A farmers market may be held on Thursday evenings of the 200 block of Main Street starting June 21, according to a legal notice published in this week’s Sun. That part of Main Street would be closed to traffic from 5 to 8 p.m. According to the notice, the applicants for the special event permit to authorize the market anticipate 1,000 individuals will attend. The event will include live music.
Some 200 block opponents of the propsal have called it a street fair, rather than a farmers market, but that’s the term on the city’s official notice that the event is being planned. The special event permit has not yet been issued.
Recreation Manager Tim Kelsey insisted the permit would not be issued for 10 days after the notice is published in the Sun, even though the date on the notice gave the public 10 days after May 15. Under the Municipal Code, special event permits are approved by the Community Development director.
The proposal was already known to many Main Street business owners before the offical notice was published, even though special event permit applications don’t require public hearings.
The annual Classic Car Show, Christmas Parade and Band on the Sand Events are examples of events that are approved by special event permits without public hearings.
Special event permit applicatons are made public either by mailing notices or by publication in a newspaper. Kelsey said the notice was published in the Sun because that was the most cost effective way to make the permit application public. According to Kelsey, the legal notice was sent to the Sun on May 15. It apparently arrived too late to be pulished last week.
Kelsey said all city departments and the Orange County Fire Authority review special event permit applications. According to the Municipal Code, the Community Develoment director must determine that the project is not “detrimental to adjacent property or to the public health, safety and welfare.” The applicants for this special event permit are the city of Seal Beach and Mary Ann Senske, who has been identified as the manager of the farmers market in Huntington Beach.
Multiple 200 block business owners have contacted the Sun to voice their displeasure over the proposal. However, at least one 200 block merchant supports the idea. The Sun posted a question on social media to ask for public comments on the proposal. Most, but not all of the more than 60 comments were favorable.
David Marcus, owner of Baby Boomers on the 200 block, is a critic of the proposed location for the market.
“I, as a business owner, am concernted about the traffic and parking. Twelve weeks is a long trial period to shut down the 200 block of Main Street to all traffic and parking,” he said.
Marcus said people are coming to dinner from 3 to 8 p.m.
“This is a tourist town,” he said. “Tourists do not come to Seal Beach for a farmer’s market.
However, Mike Anderson, another 200 block business owner, is among the supporters of the project. “I feel when people are here for the farmers market, they’ll have a chance to check out the shops on the second block as opposed to the first block because it’s next to the water,” said Anderson, co-owner of Anderson Brothers Tankfarm & Co.
“I love the fact the city’s trying different things,” Anderson said.
Commenting online, Steven Stasoiski said, “My initial thought is to try the event in an area that will not require closing any part of Main Street or Ocean Avenue as doing so might deter people from visiting the established businesses. Eisenhower Park or the beach parking lots below might be a better place for the Farmer’s Market. Perhaps this idea can be discussed further at an upcoming Chamber of Commerce Business Roundtable?”
Lisa Trepanier replied, “I mentioned in another post, people do not need to park on the 200 block to shop on Main. It would bring foot traffic galore on Main for the businesses. Out of towners would probably see businesses they may have never noticed were there because of the ‘market!’”
Kelsey said he thought the determination to put the market on the 200 block was a mutual decision of the applicant and city representatives.
Kelsey said Seal Beach issues 75 to 100 special event permits a year. He asked the public to submit their comments on the project by letter or email. His email is TKelsey@sealbeachca.gov
