Where Should the Farmers' Market Be in Melrose?

The farmers' market has been trying to find a permanent location since the beginning of 2010.  This has become more difficult than we anticipated.  The farmers’ market is one day a week from June to October and brings in fresh, picked-that-day, sustainably grown produce from farms in Massachusetts.  We are currently on the front lawn of the First United Methodist Church at 645 Main Street, Thursdays from 2-7pm.  Last year it was in the parking lot behind City Hall on Thursdays from 10-3; this location was taking up vital parking spaces that market goers and vendors needed and wasn’t large enough to grow the market.  It also wasn’t a pleasant location to walk around while you catch up with your neighbors you see and chat with each week.  We want to bring a festive atmosphere that farmers’ markets were intended to have. The criteria we search for should have

• enough space for about 15-30 farmers’ pop-up canopies and space to walk around them,
• the ability to begin setting up at 12:30pm and take down by 8pm.
• easy access for farmers to carry in their produce as well as convenient to Melrose residents,
• parking for market goers and vendors,
• electricity for some vendors, lighting, music, and an electronic swipe terminal (we will be accepting SNAP benefits at the farmers’ market soon),
• toilet facilities for our vendors who have to be at the market all afternoon.

We tried many locations, but found that each is either not ideal for the market or not ideal for the area residents or businesses.  We will be presenting 3 locations to the Park Commission, August 8, 7pm at Mount Hood.  

Mary Beth McAteer Margolis, Alderman-at-Large, has been instrumental in helping us find a location.  She has investigated the park in front of the Dick Lyons Tennis Courts on Tremont and Lynn Fells.  Scott MacAulay from MacAulay's House of Vacuum Cleaners across Tremont is in favor of the market there and believes that traffic from the Lynn Fells will provide visibility.  There is still information to gather, but it is very appealing.  I went to the Wakefield Farmers’ Market (and had a bit of farmers’ market envy) and saw their North Avenue location, which is away from the center of town.  That wasn’t their first choice - they wanted to be in the center of town at the common.  When they were ‘put there’ by the town, they found the North Avenue location to be extremely successful - even later when the town asked them if they wanted the common, they didn’t want to move.  The Dick Lyons Park has this same feel.  

The second location is the Ell Pond/Gazebo area.  This is accessible to the bus lines, which some of our market goers travel.  The gazebo is a fantastic platform for the live music we have been having and there is plenty of room for the market.  This a nicely placed location but parking is a handicap.  Street parking is limited and the municipal lot is 2 blocks away.  After 4pm, the bank’s parking lot will become available, but the 2-4pm time slot would be complicated.   

The third location, Cedar Park on W. Emerson, is Joan Bell’s, Superintendent at Mount Hood and Public Open Spaces, favorite.  The recently renovated park is a pretty shaded location right near the Cedar Junction commuter train stop.  The parking is limited to street parking along W. Emerson Street and Cedar Park.  This location is also secluded and doesn’t have the same visibility advantage as the area in front of the Dick Lyon's Tennis Courts.  

These three locations are our latest effort to try to find a suitable location for the farmers’ market.  The locations that were rejected include:

• The Knoll, our 1st choice, is currently used by Farm Direct Coop for CSA pick up on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  The Parks Department said the CSA pickup is a different public use as people come in then go out quickly, where a farmers' market would have people linger.  
• Mary Foley Park, our 2nd choice, on Grove and Myrtle Streets.  A Parks Commission Public Hearing on May 10, 2011 rejected this location.  The public attending the meeting included 6 family members of Mary Foley who had died in the line of duty as a crossing guard at the St. Mary’s School.  The family believed that the combined school’s traffic between 2 and 3pm on Thursdays for the overlapping months of September and October would be hazardous.  Blue Bell cleaners and the condominium at 340 Main Street also expressed concern that market goers would use their parking lots.  
• Other locations included:  School next to Beebe Estate.  (too residential), Beebe Estate (too small); The Common (too residential), Pine Banks Park (rejected by the Pine Banks Trustees), The National Guard Armory (unexplored), Fields behind Franklin School (unexplored)

If you have interest or comments about where the farmers’ market should be let us know by email atmelrosefarmersmarket@gmail.com.  You can also go to our website at https://sites.google.com/site/sffmmelrose/ and click on “Where should the farmers’ market be in Melrose” to find out more detailed information.