Gardens get green light.

In May, the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation received final approval from a state Supreme Court judge to go ahead with restoration projects slated for the Staten Island Botanical Garden. The three garden projects were announced in 1998 and subsequently approved by the city commission this year. The projects highlight the gardens' surrounding environment in historical Snug Harbor, which once served as a rest home for aging seamen. The Tuscan Garden and Vineyard project involved restoration of a dilapidated building to be transformed into an Italian-inspired garden.

The small vineyard would be used for educational purposes, including classes on winemaking. A 9/11 memorial would be a place for visitors to enjoy the landscape while remembering a major moment in American history. The third project involved restoring a distressed wetland in Snug Harbor. Total cost for the projects is more than $7 million. The lawsuit was initially filed in March by the Snug Harbor Alliance, a not-for-profit community group dedicated to preserving Snug Harbor. The challenge in the lawsuit claimed that New York City's park and recreation department staff did not take the proper steps in the planning of the projects to minimize environmental impacts to Snug Harbor. But the New York County Supreme Court judge disagreed and dismissed the lawsuit. "We are pleased with Judge Wetzel's dismissal of the lawsuit and the court's recognition of the restorative and beneficial nature of these projects," says Christopher King, senior corporation counsel for the New York City Law Department. "The Parks Department, in partnership with the Botanical Garden and the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, took great pains to design each of these projects in keeping with the historic character of Snug Harbor." The projects will begin this summer and are scheduled for completion sometime next year.