Hopatcong Garden Talk Awes King's Parents

William King stood red-eyed and stunned. King and his wife, Jane, had driven an hour from their Nyack, N.Y., home Thursday night, hoping others would share the vision of their daughter, Alice, who in October.

When the first Hopatcong Community Garden presentation was over, King spoke softly.

"We're just so glad to see everyone here," he said. "Alice would love it."

More than 40 people stuffed the court room for the meeting, a chance for organizers to gauge public interest and divulge preliminary findings for the idea in April. Lead organizer Sharon Gruber said she was pleased with the turnout.

"The problem was, we didn't know how many people would come out tonight," Gruber said. "And it was very gratifying to see that there were a bunch of people. Now we've got a direction."

Alice King's close friend and neighbor, Heidi Dolan, and others in late 2011 in King's memory. Dolan has said she doesn't want the garden named in King's honor, but hopes it will at least host a piece of King's old home garden—a piece of wire fence. Dolan said Alice King "would be jumping up and down" if she knew how many were interested in the garden, which Gruber said is still in its early planning stages but hopes will be established by May.

The garden is expected to be 100-by-100 feet and to host about 50 plots about at $20 each a year, Gruber said. The cost could rise, however, as organizers continue cost analysis, she said.

"I wish I could be more exact about this, but we're just pulling together what the costs are," said Gruber, who didn't rule out fundraising.

The garden expected to be located near the Maxim Drive-Kisling Avenue intersection, behind a bus stop, on an old softball field. A 8-foot wire fence—with a foot underground—surrounding the garden, which will run from April to November, is also planned.

Organizers have started reaching out to construction companies and possible volunteers about helping create the garden, Gruber said. She added the borough Department of Public Works could also end up contributing to the project.

Garden membership will come with guidelines, Gruber said, such as donating at least four hours a year to upkeep; restricting certain plants; being a Hopatcong resident; supplying at least two forms of identification; shunning pets and smoking; and planning a plot's maintenance if the renter can't tend to it. The plots will be doled out on a first-come, first-serve basis and first-year renters will gain preference, Gruber said.

The idea was met with some concerns, however.

Heather Loven, who lives near the proposed garden site, said the garden would restrict parents from parking spaces when retrieving children from the bus stop. Loven also said she worried the garden could attract sexual predators due to its proximity to the bus stop.

Sam Hoagland said a wire fence might not be enough to stop deer from jumping or climbing it and ravaging the garden. Hoagland said a stockade fence, which would prevent deer from seeing inside the garden, would be preferable but more costly.

Gruber said organizers are considering all issues.

"Things are still fluid, but we're on a path," said Gruber, who added the next meeting will probably be in mid-February.

For more information on the garden, email hopatcongcommunitygarden@gmail.com.

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