OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen
Pictured is the design for a “Victory Garden” at the former Revere Inn site, located at 240 Central Ave., in the village of Silver Creek.
SILVER CREEK — Plans for a Victory Garden at the former Revere Inn site on Central Avenue in Silver Creek are ready to proceed.
Earlier this year, the Silver Creek-Hanover Garden Club proposed a plan to establish a Victory Garden – a term coined during World War I when gardens were planted at parks and residences to supplement rations during the war. The plans have received support from the Planning Board and the Village Board.
Jim Castiglia and Donna Metzger of the Village Planning Board reiterated their support of the project at a recent meeting. Castiglia said, “As far as the Planning Board, and as far as I think, (the Village) Board, your plan is looking really good.”
Mayor Jeff Hornburg reviewed the Garden Club’s proposal earlier this year and stated he didn’t “have any problem with it.” He added, “in fact, I think it was pretty good.”
But not everyone has been as happy about the project.
At the most recent meeting of the Village Board, Autumn Klisiewicz spoke on behalf of the Garden Club and the plans for the site. Klisiewicz said she and the Garden Club has received “backlash” from the Silver Creek AMVETS, who wanted the site to be a dedicated memorial. Instead, plans for the site include flags representing each branch of the military and first responders to be posted around the garden.
Metzger stated the flags will be presented to show residents, “These are the people who keep you safe.”
Hornburg said he believes some of the conflict stems from a miscommunication that the site would not be incorporating any representation for the armed forces. He also said, “I still want to see that incorporated into it.”
Before it was donated to the Village, the site was eyed by both groups for purchase. Klisiewicz looked into purchasing it with the intent of creating a community garden to address food insecurity in the Village, while the Amvets wanted to purchase the site for additional parking.
Klisiewicz noted the long lines at the monthly mobile food pantry events, sponsored by the Silver Creek Food Pantry, FeedMore of WNY, and the Village of Silver Creek, which highlights the food insecurity of the region. The next mobile food pantry event will be Tuesday, Aug. 27, beginning at 11 a.m., at the Village Municipal Parking Lot. Refresco Beverages of Dunkirk has pledged to donate fresh juice as part of the giveaway in the coming months.
In its proposal, the Garden Club listed more than 40 types of produce that could be grown at the Victory Garden, ranging from lettuce and spinach to corn and melons. The project could begin as early as this year, as the Village will continue to evaluate the cost of the project in the coming months.
At a meeting earlier this year, the Village Board allowed for time for public comment regarding the proposal, but despite soliciting feedback through word of mouth and media/social media outlets, no members of the public came to share their thoughts.
“I like your proposal, and I’m going to guess that those that aren’t here either like it as well, or don’t care,” Hornburg said to representatives of the Garden Club after the previous public forum.
The Board is evaluating another public forum to discuss the matter later this year, with a target date of Sept. 16 as a potential option. More information will be finalized in the coming weeks.
“Everybody wants the same thing: green space, usable space, aesthetically pleasing … and I think that we can reach an agreement if we are all open minded and civil,” Klisiewicz said.