Santa Monica : Farmers Market Congestion

Responding to complaints from merchants in downtown Santa Monica that congestion generated by the city’s outdoor Farmers Market makes doing business nearly impossible, city officials met Monday with members of a new Chamber of Commerce task force to seek a solution.

Darrell George, manager of economic development for the city, said one option is to relocate the market, although it would be difficult to find another acceptable location.

The Farmers Market has operated every Wednesday for 10 years, and draws as many as 9,000 buyers a week to its hub at 2nd Street and Arizona Avenue. A smaller Saturday market, launched last month, attracts about 1,000 shoppers.

City officials said they will survey shoppers at the Wednesday market on where they live, what mode of transportation they take, their incomes and their ages. Additional meetings will be held next month to discuss the survey results.

Task force member Michael Straeter, local president of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, urged that the Farmers Market be closed. George said that is not an option, and that the market is in the city to stay.