Downtown Geneva Farmers Market Idea
| Memo To: Geneva City Council From: Robert K. Camera RE: Relocation of the Farmers’ Market to Prime Market/Festival Location Date: December 22, 2008 |
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First - How Did The City Miss this Opportunity?
This question still dogs me. The City hires Bergmann to undertake a full public review and planning process and receives and processes all kinds of input about developing and connecting the lakefront and downtown and never makes one comment about this location. To have a premise and charge to develop a plan for the Lakefront and then fail to address an area in the geographical center of the Lakefront Plan that borders its central transportation corridor is mind boggling. Actually, we all missed this, but City Planners should have seen this opportunity.
Moving Forward
The premise of my suggestion is that moving the Farmers’ Market to this most prominent location will create a draw of attention and visitations from both car traffic passing through Geneva as well as visitors to our lakefront. Furthermore, the integration of Bicentennial Park and the Farmers’ Market area will create an opportunity to create a festival commons and establish Geneva as the head of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail through a number of very prominent features including:
1. Spanning Castle Creek to provide access off of Lake St. Building an all-purpose outdoor Market and Festival Pavilion
2. Edging the park with a grapevine & trellis system that is typically found in a vineyard 3. Locating 4 attractive sidewalk kiosks that allow vineyards and other seasonal businesses to advertise their operations
4. Erecting a large “Welcome to Geneva Sign” sign (25-30 feet high) with both semi-permanent and remotely changeable electronic signage that can advertise festival commons events in addition to the weekly Farmers’ Market
5. Designate the area as a Festival and/or Market Commons given its potential as a multi-purpose exhibition site.
Imagine the impact.
You are driving on 5&20 and the Farmer’s Market is in plain site on the downtown side of the railroad tracks (between Lake and Castle Streets). You have to turn into downtown to get to it - and you have two options - Lake St. or Castle St. The new Farmers' Market venue has its own parking (~40 spaces), backs up on a redesigned green/park space, there is a beautiful Festival Pavilion, overflow parking is available, future expansion can be accommodated because there is room to grow (and it will) because the area is going to double as a public events location (periodic flea markets, fiber festivals, wine tastings, product exhibitions).
The ornate and traditional thirty-foot sign on 5 & 20 not only permanently advertises the Farmer’s Market, but has an electronic sign underneath that can promote other events at the Festival/Market venue as well as at other downtown locations. The Farmers Market takes off. Because there is a permanent pavilion, vendors extend their season from five months to seven months. Initially, five to ten other events come to Geneva on other days of the week during season. The potential is for Geneva to have 15 to 20 additional events during the year.
Finally, imagine 10,000+ cars/day passing any event that is located at the Market/Festival Commons.
What Stands in Our Way?
I am convinced that this is a doable project. It is just a matter of the will of Council and the resourcefulness of City Staff…
Is there anything else?
Well, of course, there always is. There are going to be resource challenges because the no longer is a pot of state grant money to make these changes. There are probably concerns about the cost of covering up a portion of Castle Creek to get access to the site from Lake Street. There are also probably some people who worry about integrating Bicentennial Park with the Festival/ Market area.
I believe that the City has the expertise, the personnel, and the equipment needed to do this project. The will and the creativity are the questions.
Reviewing the Benefits
Permit me to review. With the Farmers’ Market relocated at a multi-purpose, Market/Festival Commons in full view of 5 & 20 and accessible from both Lake and Castle Streets will provide a draw that will accomplish the following benefits:
1. Put our major agricultural attraction as well as other events in full view of 5&20 where thousands of passers-by/day can have a reason to come into town and get out of their cars.
2. Permit the City to create a unique sign announcing itself to 5 & 20 traffic...
3. Provide an opportunity to integrate the Farmer's Market into the Bicentennial Park (which has been a bust in terms of usage by residents or tourists) and resuscitate it.
4. Provide a venue with the park to create signage and sidewalk kiosks (paid for by wineries on Seneca Lake) that demonstrate that the City of Geneva is indeed the head of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail...
5. Reallocate funds for a venue that can be used more often than once a week without burdening Exchange St. merchants.
6. Eliminate the congestion that is caused by taking parking places away from downtown merchants on Exchange St
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7. Eliminate the disappointment and loss of credibility City Gov’t has suffered from area merchants and their customers who use the Exchange Street parking lot.
I would greatly welcome the City’s engagement on this important issue.
You are welcome to review the original exhibits I prepared for my council presentation which I have in my office at 32 Castle Street, Geneva. Thank you for your consideration.