In the Spotlight: Sitka Community Garden

By Joel Hanson,
Transition Sitka Board President

Growing a community garden from scratch is no small feat, especially if you first have to look around for a suitable location. That can take some time, as we can attest.

It was a little over a year ago in January that a few of us from two nonprofit groups, Sitka Local Foods Network and Transition Sitka, joined forces to put energy behind establishing what the Italians appropriately call an orto di orto—a garden of gardens. And what have we got to show for it so far? Niente!

Actually, that’s not strictly true. If you turn off Sawmill Creek Road at the Post Office and go up Jarvis Street to the end, you’ll see a couple survey stakes stuck in the ground. They’re on the left, just before you get to the construction site where the Sitka Homeless Coalition has cleared an area for its cabin development.

Those stakes don’t look like much in the way of progress, but don’t be fooled. A lot of work has gone into putting them there. And if all goes according to plan, many more obvious signs of a Jarvis Street Community Garden will appear by mid-summer. Don’t expect it to look green and well-tended for a while yet, though.

There is much that needs to happen over the next few months to still leave a good portion of the coming construction season for earthworks. Before we can do anything on the 1/2-acre site besides take measurements and dream, we need to bid successfully on the Request for Proposal (RFP) that Sitka’s Planning Department expects to issue sometime soon for a “horticulture” project. Then, we need to negotiate the details of a long-term lease. Then, the city needs to write those details into an ordinance for the Assembly to consider and pass through two hearings.

Daunting as this all may seem, the city’s administration and staff, as well as our Assembly, have been helpful and supportive of our efforts. Good progress is not an unreasonable expectation at this point.

The goal for the summer of 2024 will be to clear the parcel, fence the perimeter, and hang walk-in and drive-in gates. We’ll also harden a small portion of the site to accommodate a modest parking area and a garden support building. The building’s actual construction will commence in spring of 2025. It will house a restroom, a tool storage area and an open shelter. Garden bed development will also begin next year.

When the Jarvis Street Community Garden opens in 2026, aspiring growers will have access to more than forty standard 10’ by 20’ plots to turn into their own home-away-from-home kitchen garden.

If you can, consider supporting this project with a donation to Sitka Local Foods Network or Transition Sitka. You may contact either organization via their email address.