SEQUIM — The Sequim City Council has renewed its contract with the Sequim Farmers Market through 2022.
The action taken Monday allows the market the use of Centennial Place at the northeast corner of Washington Street and Sequim Avenue, the Guy Cole Community Center and the Civic Center Plaza.
The city charges the market $10 per week to operate under the contract.
Joe Irvin, City of Sequim’s assistant to the city manager, said the contract is a holistic view of what could be the market’s needs throughout the next five years.
“We were hoping the farmers market would want to house here [at the plaza]. We have some storage here for picnic tables and some of market wares,” he said.
Lisa Bridge, market manager for seven seasons, said the nonprofit market features eight agricultural vendors and that all vendors make everything by hand.
“We’ve had a positive experience working with the city,” she said.
Bridge later said the vendors are looking to secure a location at the Civic Center because the lot on Washington Street near Centennial Place might be developed at some date and they don’t want to lose the opportunity to use the plaza.
“We have also received feedback from some customers that the surface of the lot on Washington is difficult to traverse with walkers, canes or wheeled vehicles, and therefore is avoided,” she said.
“The board is still in conversation about whether there will be a portion of the market continuing to vend in Centennial Place because of the fantastic visibility.”
The Sequim Farmers Market goes through October at Centennial Place.
For more information, visit www.sequimmarket.com.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
