With the final meeting of the Westwood Farmers’ Market
last Thursday, the market’s organizers have been left looking
for alternative options for the future of the market.
The market was traditionally held on Thursday afternoons at the
corner of Westwood Boulevard and Weyburn Avenue, but the Los
Angeles Fire Department recently found the area to be unsafe for
public use because of nearby construction and revoked its
street-use permit, effectively ending its 12-year run in Westwood
Village.
Owner Aaron Shapiro said market organizers have been evaluating
other locations in Westwood suitable to host the weekly event.
One site the organizers have been considering lies on the
southern stretch of Broxton Avenue, between Kinross and Weyburn
avenues.
Shapiro said much planning has been put into the area as a
possible location for the market.
“We’ve got all the diagrams. We’ve got
everything to scale. We’ve done everything except take
satellite photos of the site,” he said.
But Shapiro added that local merchants have opposed the
market’s move to that location based on fears that it could
detract from their own businesses.
Phil Gabriel, owner of Scrubs Unlimited on Weyburn Avenue, said
local merchants are opposed to having hot-food vendors at the
market because they takes away business from local restaurants.
But Shapiro said if the market is located on Broxton Avenue,
hot-food vendors as well as crafts vendors would be eliminated.
Gabriel added that the market was developed before the
construction of Ralphs and Whole Foods Market, which sell fresh
fruits and vegetables, making the market unnecessary now.
Shapiro said the market was looking for alternatives to a
closure for some time, working with city Councilman Jack
Weiss’ office to identify and propose solutions, but none of
their proposals has been accepted.
Over 100 market patrons rallied on March 23 during the
second-to-last meeting of the market to protest the market’s
closure and gather support for their cause.
“They wanted us to keep the market here because the market
belongs here,” market manager Donovan Marshall said.
Maryellen Martinez, a berry-stand owner in the Westwood
Farmers’ Market since its opening, asked people to sign a
petition in support of the market while calling out, “Save
the Farmers’ Market!”
The Los Angeles Fire Department determined the market to be
unsafe during the upcoming construction for Palazzo Westwood, a
mixed-use complex with apartments and retail spaces.
Headed by Casden Properties, construction has been ongoing since
2004, and the city has revoked the permit that previously allowed
the market to use the street, which was valid until June 2007.
“The closure is strictly for safety reasons. There’s
going to be a lot of movement and vehicles, and the last thing we
need is to have someone get hurt,” said Manny Hernandez, the
officer in charge of the fire department order.
Hernandez said the fire department was following Fire Code
Section 57.03.011, which calls for the relocation or suspension of
a permit whenever necessary to ensure the safety of life and
property.
He said that having heavy construction near a large gathering of
people such as the market would put many at risk, especially with
the underground excavation that is now occurring.
While he agreed with the necessity of maintaining public safety
and health, Shapiro said Casden was building Palazzo Westwood on
the condition of keeping the area open for pedestrians.
Shapiro said that Casden had blocked off the construction site
from the public, effectively separating the construction from
crowds of people that pass it.
“If it’s safe for the general public to walk by,
it’s safe for the market,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro said that even with the market not there, many people
still pass by the area, which makes the situation no different than
if the market were allowed to remain.
Michael Sohwenn, a honey merchant who has attended the Westwood
Farmers’ Market since its creation, said though he will still
rely on other markets, Westwood has been his most successful
one.
Susan Lee, a bonsai-tree vendor, said that she would be willing
to go wherever the market moves, assuming that it finds a new
location.