VIENNA — Residents will have a chance to put their green thumbs to use, thanks to a partnership between the township and one of its nonprofits that passed at Monday’s trustees meeting.

Trustees approved partnering with the Vienna Community Action Committee (VCAC) — a committee of lifelong residents formed late last year aimed at providing services to the community — to implement a community garden using township property.

VCAC President Stephanie Garito explained to trustees during their workshop session that they were originally planning to utilize land at Vienna Presbyterian Church — their current headquarters — for the garden, which was among the top requests for what residents would like to see in the township. However, rental properties in the area receiving sewer updates soon forced them to halt planning.

Garito asked trustees if they could donate the land to their organization, but trustees Richard Dascenzo and Phil Pegg said they couldn’t because they’re a governing body. However, they could lease it out for $1 a year.

“Like Phil said, you just can’t say, ‘Hey, we’re going to donate (it)’. So you can lease it,” Dascenzo said. “We could probably have the prosecutor’s office draw up the lease agreement for liability purposes.”

Pegg said in terms of the agreement, he thought officials would start small with a two-year agreement and VCAC would have to come up with a contract establishing a set of rules.

“Basically, you have a set of rules and we can approve it,” Pegg said. “Just put that in there, that ‘to be leased at a rate of $1 per year’ or something like that.”

Garito, who teased that they’d be pitching the idea of a garden to trustees, said the trustees’ decision to accept VCAC’s proposition was “exhilarating”, noting how sought after the garden was by residents.

“Back in the fall when we asked the public what they would like to see in the township, a community garden was in the top three. It’s an honor that VCAC and the trustees are working together to achieve that goal,” Garito said. “They have a lot on their plate and we’re thankful they took the time during their workshop to give us their undivided attention and also (are) excited about this first in Vienna history project to break ground.”

Garito said their next step moving forward is evaluating the parcels of land trustees suggested they could use and reporting back to trustees on which one they preferred. She noted one of the parcels, donated land on Anderson Street, needs “a lot” of clearing out.

Garito said the garden will be able to benefit other organizations in the community, such as the Vienna Food Pantry and the Mustangs Care weekly food distribution program. Residents also will have a place to enjoy gardening if they lack the land to do so, which could improve their mental, physical, social and emotional health.