A Farmer’s Market regular provides comment with staff response.
I would like to bring to your attention to what appears to be a disconnect between the wishes of you the elected council and city staff.
Last April council passed the Downtown Secondary Plan following extensive public engagement. That document addressed the future of the Farmers Market including:
• acknowledgment that the facility was at capacity
• acknowledgement that an enhanced Farmers Market will support downtown economic development
• a call for an enhanced and more accessible Farmers Market
• preparation of a Farmers Market Expansion and Relocation Strategy
• the eventual demolition of the current Farmers Market building to improve street connectivityPlans announced recently to renovate the current facility at an estimated cost of half a million dollars seem contradictory to the wishes of council as expressed last April. Furthermore unlike the work leading to the Downtown Secondary Plan, the process leading to the decision to renovate has lacked transparency and public involvement.
The decision to renovate does not appear to be fiscally prudent. What justification is there to spend half a million dollars for a facility that is already inadequate?
I sincerely request that council clarify with staff the position it took in adopting the Downtown Secondary Plan, halt these renovation plans and initiate preparation of the called for Farmers’ Market Expansion and Relocation Strategy.
Let’s honour the work that went into the Downtown Secondary Plan and the wishes of the electorate as expressed through council.
I would appreciate hearing of your position on this issue or learning of any additional information that could explain the direction being pursued. SK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for your feedback.
We’d like to clarify what is occurring at the current Farmers Market building first — it is routine facility life-cycle maintenance. It is the City’s obligation to maintain public facilities safe, hygienic and up to modern accessibility standards for public use. This is not the long-term investment in the Market, rather it is maintenance of an existing facility.
The goal remains to enhance and make more of the Market as a downtown economic driver. Staff are in the process of developing an implementation framework for the Downtown Secondary Plan. (You may know that though the Plan was approved by Council in April 2012 it is still not in force due to appeals to the OMB)
Provided we are able to get the Plan approved, or at least largely scoped so that the bulk of the plan can come into force, you will see in upcoming 2014 budget deliberations Downtown Secondary Plan implementation measures and the kind of timelines and costs we’re anticipating and can afford over the 20 year plan.
The current investment in the facility will enable us to be more flexible about potential re-uses and opportunities as work with the Market progresses. Staff