Attachment 1 - Public CommentMonica Renn
From: Doug Hayden <doughaydencfma@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, December 13, 2019 4:13 PM
To: Monica Renn
Cc: Patty Apple; Holly Zappala
Subject: Seeking parklet input please
Hello Monica,
Thank you for the opportunity to be part of this process. We want the downtown to be vibrant too as bringing more folks
into the downtown is a good thing for everyone. Here are some impacts and ideas on how this may work with the
Farmers' Market.
• Loss of 2 to 4 spaces (2 to 4 vendor stall spaces)
Losing a space represents a revenue loss of $2000 to $2500 per year. The Los Gatos Farmers' Market is a small -
medium size market with a budget that relies on this revenue to help defray the Business License Fee and the Rent
for the site. The marketing and promotion budget is sacred, so reducing that is not an option.
• During the peak season months, mid -May through October, these stalls are occupied by 2-3 growers. The
Farmers' Market site is at capacity at this time so losing any stall space would be detrimental to several growers.
• Diverting these market stalls into the park seems like a good option but it is weighed down by several
issues. Any stalls that are located out of the normal pattem flow of foot traffic will always perform poorly. It is
most likely there will be no volunteers to give up their current stall locations to be outside the market, in the
park. More importantly, the health department requires market food to be sold on an "impervious surface" like
cement or pavement. The option of moving stalls into the park is not viable for the market.
• Can the improvements to the parklet be temporary in nature? In Mountain View on Castro Street, large
flower planters demarcate the boundaries of the eating area and serve as barriers to passing cars. Could moveable
flower planters be used in this instance and move them away after business on Saturday night, making way for the
Farmers' Market on Sunday?
• During the winter months, November through April, the top 2 stalls can be vacant. These spaces can be
used at this time without detriment to the Farmers' Market. But during the peak season, these spaces would need
to return to the market on Sundays.
• Would the new tenant be interested in developing a parklet on Main Street?
I wish there were better options for a parklet at this market location. I can see the potential for a nice outdoor seating area
here. Hopefully a temporary set-up can be utilized here as mentioned above.
Regards,
Doug Hayden
President
California Farmers' Markets Association
3000 Citrus Circle, Suite 111 I Walnut Creek, CA 94598
Phone: 925-465-4690 I Fax: 925-465-4693 I Cell: 925-858-6117
doughaydencfma[[ctmail.com I www.cafarmersmkts.com
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ATTACHMENT 1