Community garden to open at county property in Hazel Dell

Vancouver, WA – Beginning in May, Clark County will open a community garden area at the former Washington State University (WSU) Agricultural Research Station site at 1919 NE 78th St. in Hazel Dell. The site will include up to 30 individual, 20’x 20’ plots. Gardening spaces will be allocated in a random drawing to be conducted May 12.

To enter the drawing, applicants must call (360) 576-6030, extension 12 before noon Monday, May 11. This is a voice mail-only number. Please follow the recorded instructions for callers. People may also register online at www.clark.wa.gov/78WSU. Successful entrants will be notified no later than May 15.

Participants must pay a $25 fee before a garden space will be assigned. This fee will help cover the costs of creating the garden space, such as initial tilling, preliminary soil building, and water throughout the growing season. Gardening tools must be supplied by each gardener. Participants must use only organic gardening practices. No pesticides or herbicides will be allowed.

People accepted for spaces will be invited to attend an orientation and begin work on their gardens on Saturday, May 23.

This community garden program is among several interim uses at the property this summer. A broader community effort is under way to determine long-term future uses for the site. A county-sponsored public workshop on April 9 attracted more than 160 people who shared ideas about future use of the property serving agricultural, historical and community needs.

For more information about potential future uses at the site, go to the project Web page at www.clark.wa.gov/78WSU. This Web site also offers an online survey to gather additional public input about preferred uses to be integrated into a draft concept site plan later this year. A master planning process will follow the concept plan, and provide a more detailed look at opportunities for future uses.