A proposal to relocate the hugely popular Leucadia Farmers Market to Oak Crest Middle School is facing opposition from people who live nearby.
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During a city zoning hearing earlier this month, neighboring residents said they had concerns about traffic, early morning noise, the number of likely attendees, the parking situation, fire safety, and even the way the city has handled the process.
A draft document that the city posted on its website just before the administrative hearing made it seem like permits for the project were already approved and there was no public opposition, people who live along Island View Lane said as they listed off their numerous concerns and vowed to appeal any city staff permit decision to the City Council.
Key among their concerns was that market is billed as a 4-hour event — it will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — but the set-up actually starts at 7 a.m. and cleanup continues until 5 p.m.
“That’s is a 10-hour, residential-impact window, every single Sunday,” said Beth Hagen, who lives adjacent to the school.
Fellow neighbor John Bjorneby said he can’t run a lawnmower or a leaf-blower before 10 a.m. on Sundays due to city noise restrictions, yet the farmers’ market would be allowed to have many commercial vehicles with very loud backup beepers moving around early in the morning “every Sunday for eternity.”
Jessica Stuber, who’s lived in the neighborhood since 1978, said Sunday is her only day off and her back fence is 12 feet from the school, which is in the city’s mid section on Balour Drive near the city’s Community & Senior Center. She said Encinitas Community Park in Cardiff would be a better location for the weekly market.
Farmers market organizers told the neighbors that they sympathize with their concerns and will do everything they can to minimize them, but said the market must move and their replacement site options are limited.
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For 20 years, the Leucadia 101 Main Street Association-sponsored market has been held at Paul-Ecke Central Elementary on Union Street in Leucadia, but that school will begin a major renovation project this summer. After it concludes, there won’t be space for the Sunday farmers’ market.
“Obviously, (it)would be ideal if we didn’t have to move locations from Paul Ecke, but … we’re lucky enough to have found Oak Crest after looking all across the city for a space big enough,” said Nikolas Harth, president of the Leucadia 101 Main Street Association.
Stacy Reddell, the association’s executive director, said they spent eight months looking for a suitable replacement site; carefully vetted every potential option; and now will make every effort to work with the middle school’s neighbors to resolve their concerns. Stephen Dickinson, the business services associate superintendent for the San Dieguito Union High School District, said the school district is “very supportive” of the farmers’ market proposal and Oak Crest is used to hosting large events on regular basis.
And, a number of regular users of the farmers’ market said the new proposed location will allow it to better serve the public, improving parking options and giving it space to expand. They added that the people who live near Oak Crest will soon discover how incredibly lucky they are to have a weekly market with specialty vendors right at their door steps.
“It’s such a wonderful community experience … I don’t see how any community could not want this — farmers’ markets are, like, awesome. It’s great for the growers and it’s great for the people,” Leucadia resident Rachelle Collier said.
Currently, the market hosts about 130 vendors, including everything from spice sellers to bread makers, but that could increase to 195 vendors at the new location, city permit documents indicate. In addition to fresh produce and cooked food items, the market will offer flower sales stalls and live music. Parking will be provided at the Encinitas Community & Senior Center and along Oak Crest Drive.
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