Entrance replaces gardens

Approximately one-third of the Associated Students, Inc. Community Gardens will be in the direct path of a newly planned Folsom Boulevard entrance to CSUS.

The gardens, which are made up of rental plots and common areas, are located at the south end of campus by the overflow parking lot and the recycling center.

Rene Hamlin, director of the ASI Community Gardens, said that right now 11 of 50 plots must be moved.

Garden operations are run by ASI and the land is primarily utilized by environmental study students.

Carol Ackerson, executive director of ASI, says she is working for the best interest of the gardens.

“The gardens are affected. We are going to have to move some plots,” Ackerson said. “Facilities Management has been very helpful in accommodating ASI and the gardens.”

Howard Harris, associate vice president of facilities management, is working in conjunction with ASI to develop a plan that would accommodateing all needs.

“We tried to push the road as far west as we could,” Harris said. “The road will be cutting off only a portion of the gardens.”

ASI Community gardens received a brief memo from Facilities Management at the end of August informing them that a road would be constructed through the garden.

“People know that the road is needed — what they are upset about is the lack of accurate communication regarding the road,” Hamilm said. “But Howard Harris is being more than cooperative by providing manpower and equipment to help move the plots.”

Ackerson said that the interference from the road might even be helpful to the Community Gardens.

“This location has never been an ideal one,” Ackerson said. “It is practically under Highway 50; it is not an appropriate spot for a garden.”

According to Ackerson, ASI is exploring the possibility of moving the garden to a more convenient location for the gardeners and for visitors.

“We have to look at the long-term future of the gardens,” Ackerson said. “Nothing is going to happen overnight, even if we found an ideal spot for the garden tomorrow, to move the gardens would require extensive planning.”