MOORPARK : Group to Plant 1st Community Garden

A group of Moorpark residents will soon be able to plant the city’s first community garden under a proposal approved by the City Council.

Council members have approved contributing up to $1,500 in city funds to the community effort.

Project organizers said they have received permission from the Moorpark Unified School District to plant a garden on a 2 1/2-acre vacant lot owned by the district, on the corner of Peach Hill and Rolling Knoll roads.

But the group asked the city to help pay the estimated $2,720 for clearing the land, building a fence and watering the garden.

Organizers said they needed the city’s help because they don’t want to charge the 20 families and 10 teen-agers who plan to work on the gardening project more than $5 or $10 per month. Raising the fees would discourage low-income people from participating, organizers said. City officials said they have only about $1,500 left in their social services budget to dedicate to the project. To lower the anticipated costs of the project, the council agreed to ask Ventura County officials to waive or reduce fees for water used at the garden.