Re: Kehoe proposed planning thesis

**C*@aol.com**

Brian,

We ,  of the Las Flores community garden in Thousand Oaks, California, are 
"new".(We began the search and planning in 1997!). 

You may  find the process by which we finally received the approval to begin 
operating in July of this year, 2002 enlightening.
In outline form, here are the steps we went through.
I.Wish for a community Garden
II. News media article about community garden
III. Small group searches for a site at churches, city owned unused land, 
state owned surplus land, and finally at our local autonomous rercreation and 
park district.
IV. We fall into a nine month long park district master plan  review which is 
resolved in 1999 with a Memorandum of Understanding granting us a five year 
lease for one acre and defining their and our mutual obligations and 
privileges.
V. The MOU goes to the city for a development permit ,which is granted in the 
year  2000.
VI. We are obligated to acquire a million dollar insurance policy to protect 
the park
district -which we manage  to pay for with a grant from the city.

VII. We incorporate as a non-profit corporation with officers, by-laws , 
garden rules, a dues structure and a brochure with application form.
 V111 The park district agrees to install  a water line ( and not charge us 
for water) and a six foot high fence - but only around a half acre because of 
 a"limited budget." 
IX. The water line and fence are completed in July of this year.
X. With twine and wooden stakes, we lay out 47 garden plots and about ten  
members begin gardening. ( We now have thirty-two members).

AND IT ONLY TOOK FIVE YEARS.

Best Wishes in your pursuit of a degree in planning.

Don Jacobs,
President of The Community Gardens of the Avenue of the Flowers, operating 
the Las Flores Community Garden

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