City to Consider Floodplain Lease for Garden

Originally posted at RealMadison.org:

On the City Commission agenda [PDF alert!] for August 18: a lease agreement that would permit Daniel Long of 704 N. Josephine to turn a little patch of the city's floodplain land into a garden. Among Mr. Long's plans: flowers, trees, and some strawberry bushes. The city took a couple weeks to consider Mr. Long's proposal and draw up the proper legal language. The lease agreement in the agenda packet puts the yearly lease price for Mr. Long at ten dollars.

Ten dollars -- I can live with that, though to be honest, I wouldn't mind the city paying Mr. Long for what will likely amount to thousands of dollars of labor and horticultural love. Mr. Long is offering to make a public spot of empty ground a little prettier, and that's a fine public service.

Now Daniel, just make sure you remember to share those strawberries with your neighbors.And while the lease doesn't make public access clear, I hope you won't mind if the occasional neighbor drops by to stroll through your garden and sit and enjoy the shade every now and then.

And readers, if you have some other suggestions on how to make better use of Madison's green spaces or make other Madison improvements, be sure to check out the RealMadison.org forum!