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!

Madison: Turn Flood Plain to Public Gardens and Greenway

On the Madison City Commission agenda for this evening is this simple handwritten request from Daniel Long of 704 North Josephine (page 9 of agenda packet: PDF alert!):

I would like to least the Lot behind my house for a garden & to plant flowers & some trees (fruits). The fruits tree would be sweet Ch[??] pear, maybe some other fruit trees. I wouldn't plany any apple tree because there are so many in town now.

In return I would keep up the lot & keep it clean & weed free. I would also mow the grass too.

I have already mark were I would like it. I know it is a "no" building zone. That means no building or fence up around it. intead I would like to put up some lilic bush & other bush around it for the property line. I will give you an idea what it would look like & what I am planning on doing to it. In return it would go back to the city of Madison, when I died or pass away. I would also would like it to stay as is when I pass away.

Thank you

Mr. Daniel Long

Mr. Long includes these two maps (agenda packet, pp. 10–11) of his plans:

No points off for spelling this morning: I say A+ idea, Mr. Long!

My wife and I took Madville Times Jr. urban hiking last night, and our hike included North 7th Street and Josephine Avenue. Mr. Long's proposed garden spot is part of a two-block-by-two-clock chunk of flood plain, mostly bought up and de-developed by the city after the big 1993 flood. We thought this land would make a spectacular park. The city could easily weave a great maze of walking paths through this lovely green space, complete with a couple footbridges over the creek. The park could connect to Memorial Park and, ultimately, to a city-wide greenway system, a network of trails that would run the length of the city along every major watercourse and connect to trails to Lakes Herman and Madison:

Image from Joel Quanbeck, Ulteig Engineers, Inc.,
"Chapter 6—Parks, Recreation & Public Facilities," [PDF alert!]
Madison Comprehensive Plan, p. 56, Figure 6-5. Posted 2008.04.29.

This city-spanning greenway would give locals and visitors alike recreational routes that would take them well away from our busy thoroughfares on leafy meandering trails that would provide a welcome break from the rigid grid typical of prairie towns. A garden like that proposed by Mr. Long could constitute one of many destinations along such a greenway, little landmarks of nicely tended outdoor beauty that everyone can appreciate.

Mr. Long's request doesn't mention a lease price. If he's willing to do all that work to make another corner of Madison more beautiful, the City Commission should let him work the land for free. Include room for a rec path and a bench or two alongside the garden, and we've got a winner of a deal, for everybody in Madison.