With the King County Council expected to fully fund Ballard P-Patch’s application for a $1.25 million Conservation Futures Tax project, the community garden has nearly cleared all the hurdles necessary for closing on purchase and preservation of a half-acre of Ballard garden space. The CFT grant, which uses property tax dollars to conserve open space lands in King County, is contingent on matching funds. Through private donations and public funding, the P-Patch has made tremendous fundraising progress, but now needs to raise about $300,000 to qualify for the King County match and finalize their purchase. Closing date is set for July 29, 2020.

In order to meet the deadline, Ballard P-Patch is also seeking a bridge loan, which would cover financing until CFT funds are dispersed. They are making one final push to close the $300,000 gap and to the secure loan.

The land trust GROW, which is the fiscal sponsor of the P-Patch, will ultimately hold the title. GROW is a certified non-profit organization; therefore all donations are tax-deductible.

Pledges of $10,000 or more go toward a $100,000 matching gift that has been offered by an anonymous private donor and will also be leveraged against the CFT grant.

So far, more than 500 people have donated to the campaign to Save Ballard P-Patch. Each donor is commemorated with a ribbon bearing their name, strung together in a garland over the patio in the garden.

Ballard P-Patch has been a public garden in the Seattle P-Patch program since it was founded in 1976 by the congregation of Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church and leased to the City of Seattle for just $1 per year. Last summer the church announced plans to sell the land in order to raise capital to pay for renovations to their building. Rather than see the garden space developed into single-family residences, gardeners and P-Patch supporters have partnered with the church to raise the money necessary to purchase the land and keep it as a garden.

CFT funding from King County would accomplish their aim. The long-term goal is to ensure the property has a conservation easement, meaning the land would be preserved as open space in perpetuity, operated as a community garden and open to the public.

For more information about Ballard P-Patch, visit their website at ballardppatch.org.

To make a donation, visit saveballardppatch.org.