The Hickory Farmers Market is moving across the railroad tracks to Union Square.
The Hickory City Council approved a special event permit Tuesday night enabling the transition from the parking lot of the former Hickory Station.
The market will reopen in April and expand to about 40 vendors.
Some business owners in downtown Hickory, while expressing support for the farmers market, said the new location, on the First Street, NW, end of Union Square, will negatively impact downtown parking.
“It will displace a tremendous amount of parking,” said Jason Yates, a downtown business owner.
“We don’t shut down the most utilized lot on Union Square,” Yates said, “use the underutilized lots.”
He said his Olde Hickory Tap Room would be affected by the market, which operates Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Meg Locke is a downtown proprietor who welcomes the market on the square.
“We need the people downtown. We want it on Union Square. We can work this out,” she said about parking.
Other business owners who addressed the City Council said the farmers market must have public visibility to grow, and that its growth is a positive factor for downtown.
“The farmers market is one of the best events in downtown,” said Sam Glaberman, owner of The Emporium.
“Downtown is driven by events. We should try not to lose too many parking spaces and try to satisfy everyone’s needs.”
The president of the Hickory Farmers Market, David Crosby, is a market vendor himself.
He said although there are more vendors this year, by moving across the tracks, downtown will gain 12 parking spaces. The lot at Hickory Station is public parking.
There is a waiting list of vendors who want to be in the market, Crosby said.
Council member Jill Patton, who is on the farmers market board, echoed Crosby’s assessment of gaining parking spaces.
“We polled (market) customers, and they want us to expand,” Patton said.
Sally Fox, a council member and a founder of the farmers market, said Hickory is better because of it. “I believe (we) have the opportunity to grow the market on Union Square and work with business.”
Council member Hank Guess was concerned that everyone potentially affected by moving the market did not have a chance to be heard.
“Not everyone has been brought up to speed,” he said, “and in all fairness, there should be an opportunity for more input.”
He added he also is a proponent of the farmers market.
Mayor Rudy Wright pointed out that “We’re not doing anything permanent” if the council voted to move the market to Union Square. “It’s not an action that can’t be undone.
“We are not going to allow long-term business to suffer. We can revisit this.”
In the end, visibility of the farmers market won over parking concerns, and the City Council unanimously approved the move.
Source: http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2011/feb/16/farmers-market-moving-union-square-ar-788737/
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