After weeks of residents occupying a community garden in protest of an eviction, Proyecto Jardin has received the support of the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council. The Council unanimously passed a resolution in favor of Proyecto Jardin and landowner White Memorial Medical Center continuing their former relationship.
The dispute stems from White Memorial not renewing their lease with Proyecto Jardin and instead announcing that they will have two other non-profits occupy their plot.
Proyecto Jardin says they were not able to reach an agreement with the hospital because they do not want their garden to be reduced to one-third of the land, don’t want to change the name, and do not want to attend religious classes on how to observe the Sabbath.
White Memorial told the Boyle Heights Beat that Proyecto Jardin’s productivity was concerning. The hospital also says that the Sabbath policy is included in every lease given out by White Memorial.
The Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council’s support is a non-binding resolution that favors renewing the lease Proyecto had with White Memorial. Proyecto Jardin cannot be evicted from White Memorial’s land without a court order. The former lease expired in December and the non-profit was asked to leave at the end of January.
