Citizen Discussion about the Farmer's Market in Downtown Hickory
Jason Yates is the principal owner of the Olde Hickory Tap Room and the Hickory Station properties located in Downtown Hickory. He supports the market and it remaining Downtown, but does not support where it will be moved to on the square. He talks about the current negative impacts it has on his business. He mentions how many business owners Downtown have not even heard about the issue or the process.
Mike Robbins is concerned with how this is progressing. He supports the Market. He is the architect of the Depot and doesn't understand why the market needs to move. He also talked about how vehicles can park on the Plaza. There is a concrete shab under the bricks on the square. he doesn't want it moved to the city parking lot across from City Hall.
Meg Locke wants the market on Union Square. She said she had some harsh words towards those who lost the vote and are still arguing against this. She vehemently stated that she wants the market on Union Square. She believes that we have groups that can collaborate. She says she wants the council to make the farmer's market the most visionary group in Downtown.
Rob Bell is a building owner Downtown who does not want parking taken from Downtown. One tenant says that their clients aren't able to walk great distance. he says he is surprised that this was not advertised to business owners Downtown. Taxpayers Downtown should be part of the process.
Tyler Mills is a property and business owner and is not against the market on the square. She thinks everyone needs to work together. The market does not need to move off of the square. If it moves off of the square, then it is not part of Downtown. We need to work together to ensure that this market remains part of Downtown. It needs to remain part of the visual aspect of Downtown. If this does not happen, then businesses are going to suffer and property owner's are going to lose tenants and property values will decrease and everything will go downhill. She has been here for four years and she has seen it grow. This is part of the thriving aspect that they are trying to build upon. People need to get together and work together for a compromise.
Sam Glaberman of Union Square Emporium stated that Union Square is driven by events. It is important for the struggling businesses Downtown. The market is the best event that happens Downtown on a consistent basis.
David Crosby, the head of the Downtown Hickory Farmer's Market made the presentation regarding the Plan A option. He stated that 9 years ago they approached the City Council and asked them to support the Farmer's Market. He approached the farmer's market board last summer about how the market was expanding. They started out with 25 spaces, then 30, now they are up to 35, and they have a waiting list. They use a lot of local vendors from within the 50 mile radius of Hickory. Change doesn't come easy. He stated that not everyone is going to be happy. Parking is an issue on Wednesdays. They have heard what Jason (Yates)has to say. They have discussed utilizing the current spot 6 months a year and moving other parts of the year, but that looks bad to vendors. The recommendation is Union Square. They gain 12 spots at the Depot by moving to the right hand side of the Plaza of Union Square. 700 people come to the market on Saturday and 500 on Wednesday. He remembers when it was 300 on Saturday and 200 on Wednesday. The market attracts people from Conover, Marion, and Morganton.
Citizen Discussion about the Farmer's Market in Downtown Hickory
Alder Sally Fox was the first to speak to this issue and the fact that she was with a group that tried to attract a grocery store Downtown, but there were no interested companies. The Farmer's market has filled that void. Her tenant recruitment entity helped with the vision of the Farmer's Market. As a council person, she believes that the market can grow on Union Square and this will attract people and distinguish ourselves from other community's. Alder Patton, stated that she is on the Farmer's Market board and we are as a community and a nation being called to do things locally and eat fresh produce and be healthier. We do gain 12 spots, we can afford to walk across the street from the Depot. The Square does suit the majority of the property owners. We need to take the opportunity to be visible on the Square and take baby steps and maybe look at the whole square and maybe move some bricks out to do more on the Square and make more parking available. There is a time crunch.
Alderman Meisner addressed people aho have complained about events Downtown and not everyone is going to be happy. This adds to Doewntown. The Mayor has a strong sense related to property owners and their needs as far as parking. This is not permanent and if there are problems they will be quickly addressed. This is not something that can't be undone. The Mayor stated that merchants need to keep their employees out of the Downtown Parking Spaces and this is not a joke. Alder Patton stated that at the HDDA meeting this morning that one of the main issues was the people that were tying up those prime parking spots were employees of Downtown. The mayor said as a business owner he would be apprehensive, but kind of looking forward to this. Alderman Seaver asked why the vendors could not park on the bricks? It was stated that this was because of trucks and the effects that might have on the bricks and possible other (aesthetic) issues.
Alderman Guess had concerns about Property owners who have not been brought up to speed and this needs to be done on a temporary basis. maybe the permit time needs to be shorter. This was done in two weeks and more people need to be allowed to give their opinion. Atty. Crone clarified this is a special event permit effective from April 23, 2011 to November 24, 2011 and after that time they have to come back before the Council. Alderman Meisner stated that their is jockeying for these vendors and they can go other places. Alder Patton added that once they go to another location they stay there. Ald. Guess stated he was concerned about long time tenants and owners. Ald. Fox interjected that Union Square has lost two long time veteran tenants this year, because of the loss of people on Union Square. We need activity and to build a critical mass and that is not there and Ald. patton added that the Farmer's Market brings 1200 people per weekd. Ald. Guess stated that he wants to make sure that dedicated owners that have been around since before the Farmer's market are heard.
