Odom Stamps: Neither Diana Mahmud Nor Anyone Else 'Seeks to Impose a Community Garden on Fairview'

By Odom Stamps

This post was submitted in his personal capacity by former South Pasadena Mayor Odom Stamps in response to a flurry of comments (71 so far) on Patch following Patch's Q&A with Diana Mahmud, one of four candidates in the Nov. 5 elections to the South Pasadena City Council. Click here to read the Q&A and peruse the comments.

While I don’t usually post on Patch, I feel compelled to respond to comments made here by Bert DeMars and Judith McGibbons regarding Ms. Diana Mahmud. 

I live on Fairview, and hosted the Jan. 26 meeting referenced in Ms. McGibbons comments at my home. I did this because I wanted to give the Community Garden Ad Hoc Committee an opportunity to show neighbors how they proposed to transform a vacant, weed-filled CalTrans lot with drainage problems into one that could be an attractive and beneficial community garden for the benefit of South Pasadena residents.

Notice of the meeting at my home went out about one week in advance. At the meeting I believe all questions raised were answered by members of the Ad Hoc Committee. I definitely do not recall Ms. McGibbon’s assertion that no one answered her question, “is this a done deal?” Mr. De Mars was provided notice of the meeting but declined to attend after emailing Gretchen Robinette, the chair of the Ad Hoc committee, that he would attend. Meeting participants were apprised that if the City was able to obtain a lease from Caltrans for the Fairview property, a sublease from the City to the community garden association that would be formed to run the garden would have to go to City Council for approval. The majority of residents attending the meeting expressed support for the community garden; I know one resident adjacent to the community garden voiced concern and Ms. McGibbons stated her opposition. Many neighbors expressed positive interest in the design presented by Tony George, an architect in the community who volunteered his expertise. In March 2013, 33 residents on Fairview and nearby streets submitted a petition to City Council objecting to the location of the community garden on Fairview.

I have seen no proposal for location of a community garden on Fairview since January 2013. There is no basis for the vitriol contained in the comments of Ms. McGibbons and Mr. De Mars regarding Ms. Mahmud. The Ad Hoc Committee, of which she was one of many members, floated a proposal to site a community garden at the Fairview location in January. That proposal hasn’t been pursued after submission of the petition to City Council in March. I have seen absolutely nothing to justify Ms. McGibbon’s assertion that Ms. Mahmud or anyone else associated with a community garden, seeks to impose a community garden on Fairview. The Ad Hoc committee is now dissolved, and others are now seeking to establish a community garden at another location other than Fairview. 

I wish them the best of luck.

Odom Stamps
318 Fairview Ave.
South Pasadena