Business & Tech
Trustees Concerned Over Festival Use of Mitchell Park
Greenport trustees specifically say food vendors compete with area businesses during the Maritime Festival.
As early preparations are beginning for Greenport's marquee Maritime Festival, village trustees are airing concerns about the highly popular event, including how it utilizes Mitchell Park.
At Monday night's Village Board meeting, trustee Mary Bess Phillips complained that food vendors in the park directly compete with the downtown businesses. Though she did not feel the same way about some of the craft and display vendors in the park.
At the same time, Trustee George Hubbard said he'd like to see more merchandise and maritime vendors on the street instead of food vendors.
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“Three kettle corn vendors are not necessary in town. We don’t need three vendors selling all the same stuff,” said Hubbard.
Trustee Christine Kempner suggested there must be ways to solicit better quality vendors and suggested reaching out to the Town of Oyster Bay and see how they recruit vendors for the Oyster Festival.
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According to Greenport Mayor David Nyce, organizers were going to expand the number of ice boats and classic boats in Mitchell Park, but they intended to include vendors in the park as well. Nyce said the organizers were concerned the village would disallow the use of the park during the Maritime Festival. In the past, vendors were in the streets of Greenport and were not in the park.
In recent months, the Village has denied applications to hold a farmer’s market and a Greek church’s request to hold a cultural festival in the park due to perceived commercial use of the park.
“It’s their intent to continue with the trend being more maritime events in the park,” said Nyce.
Nyce sai the village has already has clear policy for Mitchell Park usage and recent board decisions reflect it.
“If it’s a benefit to the community, then it is allowed. If it is not, it is not allowed,” said Nyce.
Agreeing that food vendors could potentially damage park grounds, Nyce was concerned if the village removed the food vendors from the park that they would have to go somewhere else and could crowd out the merchants on Front and Main streets.
Nyce agreed to reach out to the festival committee and discuss the board’s concerns with them.