Farmers market move to Kennedy Park draws praise and safety concerns over parking and traffic

Trustees spent an extended portion of the meeting addressing complaints and operational challenges after the farmers market moved to Kennedy Park when the previous corner site was sold.

Market organizers told the board the move expanded vendor capacity (from about 25 stalls at the old corner site to roughly 53 stalls at the new site) and allowed vendors to keep vehicles nearby for setup. The market manager described grant support for double-up food-bucks and EBT token programs, and said roughly $5,000 in grant funds and in-kind support are being used to offset operating costs.

Finance staff reviewed recent Farmers Market expenditures in vouchers presented to the board: $3,110.48 for electrical supplies and smaller electrical purchases, $172 for portable toilet rentals and other one-time set-up costs tied to relocating the market. Staff said most grant-funded expenses are reimbursable to the village and that the market is not operating at a loss this season.

Trustees and residents raised safety concerns about customers parking on park grass adjacent to vendor space and about vehicle circulation near Alderson and Newport; several trustees recommended short-term measures such as adding cones, signage, or periodic village monitoring to direct pedestrian flow and to discourage parking on turf. One trustee proposed canvassing vendors and customers with a short survey (paper or QR code) to gather systematic feedback rather than relying on social media comments.

Board direction: staff will monitor parking and safety at upcoming markets, consider short-term signage or traffic control measures, and report findings back to the trustees. Long-term siting and cost questions (permanent site, electrical and recurring set-up costs) were left for future discussion.