Community Garden Sabotaged By Activist

After seven years of planting flowers and vegetables in the downtown of Jersey City, the Brunswick Street Community Garden may be coming to a bitter end. In identical posts on JCList and Wired JC, community activist Janet Allen is accused of spitefully terminating the garden group's lease for the plot of land. The city, believing the group was no longer interested in maintaining the garden, began the process of accepting new bids for the property, according to the online post.

Allen has been active in Hamilton Park neighborhood group for a number of years, most recently squabbling with local officials and community members over renovation plans for Hamilton Park. Those much needed renovations have been delayed after a March meeting. She was also instrumental in the posting of signs banning ball playing.

Since the accusations were levied against Allen, the only response has been through yet another online message board. The unofficial response comes from Newport Waterfront Association / Newport Neighborhood Association leader Sonia Maldonado claims Allen "no longer wishes to continue doing any work with the New Brunswick Community Garden."

There is likely more here than meets the eye, and some suspect Allen is attempting to seize control of the property through another organization which she controls. In either case, we doubt this is the last we've heard of the community garden saga.