Community garden volunteers praised recent Parks Department rules which will prevent the land from being developed as long as the gardens are registered and licensed by the department. But many gardeners worried that the next administration won't be as kind to community gardens as Bloomberg has, and want more permanent protections. Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe (father of Quidditch Association founder Alex Benepe) announced an extension of the license terms for Parks community gardens. He said in a statement, "We are pleased to have worked with the City Council to extend the license term for gardens and to strengthen their protections."
The new provisions will license and register parks for four years, instead of the previous two, starting in January. It also requires that if a gardening is failing or inactive, the Parks Department must identify a gardening group to take over and give them nine months to restore the garden. Licenses will continue to be renewed as long as the garden meets registration criteria. Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito said, "This is a common sense move that will continue to help preserve our city's gardens in the short term. I look forward to continuing to work with the Department to explore measures that will provide for stronger long-term protections."
Christine Quinn insisted this was an important step to long-term protection of gardens. She said, “These will be the first licenses that will be in effect into the next administration, so it underscores that these gardens are meant to endure, regardless of who is in office."
