4 NOVEMBER 18, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Push for a community garden leads to dispute
between Glendale Stop & Shop and residents
BY JULIA MORO
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
Some residents have pushed to
convert the empty green space
next to a Stop & Shop in Glendale
into a community garden since last
spring. But the push has turned
into a dispute between residents, the
company and the Queens borough
president’s offi ce.
In February, a group of neighbors
proposed to turn an empty lot next
to the Stop & Shop located at 66-64
Myrtle Ave. into a community garden.
The space is owned by Stop & Shop
and is, therefore, private property.
However, the community group still
pushed to utilize the limited green
space available in the city for a garden.
About 10 residents, including Caroline
Shadood, took it upon themselves
to clean up trash from the area and
set up a few planters along the fence.
“We just want to give back to the
community. There’s a lot of beautiful,
private green spaces in our neighborhood
but nothing quite as large as
this lot,” Shadood said.
Originally, Shadood and other
residents were under the impression
they were on their way to securing
the space for a garden. The group was
working with a community outreach
representative from the borough
president’s office, and it seemed
like everything was going smoothly.
Then, in early July, there was a lock
on the gate.
“We just felt slighted, to say the
least,” Shadood said.
Shadood said the lot is essentially
“a dumping ground.”
“Why are we just letting this sit
here when the community just wants
to put some fl owers in?” Shadood said.
“We live close by and have seen this
empty, beautiful, sunny lot for years,
and we’re tired of it being empty, and
we want to do something that feels
good for the community.”
According to Stefanie Shuman, the
external communications manager at
Stop & Shop, there are tons of legal
reasons as to why the space cannot
be used as a garden, including safety
concerns. Shuman instead said Stop
& Shop has been working with the
borough president’s office to pay
for a community garden elsewhere.
However, no space has been reserved
A group of Glendale residents are pushing for a community garden in an
empty lot next to Stop & Shop.
Photo courtesy of cypresscentralgarden/Instagram
yet for the project.
“Stop & Shop remains supportive of
local eff orts to establish a community
garden in the Glendale area, and we
have offered to assist in funding
these eff orts at an alternative location,”
Shuman said.
A spokesperson for Richards’ offi ce
told QNS they did not want to comment
on the issue.
However, Shadood feels that Richards’
offi ce and Stop & Shop have
unfairly shut her and other residents
out of plans for another garden.
“We know that it’s private property,
but we’ve been open and communicative
about wanting to work together,”
Shadood said. “It feels uncomfortable.
It feels sad. If they’re building
a community garden without the
community, that doesn’t make much
sense.”
The group has taken to Instagram
to publicly criticize the company’s
practices, mostly questioning the
sudden construction happening at
the empty lot.
Shuman said that the new construction
is a beautifi cation project
aft er listening to concerns from residents
about the lot being an eyesore.
Stop & Shop put up a new fence and
did some landscaping.
“Stop & Shop is committed to the
Glendale community, which is why we
have been working on the beautifi cation
of the site located at 64-66 Myrtle
Ave. in partnership with the Offi ce of
the Borough President,” Shuman said.
Shadood has put together a petition
that has garnered about 800 signatures.
She said she is still willing
to work with the borough president’s
offi ce and Stop & Shop if they would
respond to the group’s attempts to
open the line of communication.
Ridgewood
Property Owners
& Civic Association
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