Submitted by Gene A. Allen, Community Affairs Specialist
(Utica, NY- June 2013) The ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) team will speak to the Cornhill Neighborhood Association on June 18 at the Thomas Lindsey Public Safety Center. They will discuss what the current grant is covering. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.
Two community gardens will be starting up this summer. The presentation will include a raised bed garden video, and a preview of the current garden interactive web map that will be out soon.
The team wants to discuss with residents if there is more interest in community gardens in Cornhill and where they want them.
Background
The former Kemble Street School in the City of Utica’s Cornhill is the key feature of a new two-year grant obtained by the New York State Department of Health’s (NYS DOH) Center for Environmental Health.
NYS DOH received the award from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The Oneida County Health Department has partnered with NYS DOH in the multi-phase project designed to transform the Brownfield reuse area into a recreational park, responding to a need expressed by residents of the multi-cultural community. Additionally, the project seeks to expand access to community gardens and healthy foods in the Cornhill neighborhood.
The grant will also allow the county and state to develop a demonstration project to transform vacant or abandoned lots into community gardens.