of grandparents teaching grandchildren about farming, but also experts demonstrating for children on field trips.

The website says "the Lake Forest Garden Park is to create, promote, stimulate, educate and inspire individuals to the love of gardening."

Boettcher said there were three primary considerations for the park: education, individual plots, and character building. 

On the latter, he said the intention is to provide some food to the South County Food Bank, which is located down the street.

Boettcher said a UC Irvine program has already indicated it will lend its support: "Once it's designated as a park, they will walk us through it and help us plan."

"We're talking a Martha Stewart garden, not a weed patch," Boettcher said to the council. "The biggest problem might be having a lottery to dole out the individual parcels. 

"There are funding sources, with education, from corporate, for a civic garden."

Mayor Scott Voigts revealed he had studied horticulture in college and even had a compost heap at home. 

"Don't be dismayed," Voigts told the group of the council's suggestion to take their plan to Parks and Rec. "Be excited."

Editor's Note: The original story indicated the garden concepts were produced by a student; the Facebook logo was produced by a student, the garden concepts were produced by a professional interior designer.

TELL US IN THE COMMENTS: What do you think of a Garden Park, and what do you think of the proposed location?