Allendale church gets go-ahead for garden
February 4, 2021 - The St. Petersburg Development Review Commission voted late Wednesday to allow Allendale United Methodist Church to keep its controversial vegetable gardens, with a key condition. The DRC approved one motion to allow food gardening within the property boundaries and a separate motion that expressly prohibits vertical structures within the adjacent public right of way. The church’s gardens have generated a lot of debate over the past several weeks, as the St. Pete Catalyst reported previously, with supporters arguing the garden is needed to feed hungry people and opponents saying the garden is not consistent with the character of the neighborhood. The DRC vote followed a more than three-hour public hearing.