Joanna England

When I was a member of the Urban Acres Co-op, our pickup was at Promise of Peace Garden off East Grand Avenue. That was when I met Elizabeth Dry, the founder of the garden. At that time, the DISD teacher told me that she was looking to relocate the garden to Casa Linda park, which sits between Casa Linda Estates, a railroad track, and Little Forest Hills. That plan went bust, though.

A few weeks ago I heard stirs that the huge piles of mulch that had materialized on Old Gate and Diceman, across the street from White Rock United Methodist Church, were to form the new home for Promise of Peace. While I may not live in Little Forest Hills, many of my friends do, and some live within startling proximity of the garden’s new location.

What residents say is that, although there was a community meeting regarding the garden, far more people disapprove of the garden’s proposed location than have been reported. In fact, they’ve surveyed nearby residents and at least 20 of them are against Promise of Peace moving in. Truly, this controversy has nothing to do with the Methodists giving the Catholics at St. Bernard of Clairvaux a place to park. It has everything to do with a poorly planned community garden right next to an established neighborhood, and the severe lack of communication between the Methodist church and those neighbors. In fact, the homeowners directly adjacent to the garden’s proposed location were never contacted, were never asked for input or permission of any kind. Galling, I know.

For the full response from one neighbor uncomfortably close to the situation, jump.