The Edgartown zoning board of appeals approved a weekly farmers' and artisans' market at the Dr. Daniel Fisher House this week after vocal support from residents and abutters. The market will take place in the lower lawn and garden of the historic property and will run on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from the end of June through September.
The market will be jointly run by business owners Grace Romanowsky and Zach Pinerio, the Edgartown Board of Trade and the Vineyard Preservation Trust, which owns and manages the Fisher House. The historic house on 99 Main street has been typically reserved for weddings and special events such as the Taste of the Vineyard, but in the public hearing on Wednesday, the Trust’s executive director Nevette Previd said that a farmers' market would allow a wider audience to enjoy the property.
“The Fisher House is a beautiful spot that only a handful of brides have been able to experience,” Ms. Previd said. “We’re excited about the opportunity going forward.”
To reduce traffic in the busy downtown area, the market will only be accessible to pedestrians and bikers; there is no parking reserved for the event. In addition to local farm vendors, the market will include local artisans and stalls for miscellaneous nonprofits, similar to those found during Christmas in Edgartown, Board of Trade executive director Erin Ready said.
The zoning board received 23 letters of support for the proposal and no correspondence against. The only quibble from the public hearing portion came from Winter street resident Jody Erdman, who asked that the applicant add trash cans around the event to keep visitors from dumping trash in her private cans.
With only four members of the board present for the hearing, the application needed unanimous approval to move forward. Chairman Martin “Skip” Tomassian questioned whether an artisans' market would compete with local brick-and-mortar businesses.
Ms. Pinerio, the owner of the Edgartown store Sea Legs, said the goal of the market is to bolster commerce for the entire town.
“If we can keep people in town rather than having them go all around Island...all of town will benefit,” she said. “It’s a classic ‘Rising tides floats all ships’ kind of deal.”
Although not fully convinced, Mr. Tomassian ended up voting yes, if only because a “no” vote would have killed the application altogether, he said. Members Carol Grant, Thomas Pierce and Pam Dolby all voted in favor.
“If there had been five, I would have voted in opposition,” Mr. Tomassian said.
Ms. Dolby adamantly supported the application, noting that she had attempted to put on a similar event in years past.
“These are two organizations that have worked really, really hard for the town...particularly in the shoulder seasons,” she said. “I think it’ll be a great addition.”
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