TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute a lease and all necessary documents with Long Beach Organic, Inc., for the development and management of Mary Molina Community Garden, formerly known as Molina Park, as approved and recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission and approved by the City Council’s Housing and Neighborhoods Committee, for a term of three years, with two, three-year renewal options at the discretion of the City Manager. (District 1)
DISCUSSION
In 2005, the City of Long Beach (City) accepted a donation from the Molina family of a parcel of land located at 1640 West 20th Street, to be used for the creation of a new park. The site, as yet undeveloped (Attachment A), was to be named Molina Park. However, recently, in response to a request from the Molina family, and also because the newly expanded Admiral Kidd Park would provide the community with adequate open space near the site, the original development plan was revised to create a community garden, to be named in honor of their mother, Mary Molina, who was an avid gardener.
On November 16, 2010, the City Council referred this item to its Housing and Neighborhoods Committee (Committee) for consideration of the renaming of the site, and to the Parks and Recreation Commission (Commission) for consideration of the revised use as the Mary Molina Community Garden (Molina Community Garden) (Attachment B). On November 18, 2010, the Commission unanimously recommended approval of the revised use for the site and referred the naming action to the Committee, which subsequently approved it on December 14, 2010. On January 4, 2011, in accordance with the recommendation from the Committee, the City Council approved the creation of a community garden at the undeveloped Molina Park, located at 1640 West 20th Street, and that the site be renamed Mary Molina Community Garden.
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine (PRM) currently administers five community gardens on City-o...
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