Public safety, health concerns lead to removal of community garden removed from Cal Anderson

SEATTLE - Seattle Parks and Recreation has removed a community garden from Capitol Hill’s Cal Anderson Park. It was planted in 2020 as part of the Black Lives Matter protests and holds sentimental value to many in the community. 

However, after three years, the Parks Department says it needs to go, citing "public health and safety concerns." 

In a statement, spokesperson Rachel Schulkin said, "In recent months, the temporary garden has created unsafe conditions for all park users, including the vandalism of Cal Anderson public bathrooms, public drug use, unauthorized camping, and a significant rodent problem, along with other issues."

A devastating loss for some, like Aron Hill, who says he helped plant it.  

"I put a lot of work in that, and I've seen a lot of people come here and shed tears over the loss of a lot of people that were lost. Summer Taylor, that one kills me," Hill said. "The garden being gone, it hurts. It was a place where I felt safe and secure, it almost felt like home."

Taylor was hit and killed by a vehicle on I-5 while they were protesting the death of George Floyd in 2020.

Now the only thing that will grow in the area will be grass, as park officials have resodded the area working on turf restoration. Others, like Mike Zapata who lives across the park, are not so torn to see it go.

"Crime is running rampant," Zapata said. "This corner right here, it's insane." FOX 13 cameras captured a drug deal out in the open. Another issue is the encampments, neighbors say. 

"During the summer, you'd see people camped out here under the tree and they're just using needles in front of kids and they're naked," Zapata said. 

Park officials also cleared out an encampment nearby for what they say is the 76th time this year. An area they say is one of the most frequently addressed areas in the city for repopulated encampments.   

Some were clearly upset about the removal as they tried to knock the fence down around the restoration site. Thousands signed an online petition against the removal, calling it a safe space for people to remember Black individuals killed by police.

Off-duty deputies have been assigned to guard the area as crews work to clear graffiti and clean the public restrooms before the "amphitheater" is opened up again. 

Remy Sylvin, who frequents Capitol Hill, says removing one community garden may not seem like a big deal, but in the bigger picture, he says it impacts everyone.

"It’s in the word ‘community garden’, so anything that is community-oriented, or community-centered, I think should stay," Sylvin said.

Park officials say they gave activists relocation options but couldn’t agree to an alternative. 

"I think people need to realize you got to separate the issues here," Zapata said. 

Charleena Lyles, a pregnant mother of four shot and killed in her home in July 2017 when she called Seattle Police to report a burglary. She was shot seven times. Her cousin said they weren’t aware of the garden in remembrance of victims of police use of deadly force. 

Her statement says in part "To make a garden without reaching out to families and even letting them know about it tells me that this is not about our loved ones but about folks hijacking the movement and trying to make a name for themselves off of our pain and that is simply not okay."   

"The garden has to go back one way or another," Hill said. 

Park and Recreation says they’re still willing to work out a relocation for the garden. Mayor Bruce Harrell is working with Seattle’s Black Community Leaders to commemorate the garden with a better memorial. 

FOX 13 has reached out to the Black Farmers Collective regarding the garden removal and are waiting to hear back.