Bentley Park – Transformed!

What a story we have had to tell with this parcel. Purchased in 2007, it was a thicket.

Some neighbors liked it that way. As a land trust committed to expanding the amount of open space in Towson, far and away one of the most densely populated areas in our County, however, we would not be meeting our mission if we left this half-acre parcel in the state in which you see it above.  You can't walk through that (and, believe me, I've tried). More importantly, although all of that green looks lush and healthy, it's deceiving.  Whatever was green and good in the picture above was being strangled to death by what is green and bad  (i.e., invasive species).  That's why, after the cleanup we were able to keep so little of the existing shrubs and trees, as shown below.

NeighborSpace purchased the property in 2007 to protect some green space for a community surrounded by urban uses on all sides, including Stanley Black and Decker's parking lot. Greening vacant lots has been shown to have significant ecological and aesthetic benefits. But recent research indicates that the way we take care of our trees, shrubs, and lawns also makes a difference for the safety of the surrounding area, leading to reductions in certain kinds of crime.

In 2013, the property was dedicated to Adelaide Bentley, pictured below, a long-time resident of East Towson and a strong community leader who is credited with keeping developers from buying up homes and destroying this tightly knit and, largely, African-American neighborhood.

(Photo credit - Patuxent Publications)

Many have contributed to the effort to create a garden on the site.  Councilman David Marks issued a proclamation publicly naming the park for Mrs. Bentley.  The Councilman has also been instrumental in providing a funding stream from a local development project to NeighborSpace to help with creating the woodland garden.

Volunteers from the Jones Falls Ward of the Church of Latter Day Saints have removed debris and invasives on several occasions.  The group, pictured below, has also pruned and removed trees.  They have been led by Dr. Brent Petty, a Hopkins physician by day (and third from the left, below).

Other volunteers have come in the form of NeighborSpace Board members and their family members.  Pictured below are board members John Alexander and Marsha McLaughlin, along with their son, Donovan. John and Marsha are the co-chairs of the NeighborSpace Stewardship Committee and have done so much to rally others to the cause of ridding our sites of invasive species and developing sustainable designs for parks that our community partners can enjoy and help us maintain.  As you can see, they are also adept at rolling up their sleeves for the cause.

In the fall of 2015 Harmony Herd, a group of (paid) goats moved in to graze over the many very delicious but largely invasive plants growing on the site.  The herd's tagline is "restoring harmony to ecosystems one bite at a time."

Board member Jack Leonard has also played an important part in the project. In his role as a professor in Morgan State University's Graduate Program in Landscape Architecture, Jack has been instrumental in getting Morgan's students and adjunct faculty member Sarah Trautvetter involved in the project.  Students met with community members to understand what they wanted to see on the site. The students, among them, Samuel Quick, Mason Campbell, Chris Schoenster, and Ashley Jones, all presented interesting ideas about the design of the garden, plant material and other features.  The site plan developed by Ashley Jones and Abby Leonard is shown below.

Community members Floriene Fields, Cleo Cole and Margaret Cook were on hand on April 7, 2015 at Morgan to listen to the student presentations and ask questions. The design proposed by Ashley Jones and Abby Leonard was the one that found the greatest favor with the community. With the receipt of funding from the Towson Mews Planned Unit Development project through a resolution introduced by Councilman Marks, NeighborSpace received $20,000 to begin construction of the park.  NeighborSpace issued bids for the project in  summer 2016. Phase 1, the planting of shrubs and trees, was completed by the Pinehurst Landscaping Company in fall 2016.  Additional funds are being sought to complete Phase 2, the planting of perennials in Spring 2017.  If you are interested in donating your time, talent or treasure to this cause, please contact us as shown below.