A group of Ridgewood residents transformed an overgrown lot underneath an M train station into a community garden. However, the MTA says they never gave the group permission. NY1’s Leisha Majtan filed the following report.

Clark Fitzgerald is locked out of the garden he spent three months bringing to life.

He says two padlocks were put on the garden's gate by the MTA’s New York City Transit Authority.

"We've definitely seen our plants withering through this last heatwave, it's been very difficult to watch that happen," said Fitzgerald, a founding member of the Ridgewood Community Garden.

In April, Fitzgerald and a group of volunteers cleared out this space under the M train station turning it into the Ridgewood Community Garden.

He says it was previously being used as a dumping ground.

Fitzgerald says he reached out to the MTA and the community board before doing any work and was given the all clear.

"Everyone was very supportive, they sent assessment teams by, they sent representatives to check up on us, and everything was very smooth until the beginning of July," said Fitzgerald.

The garden volunteers received a $3000 grant for the cleanup.

They put that money toward testing the soil and buying tools and supplies.

Fitzgerald says even after all this work, the Transit Authority gave them no warning before changing the locks.

"We were extremely surprised by the response of the New York City Transit Authority once the locks were changed and ultimately confused because every interaction we had with them had kind of contradicted that," added Fitzgerald.

An MTA spokesperson tells NY1 the group never received permission to use the lot, they're trespassing, and it's a security risk to have them working under the tracks.

He goes on to say the group must leave by August third.

But the volunteers hope the MTA reconsiders because they say there is a growing need for green space in the neighborhood.

“This is a chance for them to share skills, share ideas, share visions for what a green space in Ridgewood could be,” said Columbia Bullion, another member of the Ridgewood Community Garden.

“It's a beautiful space and has really brought a community of people together and is a great addition to Ridgewood,” added Frank Coughlin of the Ridgewood Community Garden.

The group has started a petition to drum up support to keep the garden open.