Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Farmers Market topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
DDA OKs farmers market storage on DDA lot; market cites $1M-plus downtown impact
Summary
The Harbor Springs DDA approved allowing the Farmers Market to keep its storage shed on DDA property through the 2026 season after a presentation from market manager Hannah Bianchi, who reported robust attendance, food-assistance programs and survey-based downtown spending above $1 million per season.
The Downtown Development Authority voted May 13 to allow the Harbor Springs Farmers Market to keep its storage shed and market van on a DDA-owned parking lot through the 2026 season while city staff and committees develop longer-term guidelines.
Hannah Bianchi, who introduced herself as the market manager, told the board the market is entering its 17th downtown season and runs as a nonprofit operation tied to Learning for a Future. Bianchi said the market hosts more than 30 full-time vendors and about 20 additional guest vendors and nonprofit booths, runs youth programs and an AED-equipped market van, and operates two assistance programs: a weekly market pantry that donated over $15,000 in fresh food last year and a LEAF program that awards $500 “market money” to 15 families each season.
Bianchi said consultants and on-site survey work indicate a substantial downtown impact: a single data day tallied roughly $32,000 spent downtown, and extrapolating data from repeat surveys produced season estimates “over $1 million” in downtown spending; she reported the average downtown spend rose from about $37 to $42 per visitor in recent tracking years.
Board members pressed for operational clarifications. Staff and members discussed permitting (Bianchi said the city use permit was approved April 20), insurance coverage and property management. Bianchi said she carries insurance for the market and will verify whether the policy explicitly covers the shed and its contents; the board asked staff to confirm liability responsibilities and to develop a consistent policy for any third party storing material on city- or DDA-owned lots.
On the committee recommendation to allow continued storage this season, a board member moved to permit the market to keep the shed on the DDA lot through the 2026 season; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The motion as recorded in the transcript did not name a mover or seconder and the vote was conducted by voice; the board instructed staff to compile an itemized accounting of any city costs associated with the site and to address insurance and zoning questions as part of the follow-up work.
The board and staff characterized the approval as an interim operational decision while the DDA and city complete a written plan for the lot’s use and management. The City Council retains final authority over longer-term changes to the property.
Next steps: staff will verify insurance coverage for the shed, assemble a cost accounting for city services related to the lot, and return recommendations for any formalized agreement or ordinance changes later this year.
