24 Jan ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES APPLICATIONS FOR RIKER HILL ART PARK COMMUNITY GARDEN ARE AVAILABLE
Published on January 24, 2020
Livingston, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced that applications for the new Community Gardens in Essex County Riker Hill Art Park are now being accepted. The Community Garden area was created as part of the most recent phase of improvements completed at Riker Hill Art Park in 2019. The spring 2020 planting season will be the first time that they will be available for public use. The application deadline is Friday, January 31st.
“These are the first Community Gardens made available to the public in our Parks System and are part of our ongoing commitment to provide activities that meet the changing needs of our residents,” DiVincenzo said. “Riker Hill always has been a dynamic location for artistic expression, and we are looking forward to working with gardeners who have that same level of energy and enthusiasm. The Community Gardens present another way to enjoy our open spaces and will bring new activity to Riker Hill,” he added.
Each plot is 10-by-4 feet in size and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Essex County residents will be given preference and residents completing the application must be at least 18 years of age. The rental fee for the first season is $50 per plot for Essex County residents; $65 per plot for out of county residents.
Residents who are provided use of a plot will be responsible for maintaining their own garden as well as keeping the area around the Community Gardens neat and clean. Gardeners must control weeds, pests and vegetative disease with organic products only. Gardeners who do not maintain their plot, do not assist with the general maintenance of the gardens or abandon their responsibility may lose their privilege.
To obtain an application, please visit https://www.essexcountyparks.org/parks/riker-hill-complex.
Riker Hill Art Park received a $1 million facelift in 2019, which included improvements in the storm water drainage system to address flooding, repairs to the roadway, sidewalks and stairs, new signage, exterior painting for the buildings and the creation of a scenic overlook and community gardens. The improvements were the result of a partnership between the County and Township of Livingston.
The Essex County Park System was created in 1895 and is the first county park system established in the United States. The Park System consists of more than 6,000 acres and has 23 parks, five reservations, an environmental center, a zoo, Treetop Adventure Course, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, golf driving range, two miniature golf courses, paddle boating, five off-leash dog facilities, a castle and the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens. The 42-acre Riker Hill Art Park was a U.S. Army Nike Missile Base in the 1950s. Essex County purchased the property from the federal government in 1974 and converted the buildings that once housed army facilities into studio space for artists. There currently are 38 artists in residence at Riker Hill Art Park.