Uncertainty sprouts up

Scott Yard may have to find a new place to grow his mangos, apricots, plums, cauliflower and other assorted produce now that Costa Mesa may sell the parcel where Yard and 41 other gardeners work the soil.

The Hamilton Street garden may be relocated — two suggested places are Fairview Park and the farm next to IKEA — but it’s not clear how soon that would happen or where it would go.

The Costa Mesa City Council on Tuesday voted to open negotiations with Red Mountain Retail Group, which is developing a Walgreen’s store and 14 town homes on several parcels next to the garden. A Red Mountain spokeswoman told the council some smaller live/work units could fit where the 20,260-square-foot garden is now.

Beyond that, much is uncertain. It’s not clear how fast a deal might be worked out, but the spokeswoman said gardeners could stay until bulldozers come to clear the property.

The City Council will discuss possible replacement garden sites, but it could be August or September before a meeting is held on that.

The city bought the parcel through a 1975 agreement that allowed the owner to stay during her lifetime. After several proposals to use the property were discarded as unfeasible, the city finally opened the garden in 2004.

Some gardeners said they’re worried about losing their plots. Lynn Redman, who grows vegetables and herbs at the Hamilton parcel with the help of his wife and 8-year-old son, said it’s taken him several years just to get the soil in a usable condition, and he’s put more than $500 into plants and soil improvements.

“I have no idea if they pick another location what it would look like and what the soil would be like,” he said. “The ones they’re talking about are a lot further away from us than Hamilton.”

Councilman Eric Bever first suggested in April that the council look into selling the garden to encourage the plan for a mixed-use project next door. His ideas for a new garden were on the east side of Fairview Park or at the farm on the Home Ranch property by IKEA.

No study has been done on those places, however, and Home Ranch is subject to a development agreement between the city and Henry Segerstrom and Sons.

Segerstrom spokesman Paul Freeman said most of the farm property already is slated to become an office park. The barn and old house on the parcel will be preserved as part of a historic district that is being planned.

Yard, one of the gardeners, said he’s glad to hear the garden might be relocated rather than closing.

“If they’re going to look into something like that then I think they should look into the replacement aspect before they just start announcing they’re going to move somebody out,” he said. “On the other hand, we know it’s not our land.”

Mayor Allan Mansoor was adamant on Tuesday that the Westside should keep the same amount of public open space even if the garden is sold, but he sounded less certain that another garden has to be provided.

Bever, however, tried to reassure the gardeners in the audience.

“Nobody is suggesting that we turn you guys out and not provide you with some place to do your gardening,” he said.