Eastpointe, Urban Seed agree on 25-year lease for garden property

EASTPOINTE — Under a trellis supporting different beans and other vegetables, Bill Randazzo picked a pepper, worried about it turning too red.

Nearby, several community members tended to different beds, pulling weeds and making sure the beds were tidy and organized and the plants were healthy.

Holly Menke pulled into the parking lot with her mother-in-law, Karen Menke; both are Roseville residents. Holly Menke had found the garden while riding her bike several years earlier, but now she wanted to share it with her mother-in-law.

“I was riding my bike around and I kind of found it by accident,” she said. “It was really cool to just kind of come across it; like, ‘Well, I wasn’t anticipating that, but all right, cool.’”

Scenes like this are common occurrences at the Urban Seed Community Garden at 16425 E. Nine Mile Road in Eastpointe. Established in 2012, Urban Seed provides a number of beds that are sponsored by local businesses and organizations; beds that can be rented for the season; a group of garden beds specifically for growing food to be donated; and a garden that is open 24 hours a day, where people can pick vegetables and herbs to take with them.

Now, after some discussion among Eastpointe City Council members regarding the wording, Urban Seed and the city have agreed upon a 25-year lease for the property.

“It gives us autonomy over the property and outlines what we can and what we cannot do,” Urban Seed founder John Hofmann said. “One of the big things for us is it secures us here for the next 25 years, and it opens up the ability for us to start to go after grants and other types of donations.”

Through grants, Hofmann, who now sits on the board as Urban Seed’s treasurer, said it might be possible to eventually get some kind of a bathroom or a pavilion on the property.

According to Hofmann, discussions about the lease began when the current City Council took office. He said conversations about a lease started happening in passing and it seemed like a reasonable thing to do.

The lease was first brought up at a City Council meeting in May, but it was given back to the city attorney to finalize some of the terms in it regarding the maintenance of the grass in the parking lot.

At the City Council’s Aug. 13 meeting, it was agreed that the city would maintain the grass until 2026. Until then, the garden is expected to begin paying on utilities such as water and sewer.

“I know it’s not as quick of a transition as we might have imagined, but I think ultimately what we’re doing is giving them a little autonomy of the property, which they basically already have, and a little bit of certainty that we’re not going to kick them out tomorrow,” Eastpointe Mayor Michael Klinefelt said.

At the Aug. 13 meeting, the City Council voted unanimously to approve the lease.

“They do a great service to the community,” said Councilman Harvey Curley.

Curley added that the people who rent beds are very happy with how the garden is run.

“The gist of it is, is that it’s just for the benefit of everyone, essentially,” Councilwoman Margaret Podsiadlik said. “You can go there on a Saturday, and if they have cucumbers and you’re interested in having some cucumbers, they have them. If you want to help the garden, if you want to help water, they’ll take the help. They’ll take any kind of assistance that you want to offer, and you can walk away with some fresh vegetables. It’s a win-win.”

Hofmann said the garden has been on an upward trajectory since about 2020, as far as getting momentum behind the organization. He said the talks with the City Council have brought a new awareness to the garden.

“It’s really nice to see so much of the community voicing their support for the program, even though they may not have ever been here,” he said. “So many people are like, ‘Wow, that’s amazing, keep up the good work.’”

Hofmann said having the lease finalized feels “incredibly amazing.”

Katie Donnelly, who volunteers with the garden, said the lease brings stability.

“It’s just a nice feeling of security, because the city can’t come in and just bulldoze everything one day, but at the same time, we can’t trash the place,” she said. “So it’s good for both, right?”

Looking to the future, community members hope to be able to make the garden more accessible and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant. They also hope to be able to host more events there, such as art shows, gatherings and events aimed at educating the community of Eastpointe. They also hope to be able to learn more ways to mitigate flooding when it rains.

They also hope to be able to help other communities start their own gardens.

As of Aug. 19, Hofmann said the garden had produced just less than 800 pounds of vegetables so far this year. He said the garden is on track to beat the 1,000 pounds grown there last year.

To get involved or learn about renting or sponsoring beds, visit the garden’s website at urbanseed.info.

“This is a safe space, so it’s very accommodating,” Hofmann said. “Everybody, regardless of skill set, is welcome to come.”