Brief

The Municipal Facilities Committee has submitted a non-profit ground lease agreement enabling the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust (LANLT) to operate Black Thumb Farm, a community garden, on city property at 10702 Sharp Avenue. The agreement governs the terms under which LANLT will manage and maintain the community garden space. The matter was referred to the Government Operations Committee on June 1, 2026, and is currently pending review there.

Full summary

This file proposes a 20-year, no-cost ground lease authorizing the Department of General Services to hand over a vacant 2.29-acre city-owned parcel at 10702 Sharp Avenue in Mission Hills (Council District 7) to two nonprofits — Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust (LANLT) and Black Thumb Farm (BTF) — to develop and operate a community garden and urban farm. The site sits between the I-5 freeway embankment and adjacent residential uses and has experienced ongoing nuisance issues as a vacant lot. The lease carries zero rent, with the market rate valued at roughly $617,700 per year. Both organizations serve as joint tenants, making them jointly and severally responsible for all costs: tenant improvements, maintenance, utilities, landscaping, security, and insurance. Either party may terminate with 60 days written notice. The proposed site plan includes raised garden beds, in-ground vegetable and flower fields, greenhouses, a Learning Garden for youth education, a public Community Garden, and a gathering space for events. Development is planned in phases over five years, with $522,000 in secured grant funding covering Phase I work — design, permitting, grading, utility connections, and initial planting — with programming expected to begin within six months of lease execution. LANLT, founded in 2002, has developed 30 urban parks and gardens covering 22 acres across Los Angeles. BTF, founded in 2020, runs youth-centered urban agriculture programs in Mission Hills, Panorama City, and Arleta, serving over 300 people annually through initiatives including a paid youth workforce program, free weekend gardening for high schoolers, public workshops, and school field trips. The City Administrative Officer completed a Community Benefits Analysis finding that the estimated annual value of services, staffing, and operational investment by LANLT and BTF — totaling roughly $625,260 — marginally exceeds the property's annual market value of $617,734, clearing the threshold for recommending approval of the no-cost lease. The original Council File 24-1436 was introduced by Council District 7 in November 2024 and adopted by the full Council in March 2025, directing GSD to negotiate the lease. This supplemental file reflects a structural change from the originally contemplated arrangement: rather than LANLT serving as sole lessee with BTF as a sublessee-operator, both nonprofits will now hold the lease jointly as co-tenants. The Municipal Facilities Committee approved the GSD report on May 28, 2026, and transmitted it to the City Council the following day. The matter was referred to the Government Operations Committee on June 1, 2026, where it currently awaits review before heading to a full Council vote.

Activity (2)

• 2026-06-01 Municipal Facilities Committee document(s) referred to Government Operations Committee.
• 2026-05-29 Document submitted by Municipal Facilities Committee, dated May 29, 2026.

Documents (1)

• 2026-05-29 Report from Municipal Facilities Committee · report