Residents of Novato need to know that the Tuesday Farmer’s Market is destroying local shopping for the Old Town business owners. Over & over, we heard “The Farmer’s Market must bring down tons of people”. But the misconception is thwarted by vendors’ trucks & vans parked in front of store fronts & access to the sidewalks. Tow Away Signs posted on Grant Ave. trees scare away Monday & Tuesday shoppers. Most businesses have given up the fight and close between 3-6pm. The City of Novato simply responds “Be patient. We’ll address this next year”. That leaves 3 months of little to no afternoon revenue for shops & restaurants. We believe the City has the responsibility to protect Novato businesses first and foremost. The loss of Sales Tax adds up and should be important, not to mention owner’s livelihood being impacted.
Don’t get us wrong—the Market is cute community activity for families, but needs to be moved to a location that does not impact the local businesses. Perhaps the Zinc Parking Lot on Reichert, or the grassy field by the School District, or even the Train Depot lot. The unloading of trucks, which takes place in many cities & malls, would allow a smaller venue. Somehow, that concept doesn’t seem to apply here in Novato. The problem needs to be discussed openly, then perhaps a solution can be found.
