After its debut season, the board of the Greenport Farmers' Market asked the Board to move the market to the South Street parking lot just west of the
Greenport Mayor David Nyce said the group originally requested a permit for the Adams Street parking lot but after meeting with the Greenport Business Improvement District, they amended their request to the South Street location. because the Greenport Farmers' Market used spaces in the municipal lot during prime Saturday morning hours during the summer season.
Nyce read from a letter from the board of the farmers' market in which the group stated they would like to work with local businesses, and they recognized the hardship some local businesses faced by using parking spaces in the Adams Street lot. The group also said that by moving the market to the South Street lot, the problem they faced by overnight parking would diminish.
The Greenport Farmers' Market also requested that the permit be extended for three years, allowing them to use the location on Saturday mornings between the Saturday before Memorial Day through the Saturday after Columbus Day.
The mayor also read a letter written by owner Claudia Helinski, where she urged the board to deny a permit for the Adams Street lot.
"The farmers' market is a welcome addition, but the proposed location (Adams Street parking lot) is damaging to Salamander's," Helinski said.
Helinski said she has had record crowds for the last three years but saw business drop off on Saturday mornings in 2011 when the Greenport Farmers' Market was open.
Nyce said a portion of the February work session of the Greenport Village Board will be a public forum to discuss the Greenport Farmers' Market continued operations in Greenport, similar to a public forum held in 2011.
There are maybe 40 merchants, but at least 1000 taxpayers, why is an honest rent to help ease the burden of the average resident never discussed. The rent paid to the Village last year for that parking lot for 26 vendors for 24 weeks came to about $1.70 per vendor per week. The Village along with the BID should try and promote business for merchants, but that does not mean it should ignore the taxpayer in doing it. Have the market, just let them pay a fair rent for the space.
Paul Wood, President of the Friends of Floyd memorial Library.