Plants vs Restaurants

In pure Plants vs. Zombies fashion, the City of Santa Fe Springs is in the midst of a battle with one hundred-plus gardeners. The battlefield? Santa Fe Springs Community Garden. The reason? Mandatory relocation of the garden, which has caused tension between the city and the gardeners. It was time for the plants of Santa Fe Springs Community Garden to defend their land from the invading restaurants.

The Santa Fe Springs Community Garden has been located on 10145 Pioneer Blvd for over thirty years; however, the City has decided that the garden will be relocated fifty yards away to make space for a new restaurant, closing the original garden. The issue came up on August 21, with a letter issued by the city notifying gardeners that the site would be relocated.

During a community meeting on September 9, city officials provided reasoning for the relocation and answered multiple questions from the community. During this meeting, numerous concerns were voiced by the attendees. Many believed that the garden being moved was unnecessary, that they were being pressured into signing government paperwork, and that it would be cruel to move a garden with more than 30 years of history.

The deadline for when gardeners needed to vacate the current location (originally scheduled for the end of September) was renegotiated during this meeting. Details of the parcel layout for the new location were also shared. Several individuals who attended the community meeting have continued to voice their concerns via online local groups such as Facebook and Nextdoor.

Previously, gardeners were expected to sign a Mutual Termination and General Release Waiver to finalize the transition. Gardeners who complied were eligible to apply for a parcel in the new location. After the deadline was renegotiated to the end of the year, the gardeners were not required to sign these documents. This change eased the minds of many gardeners who were previously unwilling to sign any government documents.

An understanding was thought to be agreed on during these community meetings; however, soon after the meeting, multiple residents continued to scrutinize the decision. Many think that the city is hiding details about the true reason why the garden is being relocated; others believe that the city does not see the garden as a valuable part of Santa Fe Springs, and some have come to the conclusion that the city is neglecting the inquiries of gardeners.

As of September 15, the decision to relocate the garden has been finalized. During the council meeting, many people voiced their agreement with the decision, while others voiced their disagreement. So, who truly won this battle? The plants, or the restaurants?