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Thank you for visiting our blog! This is where we will be posting the alternatives for the Neighborhood House Garden Project. Please browse through these five draft alternatives and provide your comments on the site. These comments will help us revise the alternatives for inclusion in a final plan and implementation strategies for the space. We look forward to getting your input and continuing to keep everyone involved!

Alternative1: Natural Area Plan

Summary

This alternative creates a large restored natural area along the Jordan River Trail through the granting of a conservation easement to Salt Lake City. A public art space and community garden serve as a buffer between Neighborhood House program space and newly created public space. Land immediately adjacent to Neighborhood House is reconfigured with therapeutic gardens, kids art space, an amphitheater, improved playgrounds, and an improved courtyard area serving as an outdoor classroom.

Needs Addressed

Neighborhood House staff expressed a strong desire for improvements immediately adjacent to the adult facility for the convenience and safety of their clients. Adult clients wanted more flower gardens and expressed their enjoyment of interacting with the children and watching them play. Children and staff wanted improved playground facilities with more imaginative play elements and increased outdoor classroom and art facilities.

The area immediately outside both facilities is improved to enhance program elements for both adults and children, as well as to enhance their interaction. The new adult area features an improved courtyard area with many wide trails weaving through raised planter beds with a variety of flowers and plants. These trails connect to all elements of the yard and directly to the new children’s art area.

The need for security is addressed by separating the Neighborhood House yard area from the “public area” with an improved fence roughly along the existing fence line. Another fence encloses the public art and community garden areas. A series of gates allow access to public areas during daylight hours and into Neighborhood House properties for select events.

Elements

· A natural area restored with native trees and plants, a network of trails, and several docks at the Jordan River edge creates wildlife habitat, a public resource, and educational opportunities.

· A public art space featuring mural walls and a sculpture garden connected to the natural area and Neighborhood House trail system and can be seen from either side.

· A vegetable garden space and greenhouse for community and class use.

· A small garden amphitheater for community garden related events and Neighborhood House educational programs.

· A larger amphitheater located near the adult facility for community events and Neighborhood House outdoor classroom use.

· An “adventure play” area featuring natural and artificial boulders as well as some more traditional playground elements provides a place for imaginative play and climbing.

· An interactive learning area with water features, sound generating devices, plant structures, birdhouses, and a giant ant farm for fun learning possibilities.

· A traditional children’s playground area.

· An improved outdoor classroom space in the existing courtyard.

Time Frame

Through the sale of a conservation easement, the natural area largely becomes the responsibility of Salt Lake City. Depending on potential soil remediation issues, the restoration of this area will likely be a multi-year process as soils are remedied, invasive trees are removed, native trees and other vegetation is planted, and trails are built. Educational opportunities for children are benefits and children could potentially participate in planting.

Neighborhood House Portion

First year

· Sale of conservation easement to Salt Lake City

· Reconfigure courtyard space for outdoor classroom use

· Improve courtyard outside adult kitchen area

· Prep and plant community garden

Second year

· Establish trails/delineate new areas outside adult and children’s areas

· Plant new vegetation and trees/bring in groundcover in new areas

· Build raised beds outside adult area & plant flowers

· Build garden greenhouse & interactive learning area

· Build garden amphitheater

Third year and beyond

· Haul in boulders and build boulder gardens

· Rebuild/reconfigure playground

· Build large amphitheater

Public Portion

First year

· Realign fences to delineate public/private areas

· Soil remediation

· Thin out trees along Jordan River and new areas

· Prep and plant community garden area

Second year

· Establish new trail system

· Soil remediation/begin planting new trees and vegetation

Third year and beyond

· Continued improvements to natural area

· Build docks on Jordan River