As Carmel Farmers Market Preps For Parking Lot Opening, Business Owners Push For Pedestrian-Only Days

When Carmel Mayor Jason Burnett and challenger Rich Pepe campaigned in 2012, they each talked about a revitalized downtown, including a new farmers market. Burnett articulated a vision of an open-air market with live music in the streets.

A weekly farmers market is slated to open June 20 in the Sunset Center parking lot. But some local business owners haven’t abandoned the idea of turning streets into occasional pedestrian malls.

Winfield Gallery Owner Chris Winfield is circulating a petition on his Dolores Street block, with an eye on asking City Council to let them block off traffic on warm autumn evenings.

“It gives the town a kind of cosmopolitan flavor,” Winfield says. “It’s another way to call attention to Carmel.” He has about 10 signatures so far.

The market itself came about with less consensus. Newly elected council members last year appointed an enthusiastic ad hoc committee to propose a market plan, but the city Community Activities and Cultural Commission went with a different plan, hiring an out-of-town market manager (West Coast Farmers Market Association) and ditching a 100-percent organic pledge.

Jamie Collins of Carmel Valley-based Serendipity Farms attended the ad hoc committee meetings, and almost decided not to become a vendor because she objected to the city process.

“I am hoping this market is going to be different and not water down existing markets for all the farmers,” Collins writes by email. She also worries the 10am-2pm Thursday hours might not attract enough shoppers.

Market Manager Jan Taylor has the opposite concern: “I’m more worried about walking space for everybody so they don’t bump into each other.”