OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — A fairy garden in the Armbrust Acres neighborhood just north of Zorinsky Lake will soon need to move.
Ralph Lunders says it was built "by accident" starting five years ago with a handful of items and a little door on a tree. Now, he estimates it has more than 300 items as the community has gradually chipped in over the years.
He and others thought it was on the property of the homeowners' association. Apparently, it's not.
Last fall, Lunders was told the fairy garden they installed, along with flowers, plants, benches, and free little libraries, will all need to go.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a statement it will clear out trees, shrubs and other vegetation, because it needs to create a 30-foot boundary at Zorinsky "as required by boundary management and encroachment resolution policy."
"A buffer zone creates vehicle access for maintenance and boundary management inspections," the statement continues. "Personal use of federal property at Zorinsky Lake is not allowed without prior permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers."
"I was disappointed," Lunders said. "But I understand, you know, the Corps has a job that they have to do ... we're basically encroaching on their property."
The fairy garden has turned out to be big for charity. People leave coins in a tiny wishing well, and every week, a neighborhood donor adds ten times the amount collected. Over three years, that's mean $10,000 for local charities.
Lunders said he and his brother-in-law cleared the area of junk seven years ago, clearing the way for the garden. It was getting bad enough that people didn't want to go down the trail, he said.
Now, he maintains the garden, including packing it up every winter and reassembling it in the spring. While he expects he'll need to take it down next month, he says it's likely to find a home nearby by next year, but not back at the same spot. Without the trees and the shade they provide, it wouldn't be the same.
"They said, 'the only thing we can do is you can come back (bring the garden back) after we get all done,'" Lunders said. "But we have to charge you rent."
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