If on top of Queen Anne Hill you hear the deep and somber knell of a bell, it is not for you, but the 2009 Queen Anne Farmers Market.
It certainly appears to be the market's fate this year as time has slipped away and organizers have yet to find a manager to run the summer-long event.
The Queen Anne Farmers Market Association (QAFMA) co-chaired by Julie Whitehorn, has for the past two months been trying to find common ground with last year's market manager Seattle Farmers Market owned by Jon Hegeman, with regard to where the market should take place.
But to no avail. Hegeman did not like the economic sustainability of a market held at the West Crockett Street preferred by the QAFMA, City of Seattle's Office of Economic Development and recently surveyed Queen Anne residents.
A Crockett location would limit the market to roughly 50 vendor stalls, and came with stipulations such as a fee to the city's Parks Department for use of the Queen Anne Pool parking lot, a street closure fee and possibly paying four parking monitors. Its central neighborhood location and its proximity to Queen Anne's commercial area weighed heavily among the those advocating the venue.
Hegeman instead favored the Coe Elementary playground, which had more space, would not require street closure, was near the commercial area along West McGraw Street and Sixth Avenue West.
But Coe Principal David Elliott, who surveyed school neighbors and Coe parents and found compelling reasons to deny a Saturday market, told Hegeman two weeks ago that Coe was no longer an option for 2009 - but 2010 might still be on the table.
Whitehorn was hopeful that the Coe news would bring Hegeman back on board with the Crockett location, especially since the city was behind it. But Hegeman remained against it.
In a letter to the News, he listed several expenses the Crockett Street market would incur including a Seattle Department of Transportation permit, payment of traffic monitors, rent for use of the pool parking lot, storage and restroom fees and an assembly fee from the Seattle Fire Department, all of which would set the market back $1,702 each Saturday, roughly $15,000 more per season than an off-street location.
"Farmers markets don't generate much money, and these costs simply don't work in our budget at all," Hegeman wrote. "In our other small weekday markets, the lots are free and we have none of these costs, which is why they can survive with 30-35 vendors."
Though it favored the Crockett location, OED officials said they would help any organization that had a viable market plan in place.
"Jon had contacted us directly for information and our answer for him was, 'don't stop, keep looking for a solution'," said Karen Selander, senior community development specialist with the OED. "We're committed to having a farmers market in Queen Anne and we've asked other managers to consider it and take a look."
The OED asked Pike Place Market and Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance (NFMA), to consider operating a Queen Anne Market. James Haydu, the market's communications manager, said he was contacted a few weeks ago but had nothing meaningful to say regarding the matter, except that he didn't have an opinion nor did the market have any plans to pursue running a Queen Anne market.
Chris Curtis said she would be happy to run a Queen Anne market, but that there was no time. The director of the NFMA already runs several markets within the city including the Saturday market in Magnolia.
"It's too late in our budgeting season to take on an existing market," she said and then offered this advice. "Someone could go and create a smaller market this year and not have to worry about revenues. I hope that's the case because everyone agrees it's not good to lose a market even for a season and I'm sure there are farmers who are already assuming they'll be selling [in Queen Anne]."
Whitehorn was dismayed at how the market's season seemed to frost, ever since discussions with Hegeman began last October. But there remains a glimmer of optimism within her.
"I have hope we can pull something off this summer and it may require more creative thinking and fundraising from the community," she said. She is meeting this week with Selander with a "possible solution" for a 2009 farmers market. QAFMA's fundraising efforts continue with "The Beet Goes On" tote bags available at Eat Local for a minimum donation of $15. Whitehorn is encouraging neighbors to offer their ideas at www.qafma.org, or to contact her directly at julie.whitehorn@gmail.com.
