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Let’s Make Dallas Even Better

Tom Spicer’s Garden at F.M. 1410 is Safe for Now

By Nancy Nichols Published in Food & Drink January 31, 2011 9:07 am

I just heard from Tom Spicer. Friday he sent out a note to let his customers know that his garden was going to become a parking lot. The concrete contractors showed up to measure and Tom was hopping mad to find out he was losing his living by a third party. Hark! It turns out that the concrete company possibly measured the wrong address. Spicer’s landlord, Jack Kemp, assures him it was a mistake. Here’s Tom:

Mr. Kemp is on the record (recent voice mails) as saying it was a mistake or that it was for some other purpose/property or the concrete company got the wrong address.

So, the crises is solved and it’s business as usual at Spicer’s FM1410.


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Comments

  • Kirk

    He needs a more permanent solution. Maybe the city can provide a long-term, $1-a-year lease to him on a nearby, environmentally clean parcel that would serve as a pilot program for other urban farms?

  • cp

    Why should the city do that? Is this not a for-profit business? Do you think the city should lease $1 properties to other people wanting to open a business?

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  • now that this seems to be resolved, the other people called out by name were Robert & Karen Udishen…i have no idea about the details of this issue and fully support everything the Spiceman does.

    but i do casually know the Udishens and they are really nice people who are involved with many good causes around this city. so don’t leave bags of flaming poop at their door.

  • Kirk

    @cp: If it’s a choice between a crack house and an urban farm, then why not? A choice between a vacant lot generating no tax revenue and a new restaurant or grocery store, why not? I think that’s called letting the private sector help advance the community agenda.

  • irodguy

    I agree with Kirk there are plenty of land seizure sites around east Dallas. These are generally knocked down and become empty lots.

  • Bill Weiss

    Rents due tomorrow, i guess will see.

  • cp

    @kirk- that is not the “private sector” helping… that’s the public sector, the one called government. If the private sector wanted to help breathe new life into crummy neighborhoods, it would do so. Tom Spicer can pick himself up and go scout out all these locations and buy a property himself. No one is stopping him.

  • KitchenDoor

    I would agree with Kirk except I would love to see some wealthy Dallasite buy up a bunch of crack houses and dedicate the land to local farmers they can name after themselves and fund it. Hire a great person to run it and create a real movement.

  • luniz

    cp Kirk is referring to Spicer as the private sector. In the case the city owns a vacant, decrepit lot (probably due to forfeiture) that produces nothing but a place to commit crimes, leasing it to cheap to somebody who is proven to know how to make it productive makes sense and would save money and eventually make money.

  • Cassie

    At least Tom had some fresh parsley to go with that egg on his face.

  • Scagnetti

    @Cassie: Well played madam!

  • Tom – Buy a little plot downtown near the Farmer’s Market! Land is cheap there i’m sure!

  • Susan

    Nancy thank you for posting this. They read part of it at Ida’s service today. She was such a force. I will miss her.

  • Susan

    Sorry I posted under wrong item. How do I delete?