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11/24/2009: "For & Against Nichols Street Purchase"

(Town Council members hear the pros & cons)

The Town Council held a public meeting to receive input on a proposal for the Town purchase of the Erickson commercial property in downtown Friday Harbor that would then be for use by the farmer’s market and private vendors, and also make the property available for some public use.


Ron Zee (photo left) and other supporters of the project said a farmer’s market was important to preserving working farms in the county. Mr. Zee read from a number of magazines that illustrated the importance of farmer’s markets and how they will draw tourists to the island -that would be good for all of the town businesses, and the purchase of the Erickson property would also allow the Land Bank to help pay for the cost of purchase, by purchasing an easement on the existing historical building.

Those who spoke against the purchase by the Town were in agreement on a repeated list of reasons why it was not a good idea, but spoke with some passion on the importance of having a farmer’s market on the island; just not at the Erickson property if it was to be purchased with public money.

The Town meeting followed an earlier open meeting held by the local Chamber of Commerce, and the objections at that meeting were echoed at the Town meeting: Using tax money to benefit a specific private commercial group; creating a greater parking need; using tax money -earmarked for public bathrooms- to attract more tourists, and the estimates of the property development were too low, but in any case were not known.

There were additional concerns on the long term economic viability of the project; the ability of the Farmer’s Market group to meet their obligations to pay for the project; and what happens if they cannot pay the lease payments, or complete the development of the project.

At the Chamber meeting, local CPA Cathaleen Cavanagh questioned why the Town and the Land Bank would spend public money without first obtaining a third party appraisal of the property; a property she believed was worth less than the asking price.

David Waldron has been working on the design of the project and the renovation of the historical building, and he responded that discussion of the cost of the property was not relevant because “you cannot put a price on it, it is a special spot. What would you say the value of the Memorial Park is? You don’t put a value on it..it doesn’t have anything to do with money.”

Waldron stressed the importance of saving the historical building on the property, stating “this is an opportunity we got to take.. this building will not be used by any developer, its not going to ‘pencil out’ for them.” The Land Bank involvement in the project would be directly related to the historical protection of the existing building, but Rodger Sandwith said the plans show sliding glass doors and other modifications that are not historically correct.

At the Chamber meeting Project Manager Lovel Pratt said the farmers will pay $10.00 a day to use one of the 60 retail spaces, and other venders will pay $20.00 a day. Cavanagh argued in response it was not fair to existing commercial businesses that pay for space 365 days a year, to have to compete against those who will pay for space at the Erickson building at a lower rate -subsidized by tax money- and only when they use it.

Parking came up over and over, but Waldron and Pratt said they will simply do whatever the Town requires. Gordy Petersen said what the Town requires is expensive, and he questioned what the impacts will be to parking and traffic when 60 vendors line up with vehicles to unload, then have to park somewhere.

A number of speakers said the logical location for a farmer’s market was at the county fair grounds, but Lovel Pratt, who in addition to being a member of the SJ County Council is also a paid employee of the Ag Group behind the Erickson project, said the farmers and vendors want to be downtown, and that fund raising up-font to develop the Erickson property would be easier than on-going fund raising required to pay fair ground use fees.

Maureen Marinkovich is involved in Slow Food, a supporter of the farmer’s market and a local food co-op, said at the Town meeting, “I think we should save money for things before we buy things, and I don’t like the idea that we don’t know how much something is going to cost..” and when she added “I did a re-model once..” there was a knowing outburst of laughter from the audience.

Marinkivich said it is important to “slow down.. it always cost more than you think, and then ‘who is going to pay’ is always the question.”

The Town Council said they would continue to receive comments on the proposed project by mail or email. Comments should be sent to the Town Clerk amyt@fridayharbor.org or mail to Town of Friday Harbor, 60 Second St. Friday Harbor, WA 98250.