A collaboration between Looky Here, a creative reuse and workshop space in Greenfield, the Recovery Learning Center, the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community Greenfield Center and Greening Greenfield will be bringing new life to a long-vacant lot. The site is located across the street from Looky Here at 28 Chapman St.
“We’ve always been interested in this piece of land. We thought it would be a great place for a park or garden,” said Sarah Lanzillotta, treasurer for nonprofit Looky Here. Lanzillotta said she and other members of the nonprofit reached out to their neighbor, the learning center, and then others including the Great Falls Apple Corps in Turners Falls.
“It turned into a long email chain over the past couple of months,” she said.
Lanzillotta said they approached the landowner, Kevin O’Neil, to see if something could be worked out to use the land in some fashion.
“He’s been really generous and is giving us a trial period (to use the land),” she said. Lanzillotta said the landlord is primarily concerned with keeping the space clean and inviting and not having anyone park on the land. The group is currently working on a concept for a small community garden with a few raised beds local residents could plant, as well as some picnic tables that afford visitors a chance to relax and enjoy the outdoors.
“We’re going to look at creating a pollinator garden as well. Our next steps are to get a soil test, solicit donations and reach out to the neighbors. We will also be looking for volunteers,” she said. She added that for those who don’t know what a pollinator garden is, it’s “a garden that uses plants that are native to Massachusetts that attract beneficial insects and birds who help bring pollen from one plant to others.”
In terms of funding, Lanzillotta said they are working with Greening Greenfield to do fundraising and will be looking into grants to support the project.
“We’re looking at this as a long-term project,” she said adding they received a donation of $150 to get them started. Lanzillotta said the group will be reaching out to local neighbors on Chapman Street. via flyers and going door-to-door to gauge interest and seek input on the project. “We’re not completely set on the structure — how it will look — until we get feedback about what folks want to see there,” she said.
They will also post information on Facebook and Instagram as well, she added. In terms of a name for the project, Lanzillotta said they haven’t settled on anything definite yet. “It will have a name, but we’re not ready to say,” she said.
If there isn’t interest in vegetable and flower gardens, the group may plant some flowers and create a more park-like feel Lanzillotta said. They expect there would be room for four to five raised beds for gardening, she estimated.
“I would love to see that place as a beautiful outdoor space for people to get together and enjoy being outside,” she said. One of the bigger challenges Lanzillotta noted was having an adequate water source.
“We’re trying to figure that part out as right now we would only have water from the shop to bring over in buckets,” she said. Lanzillotta said she is new to gardening in general and is glad “we have some people on our team who really know what they are doing, such as Dorothea Sotiros who is a Master Gardener.”
Sotiros was introduced to the group via Nancy Hazzard, retired Director of Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, who now works with Greening Greenfield.
“Our planning has only just begun and we are excited to develop this more with our neighbors and friends,” said Hanna Brookman, president of Looky Here. Brookman provided the following list of items the group is hoping to have donated:
■Planks: 2-by-4, 2-by-6, 4-by-4 and 6-by-6 feet (untreated cedar, black walnut, cypress, redwood, oak, black locust, or Osage orange preferred but untreated pine is fine)
■Raised bed liner
■Picnic table (new or lightly used)
■Metal garbage can
■Large ceramic pots
■Wood chips/mulch
■Pavers/gravel
■Compost/soil
■Watering cans
■Shovels
■Spades
■Flower starters (preferably hearty perennials)
■Herb starters
■Vegetable starters
■Fruit starters
In addition, Brookman said anyone who is interested in participating or wants to be part of the planning meetings that are coming up should email lookyheregreenfield@gmail.com.
“We’re really hoping people will reach out to us,” said Lanzillotta.
To that end, the group has created a Google form asking about interested level of involvement, planning meeting times (Zoom or in person), volunteering to maintain the space, experience with gardening, etc. The form can be obtained by emailing the organization.
The group hopes to get work on the space/gardens started this summer.
“If we can get a couple of raised beds and a picnic table that would be great. We hope to have the project fully realized by next summer,” said Lanzillotta.
Once the idea was floated, “it exploded all at once. I don’t think there is anyone in town who wouldn’t want to see this happen,” said Lanzillotta.
Cris Carl is an avid local gardener, licensed therapist and certified herbalist. She is an experienced journalist who has written for the Recorder for many years. You can reach her at cstormfox57@gmail.com.