Grow Dat Youth Farm fights back against City Park master plan
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The latest open house for the City Park master plan laid out new details of what the future may hold.
One such detail includes a brand-new roadway connecting the north side and the south side of the park.
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“This is the one solution for stitching this park together and creating safe passage for three million people of all different abilities and backgrounds,” City Park Conservancy CEO Cara Lambright said.
However, this road will intersect with Zachary Taylor Drive and Henry Thomas drive, which would, in turn, displace the Grow Dat Youth Farm that has been located in the park for 12 years.
Those who support the farm say that the City Park Conservancy has not taken the time to truly take into account what the people really want.
“Really what we’re seeing is the community is showing up in force for this road to exist, and we’re not seeing this input being implemented in the process moving forward and that’s really disheartening,” Friends of Grow Dat member Marguerite Green said.
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They say that while losing the farm completely would be the worst case scenario, having to move it would still be a tremendous blow for the morale of the people who have put so much time and effort into the farm.
“Even if this program is moved to a different part of the park, how long will that take to develop? All of the process is destroyed, and people lose their jobs,” Grow Dat seed Kendricka Kelly said.
However, Lambright says that if the program is to move, she says she hopes to see it land in a location where it can see the most success moving forward in the park.
“What we do want is to make sure that any program in the park is in the right place, so that it can be as successful as possible. You’re not always kind of fighting against the land or fighting conditions that aren’t contusive,” Lambright said.
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