4 New Haven Garden Projects Have Been Awarded Urban Green and Community Garden Grants

NEW HAVEN, CT — Last month, Gov. Ned Lamont announced $9.4 million in state grants to support the purchase and protection of more than 1,243 acres of open space across 14 properties in 15 communities.

Additionally, $2.4 million was awarded to improve 15 urban green and community garden spaces. New Haven was awarded Urban Green and Community Garden grants:

Project Name: Enhancing the Thomas Chapel Community Gardens​

Sponsor: Southwest Conservation District

Municipality: New Haven​

Grant Amount: $24,000

Description:​​​​​​​​The Thomas Chapel, located within the Hill Neighborhood in New Haven, currently functions as an open space meeting area and small community garden. This project, supported by the Southwest Conservation District, plans to improve the area by installing new perimeter fencing, expanding the existing community garden with additional beds, installing a food forest with perennial fruit and nut tree plantings, and installing new benches for public enjoyment of the space.

Project Name: Enhancing Common Ground’s Urban Greenspaces to Nurture Environmental Education and Recreation for All​

Sponsor: New Haven Ecology Project

Municipality:​​New Haven​

Grant Amount: $53,300

Description:​​​​​​​​​The New Haven Ecology Project (NHEP), also known as Common Ground, was founded in 1992, and since 1997 has been responsible for 20 acres of abandoned city park land located adjacent to West Rock Ridge State Park in one of New Haven’s lowest-income neighborhoods. Since then, NHEP has cleaned up the space and developed an environmental education community center, an urban farm, and the Common Ground High School, the nation’s longest-running environmental charter high school.​To continue their mission of public enrichment and outdoor accessibility, NHEP, with the help of this UGCG award, will pave an ADA accessible pathway along an existing pollinator pathway, widen existing pathways, replace a pergola roof over sanitary facilities, add a deck to the farmhouse patio (an important public gathering area), purchase critter-proof trash receptacles for the facility, and conduct various other improvements to public amenities and areas in the facility.​​​​​​​​

Project Name: Towers Accessible Community Garden​

Sponsor:​​Towers Foundation

Municipality: New Haven​

Grant Amount: $63,750.00

Description:​​​​​​​​​​Founded in 1971, the Towers at Tower Lane is a 328-unit affordable housing complex located in the Hill Section of Downtown New Haven. Originally cut off from the rest of downtown by highway, recent progress has been made in reconnecting this neighborhood to the rest of New Haven through development projects. Currently, the area is within a food desert and contains little or no green space within walking distance. The Towers Foundation aims to combat this inequity through the Towers Accessible Community Garden project, transforming a 13,300 square foot, unused basketball court into an accessible green space and community garden area. Phase I of the project has been completed, and this UGCG award will fund Phase II of the project. Phase II includes the purchase and installation of a permanent shade structure, sprinkler system, water feature, garden equipment, and native pollinator plantings.​​​​​​​​​

Project Name:​​West River Neighborhood Connectivity Trail and Barnard Nature Trail​

Sponsor:​​City of New Haven

Municipality: New Haven​

Grant Amount: $334,500.00

Description:​​​​​​​​​​​West River Memorial Park totals 196 acres, with more than seven thousand residents living within a ten-minute walking distance. Most pedestrian means of access to the park are underdeveloped and unsafe. Completed in 2006, the Barnard Nature Center, located within West River Memorial Park, serves as an ecological education hub as well as a community activity center. Similar to the rest of the park, pedestrian access issues prevent easy or safe access to the center, contributing to its underuse. The proposed project aims to address these inequities through the following improvements:

• ​Planning and designing a nature loop and cross-park trail section to enhance intra-park accessibility and increase traffic to the Barnard Nature Center.
• ​Constructing one recreational trail, including an accessible path and elevated boardwalk within the Barnard Nature Center section of West River Memorial Park.
• ​Adding trail amenities including an entry plaza, elevated boardwalk, interpretive signage, and accessible picnic tables.
• ​Improving an existing rooftop garden at Barnard Nature Center.
• ​Installing two pedestrian crossing light beacons at the park’s south entrance.