Four options were looked at and the map below is a rendition that can be altered to some degree. The Mayor stated that they are not going to let long time property and business owners suffer as a result of a decision they make.
The Hound saw a lot in this issue that is a microcosm of the problems that we see in Hickory in General. Everyone was, is, and will continue to be in support of the farmer's market and they enjoy the festival type atmosphere that it has brought to downtown. But, what we saw was a whole lot of angst is developing out of the details, that have not fully formed yet, that is causing parties with a similar mission to appear to be pulling apart at a time when it would be in their best interests to pull together.
First off, these people owe Alders Fox and Patton a great deal of thanks and respect for having a vision on this subject and following through on that vision and being persistent about the mission of the Downtown Farmer's market. The merchants Downtown need to work with these ladies to ensure that they don't screw up something that they are benefiting from. There is going to have to be some give and take in association with the current set up of the Farmer's Market as it stands today. The current infrastructure is not conducive to growth under the ideal of keeping all of the vendors together. At some point in the very near future this issue is going to have to be addressed. You cannot continue to have 100% growth in vendors and attendees without a reconfiguration of the infrastructure of the marketplace.
What everyone was arguing about is their vision of the marketplace. The marketplace is the people. The people are the participants who choose to come downtown and purchase the goods and services provided by the merchants downtown. It is understandable that the merchants have and the property owners have anxieties related to changes in the current set up.
I think that we saw a common thread related to this issue last night and all issues we have seen arise over the last several years in Hickory. The communication between "the City" and interested parties on issues such as these SUCKS!!! and the sooner the people who can't (or choose not to) communicate well are put in their place, the better off we are all going to be. I am not naive, I do understand that there will always be disagreements and you will not ever be able to get everyone on board, but providing solid information that people can understand tends to reduce these anxieties. When our leaders tell us that we don't understand an issue of interest that tells me that they aren't providing the relevant information and the laws of this State and this Nation enumerate that the information of the government belongs to the people. We must demand that we see a better relationship between the government and the people of this community.
Lastly, I have expressed my desire that we see a permanent structure be brought to fruition involving local agribusiness. At the same time that I see the benefits of creating this festival atmosphere Downtown, I also have a desire to see a year round farmer's market in a place that is more conducive to the access and needs of the customers. Downtown can still keep their farmer's market. No one needs to take that away from Downtown and I don't think anyone's mission involves ending the Downtown festival markets, but I think what the myopic, short term view related to this issue is is that it must be kept in its current format. Why can't this festival atmosphere and vision be a reality every day?
Why can't we have a serpentarium downtown like they have in Wilmington (Cape Fear Serpentarium)? Why can't there be a branch of the Science and Cultural Center on the Square? Call it SALT on the square. We are known for furniture. Why isn't there a historical furniture museum downtown? A place that shows fine craftsmanship and historical techniques of furniture making? We have a history with pottery in the area. Why can't we do this with pottery? We have artists in the area. Why can't we do this with art? I can go on and on.
I know why we don't. Because many of the people Downtown want to set out a niche for their businesses and they want a path of least resistance when it comes to competition. They want independence, but don't want any inconvenience and want to remain dependent on the City treasury for some of their funding to supply some of that convenience. It is unfortunate that business and economic realities just don't afford those types of mindsets. Yeah you as a business owner, property owner, or employee hate the parking situation, but you think that it doesn't pertain to you when you take up a space intended for a customer; because of convenience. You want more customers, but you don't want someone or something coming in that might sell something like you sell. You want rules and barriers to entry for potential business owners looking to move Downtown. Mast General store is an example of a top notch business who was expected to run through this maze. Why would they want to tolerate such interference? Whose loss was that? Mast or the people of Hickory?
I keep hearing that we need to work together. Some people are tone deaf and others have a hard time understanding what that means. It means that you have to compromise to build a consensus to move the community forward. I can give you example after example of people who have no communication skills. Half of communication involves listening and there are too many people in this community who keep chatting away, while others are speaking and trying to define their point of view. If you do this, then how the heck do you even know what these people have said. That is the definition of ignorance. These people that were speaking last night want the same thing... a better marketplace. They just have different objectives how to make that work. I know for a fact that they have 90% of the same objectives, but here they go again getting tangled in the web of the 10% of differences. That is truly a shame, but we have seen it time and time again in this community.
So let's start listening and communicating better in this community. See how those two words have the same root basis? Community... Communication, without one you cannot have the other.
2 comments:
Years ago, when the survey was done about locating a farmers market in Hickory, Springs Road was the preferred location according to the survey. Of course, like the pool surveys they had no intention of following the will of the people. And in their wisdom, they selected a site with little expansion potential and a difficult site to make a permanent site (like we once had with the old flea market and cattle sale).
This, sooner or later will either require a major relocation for the market to reach its full potential. Or it can stay downtown and never get to that potential. But this, as usual, is more about promoting downtown than serving farmers or their customers.
yep... but like Rick Smyre says. It can be an an/both proposition. The question is, can and/both happen in Hickory. And that is the million dollar question.
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