Onancock council approves Queen Street as permanent farmers market site

The Onancock Town Council voted to approve locating both the summer and the winter farmers markets in the town-owned Queen Street parking lot, a move proponents said will secure a visible, permanent home for the market and preserve downtown foot traffic. The motion, moved by Cindy Holdren and seconded on the record, passed by roll call after more than two hours of public comment from vendors, business owners and residents.

Supporters said the market is an economic driver for downtown. "It has become an economic driver helping to revitalize downtown by increasing foot traffic that has now grown to 13,000 people a year," Lisa Figge said while outlining the market’s role in drawing visitors and customers to nearby shops and restaurants. Speakers representing vendors and downtown merchants said the Queen Street lot—town-owned, centrally located and sized for a winter market building—offers stability and better amenities for vendors and shoppers. Opponents raised concerns about drainage, loss of parking for downtown businesses and the possibility of displacement if private lots were used; Council member Oswald registered a recorded nay, citing the location as the wrong fit for downtown businesses.

The council’s motion also authorized the town manager and police department to provide wayfinding signage and to enforce parking restrictions on Saturday mornings so the market can set up. Holdren told the council a special-use permit and any lease logistics would follow: "We have to have a special use permit for the market, and in order to lease property to them there has to be a public hearing," she said, noting those steps can be scheduled next month. Council members and town staff agreed to work out implementation details—drainage fixes, parking enforcement hours and specifics of signage—before launches.