PARKERSBURG - Wood County commissioners on Thursday voted to modify an agreement with the Downtown Farmers' Market to address concerns over parking for existing food vendors during market days.
A proposal that could mean the return of the Long Tom cannon to Fort Boreman Historic Park was also discussed during Thursday's meeting.
"We know we will outgrow the tent area. It's a good problem to have, but we need to make sure as additional vendors come and existing food trucks are here that we can accommodate everyone and do it fairly," said Cecil Chidress, general manager at the Blennerhassett Hotel and co-manager of the new farmers' market. Childress along with Wood County Development Authority Director Keith Burdette and Ann Conageski, city development director and market task force member, met with the commission with the proposed agreement changes. The market officials said earlier they were concerned existing food trucks that park at Bicentennial Park were not paying for their spaces, while vendors at the farmers' market were paying, and the trucks were taking up space that might be needed as the market continues to grow.
"We just need to manage where they park and the space they take up," Childress said of the truck food vendors, which include Napolis and an ice cream/smoothie vendor, officials said.
The agreement changes, approved Thursday by the county, state on designated market days, the same rules will apply to all vendors occupying the area around Bicentennial park, and everyone, including the truck food vendors who were there previously, will be asked to pay $25 for each 10-foot-by-10-foot space they occupy a season, or $10 a month during the market times.
The county's property at the park extends to the edge about 12-16 feet to the area of the county parking lot.
Commissioner Blair Couch proposed the county offer to provide a long-term lease of the county's park area property, at no cost to the city, in exchange for the city returning the Long Tom cannon, now sitting in City Park, to Fort Boreman Historic Park.
"This is just my idea, but it would make good sense for both parties. Then you would have better control over the market and the cannon would be displayed at Fort Boreman, which is where it was originally housed to begin with, and it would just be moving the cannon from one city park to another, because Fort Boreman Park, while a county park, is actually in the city limits," Couch said.
"That is an issue that I will bring to the mayor's attention, but it would have to go to city council," Conageski said. She suggested making the proposal in writing to the mayor.
"I believe Fort Boreman Park is well-established. I think this exchange is a good one. You can manage the market better without always having to come before us when you need to change things, and the cannon was originally brought here to be on Fort Boreman before it was removed to City Park. I'd like to see the council discuss this at their next meeting, and I'd be willing to make a presentation on it," Couch said.
