Liberty LandsIs Getting A Facelift!

It's time for the 20+ year old wooden fence around the community garden to go. It's deteriorating, full of weed trees, and doesn't work to protect the garden.It's also time to make the 900 block of Bodine safer for pedestrians and saner for parked cars.Did you know Liberty Lands is NOT a city park? It's owned and maintained by YOU, the Northern Liberties community. Neighbors built it in the mid-90's on an old industrial site.This project is funded by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Legacy Landscapes program and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development through a Keystone Communities Grant. The majority of the effort will come from the community volunteers who keep the park running day-to-day.

We need your help!

THE FENCE: During October 2018, volunteers will take out the existing wooden fence around the community garden and remove all the vegetation along the fence line. In late winter of 2019 (likely February or March), a new 5' metal fence will be installed along roughly the same lines as the previous fence.THE SIDEWALK: During October 2018, volunteers will take out all the vegetation and the stone planters along the garden edge of Bodine Street. This creates 10' of open space between the current fence line and the edge of where cars currently park. In late winter of 2019, we'll pour a cement sidewalk with curb along the edge of the current parking area. The new garden fence will come out to the edge of the new sidewalk, creating a clear and neat demarcation that will make walking, parking, and driving safer along that block.NOTE: This project will only address the section of the block taken up by the community garden. Future stages of the project will, we hope, complete the sidewalk from the garden north to Wildey Street and south along American Street, but these stages are not happening right now. We'd love your help in making them happen soon!THE JOB: To put the new fence and sidewalk in, we first have to take away a lot of what's there and deal with a large sinkhole at the southeastern corner of the garden. We've scheduled workdays through the first three Saturdays of October to work on these projects: the first is October 6^th from 9-12, when we'll remediate the sinkhole and start clearing along Bodine Street, working south to north.Join the effort on at one or all three of the following volunteer events:Saturday, October 6 – What Lies BeneathSaturday, October 13 – Tear Down the WallSaturday, October 20 – War of the RosesTHE PLANTS: Unfortunately, this means the end of several large shrubs and small trees along Bodine Street and a lot of shrubbery along the inner fences of the garden. [The mature trees inside the park will not be affected.] If you are interested in trying to save any of these plants, we'd be happy to let you do so! Contact Janet at park@nlna.org for information.THE PARKING: There will be no reduction in parking along Bodine Street. Parking Conditions should  probably be much better and maker better sense.However, for the duration of the work there will be parking restrictions along the block. If necessary, we will tow cars on Saturdays.  So please, make a point of NOT leaving your car on the 900 block of Bodine for weekends in October. Thank you!

How You Can Help...

• Don't park on Bodine Street from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon in October. Let your neighbors know about the restrictions, too.
• Join us at the park on Saturday(s), October 6, 13, and 20 from 9a to noonto help with the clearing work. No need to register: just show up for as much timeas you can!
• Get involved with your park: we meet every second Tuesday of the month at the community center. Join the Friends of Liberty Lands Facebook group. Or email park@nlna.org to get occasional email updates!
• Donations to the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association support our community park! Donate at www.nlna.org   

—