Reckowacky Park & Community Garden
Community’s Dreams One Step Closer to Reality!
596 Acres became involved in the campaign to create a
garden in Far Rockaway when long-time local resident
and backyard gardener Allison got in touch. She and her
neighbors sought a place they could garden together
and share the bounty. Allison was particularly concerned
about the lack of healthy food options available in local
stores.
“The preservation of land to farm in the lower Rockaways
is imperative for the proper sustainability of the people.”
- Allison Jeffrey, Far Rockaway
Allison had been trying for a long time to transform
an abandoned city-owned lot on her corner into a
community space that could fill these needs, and found
out about the service we provide: bridging the gap
between the public and their ability to make decisions
about public land in their lives, especially when it’s been
neglected by the City. We helped the group flesh out
their plans for the space. When it became apparent that
the city intended to sell this lot for private development,
we helped make sure that the community’s voices were
heard and their needs were listened to as the city
launched its Downtown Far Rockaway Redevelopment
plan.
We advised and supported the neighbors as they
submitted over 250 comments asking the city to keep
the lot public, rather than selling the lot to a private
developer as part of the Redevelopment Plan. We
guided, advised, and testified alongside the residents as
they appeared and offered testimony at the Community
Board’s hearing, the Queens Borough President’s (BP’s)
Public Land Use Hearing, and all the way to City Council.
In September 2017, the City Council’s Land Use
Committee honored the neighbors’ request that this lot
not be sold to a developer.
With the land no longer under threat of being sold,
the neighbors are leading the design of the future
community green space, with our support.