The Snug Harbor Civic League just announced its newest initiative: a Garden Club.
Let that sink in.
At a time when residents are dealing with real issues—property concerns, infrastructure questions, neighborhood planning, and community direction—the best the civic league can come up with is… gardening. Not engagement. Not advocacy. Not leadership. A Garden Club.
This isn’t charming. It isn’t forward-thinking. It’s an all-time low.
The reality is hard to ignore: turnout is minimal, property owners are disengaged, and interest in the civic league has been fading for years. The Garden Club announcement didn’t spark excitement—it highlighted just how disconnected the organization has become from the people it claims to represent. Nobody is rearranging their schedules to attend another meeting that produces nothing of substance.
Civic leagues are supposed to be voices for their neighborhoods. They’re meant to address concerns, push for improvements, and represent residents when it matters. Instead, Snug Harbor’s league seems content to tinker around the edges while participation continues to dry up. A few raised garden beds won’t fix a lack of relevance.
The uncomfortable truth is this: the civic league has seen its better days. The current leadership either doesn’t see the problem or refuses to acknowledge it. Property owners have voted with their feet, and they’re staying home. That’s not apathy—that’s a response to years of stagnation.
At some point, an organization has to ask itself whether it’s still serving a purpose. If the answer is “Garden Club,” it may be time to stop pretending. Either the civic league wakes up, listens to the community, and tackles real issues—or it accepts that its moment has passed and steps aside.