Questions arise about site for Cave Creek community garden
Staff Report ~ 3/3/2010

The proposed site of the Cave Creek Community Garden will be one of the topics of conversation at the Green Advisory Committee meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Cave Creek Town Council Chamber.
The Green Advisory Committee, a citizens group which was appointed by Cave Creek Mayor Vincent Francia on Aug. 4, 2008, was tasked with envisioning, developing, promoting, growing and reaping the fruits of a Community Garden.
Having spent the past 1.5 years coming up with a site specific design, currently being used by the water treatment plant, that will be available in the fall, there is some question as to whether the site for the garden might be moved.
Committee member Jennie Cure has concerns about the project being moved to a different site.
“On the site that we’ve been planning for all this time we’d have a two acre pond, mesquite trees that would attract a great number of birds to the area,” she said. “We have a lot of support from various entities in Cave Creek and around the state for the project we’re planning.”
Cure said concerns have arisen about the site due to flooding in the area following recent storms, although she said the flooding was not problematic.
Among the expected benefits from the garden when the committee was organized were:
•Serve as a catalyst for community involvement and personal commitments to grass-roots environmental issues
•Provide educational material and demonstrations on rainwater harvesting, the use of native or low-water use plants, locally adapted agricultural techniques, composting and permaculture philosophy
•Preserve green space as the garden is integrated into riparian restoration and native habitat preservation plans.
For information on the Green Advisory Committee go to cavecreek.org/index.aspx?NID=253.
The Cave Creek Town Council Chamber is located at 37622 N. Cave Creek Road in Cave Creek.