SEPTEMBER 9, 2010 ISSUE
Farmers’ Market Eyes Social Services Lot for Relocation
The Watauga County Farmers’ Market could enjoy greater visibility, increased parking capacity and cheaper rent if the Watauga County Commissioners approve a lease agreement allowing the market to relocate to the Social Services parking lot on Saturdays.
Joe Martin, president of the Watauga County Farmers’ Market, presented a proposal for a six-year lease of the parking lot at $1 per year to the commissioners on September 8. A market subcommittee has actively been seeking a new location for the market over the past year.
“All of the other options that we looked at in the county just have lots of obstacles,” Martin said. “I think this is a great location for the farmers’ market.”
After three decades at the Horn in the West property in Boone, the Watauga Farmers’ Market has outgrown the location, causing parking problems and, at times, a strained relationship with the Southern Appalachian Historical Association (SAHA), the organization that subleases the town-owned property to the market.
A year ago, after several months of negotiations, the market reached an agreement with the Town of Boone and SAHA that guaranteed the market full access to the parking lot during market times through the 2011 season. The market was charged with finding a new location within the next two years. The market currently rents the Horn in the West lot from SAHA for about $10,000 per year.
Between 2,000 and 3,000 people come to the farmers’ market each Saturday, Martin said.
He said the Horn in the West lot has about 250 usable parking spaces, with 200 left for customers after vendors set up. By comparison, the Social Services lot, located at 132 Poplar Grove Connector just off of King Street on the west side of downtown, will have about 300 spaces left for customers after vendors use about 85 spaces, with about 125 spaces at other government buildings within close walking distance.
The market would be responsible for the costs of opening the Social Services building for use of its restrooms and for cleaning costs. The market is continuing to pursue a new location for its Wednesday afternoon market to avoid use of the Social Services lot during the week, Martin told the commissioners.
Martin said the farmers’ market board has not yet decided, if the new location site is approved, whether it will move in 2011 or 2012. If the market waits a year, he noted, it would have extra time to inform customers of the move, but if it moved next year, in 2011, it could use the $10,000 it saved from the SAHA lease for marketing and advertising efforts.
“I hope we can accommodate this,” said Commissioner Winston Kinsey after hearing the proposal. Commissioners Vice Chair Billy Ralph Winkler, who is also the chair of SAHA, said he will be disappointed to see the market leave Horn in the West but “I hope we can really work this out.”
Martin said the farmer’s market formed a search committee that has met numerous times in its hunt for a new market location. Other locations the market considered include the old high school, the High Country Fairgrounds off Roby Greene Road, the old Shadowline building on Shadowline Drive, the Henson property, a location in Vilas, the Boone Mall and the Kmart parking lot.
“We’ve pretty much looked at every flat spot of two acres or more in Watauga County,” he said. “We’ve looked just about everywhere we could.”
Martin said there are no plans to install permanent structures such as sheds or stalls at the Social Services lot. Instead, the market is seeking grant funding to purchase multicolored canopy tents and flags to enhance the market’s festive appearance.
Martin acknowledged that the Social Services lot is used for parking and tailgating on ASU home football game Saturdays.
“We are aware that the [Social Services] lot is an unofficial site for tailgating during ASU home games,” his proposal letter stated. “We will work with ASU to coordinate our use of the lot to minimize conflict.”
The commissioners said they would discuss the proposed lease with county attorney Tony di Santi before considering its approval.
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