Sustainable Wallingford sent out the following reminder regarding Tuesday’s Chamber meeting, which will discuss the Wallingford Farmer’s Market:
Do you want the Farmer’s Market to stay in Wallingford? If you’re concerned about keeping the market in Wallingford next year, please come to a community meeting!Tuesday Aug. 31Wallingford Senior Center (lower level of the Good Sheperd Center)Doors open at 6:00, speakers and presentation at 7:00Come for some or come for all of it. Bring your comments and questions!If you can’t make it, find out more at www.WallingfordChamber.org
or email [email protected]
or stop by Not A Number Cards & Gifts, 206.784.0965.If you value the Farmer’s Market please make sure your neighbors know about this meeting.
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( well, it’s not a Chamber meeting, it’s a Community Meeting )
but thanks for all the updates, wallyhood!!
Thank you, Kara!
As Vice-president of the Wallingford Community Council, I want to say, many thank to Kara!! As many of you are not aware, Kara, the Wallingford Chamber President has put in literally HUNDREDS of hours (volunteer I might add) on working out how to keep the Farmer’s Market in Wallingford. Having been involved in some of the work she has put in, I want to stress that ANY place the market goes in Wallingford will be compromise that will not make everybody happy. The community overwhelmingly wants a market to continue, but also does not want to see huge adverse impacts to local small businesses (I own one myself).
I do appreciate all the comments that have been made about locations etc. Here are some of the details that need to go into the consideration of the Market’s location:
1) There needs to be room for 30-35 vendors (which I was quoted as saying in an earlier post on Wallyhood) to be viable, so smaller locations such as Archie McPhee’s parking lot are out.
2) There needs to be a 20 foot fire lane, so smaller residential streets are out.
3) To get approval from SDOT (Seattle Dept. of Transportation) for use of a street requires 75%+ of residents/businesses on the street to agree – so you may want it on your street, but do a majority of your
neighbors? Thus, most of the larger residential side streets are out. (Live on a large residential street? Bring a petition with 75% of the residents agreeing to it to the meeting! Good Luck with that 🙂
4) Most of the parks in the area present load in/out problems for vendors, who need easy access to their booth space. Not to mention that means dealing with the Park Dept. as well as SDOT. Gasworks is possible, but there is a strong desire to keep the market in/near the center of Wallingford.
5) Moving the market to a weekend to minimize impact to area businesses. A possibility; however due to the proliferation of weekend markets, there is a real question about getting enough vendors to fill it, not to mention the competition with other markets. Many residents have commented they like a mid-week market because they shop other markets on the weekend (U-district, Ballard), and then use the mid-week market to fill in during the week.
6) Use the Lincoln High School parking lot – good suggestion, but it would most likely mean moving the market to a weekend (see #5) to a accommodate the school schedule. Not to mention then having to deal with Seattle Public Schools.
I do hope people will come to the meeting tonight to express their views on the market. All locations/solutions that meet the above criteria are open to consideration.
PLEASE let’s be considerate, respectful and civil at tonight’s meeting! I know that feelings are running hot around this issue, but I would hope that some possible compromises will come out of this meeting. I DO NOT want to see a mob mentality, and DO NOT in any way condone any kind of boycott of businesses that currently do not support the market. Many of the small businesses in the area are already struggling! Boycotts will create empty storefronts, not enhance the neighborhood! I want to hear their concerns (many of which I’ve heard, and which are valid), and hope that any future market plans will address these concerns. This is an opportunity for businesses and residents to come up with solutions for work for everyone, and truly show that Wallingford is The ‘Hood That Could.
Jon deLeeuw
Co-owner, Not A Number Cards & Gifts
VP Wallingford Community Council
thanks to all of wallingford for your input, your interest, and your outspokenness!
i have long said that wallingfordites are intelligent, opinionated, and vocal – and you all have not disappointed.
please see a post i am writing that will be on the “Farmers Mkt – Wallingford Ave business perspective” comment page. and i hope to see most of you tonite!