Queen Anne Farmers Market opens at new, permanent home
City streamlines permit process and
reduces fees for neighborhood markets
 SEATTLE - Celebrating the opening of the Queen Anne Farmers Market at a new, permanent site, Mayor Greg Nickels today said farmers markets will benefit from changes in the permitting process and reduced fees for holding markets on public property.
"The changes we're making will benefit local markets, as well as surrounding businesses," said Nickels. "Not only do farmers markets provide nutritious locally grown food, they add to the character of our neighborhoods and bring our community together."
Some farmers markets have struggled to keep, or locate on, large enough privately owned sites. The Queen Anne Farmers Market's relocation to a public site on West Crockett Street utilized rules announced by Nickels last year including:
- Market operators can apply for street closure permits once per year instead of every month.
- Reduced fees for both street closures and use of parks, based on the many public benefits provided by the markets.
Under the new rules, permit fees for a year-round market utilizing a street closure will drop from $8,312 to $251 per year. An ordinance will formalize the guidelines and make additional improvements to the permitting process.
"I am thrilled that our continued efforts through the Local Food Initiative are catching on around the city," said Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin. "Farmers markets are a great way to reduce the carbon footprint of our food, and providing them with greater stability helps lower costs for farmers and organizers of the markets."
"The opening today of the Queen Anne Farmers Market is a great example of an effective partnership between city government, the neighborhood, and the private sector," said Councilmember Tim Burgess, a Queen Anne resident. "Everyone stepped up. Mayor Nickels directed his economic development team to get it done. The neighborhood rallied to preserve a market in the heart of the hill's commercial district. And the adjacent property owner provided even wider sidewalks than required so the market would fit in this space."
In 2008, more than 500,000 people attended neighborhood farmers markets in Seattle, generating more than $10 million in sales for local farmers and businesses. The Queen Anne Farmers Market was started in 2007 by the Queen Anne Farmers Market Association (QAFMA), a committee of the Queen Anne Neighbors for Responsible Growth (QANRG), with a funding award from the Department of Neighborhoods. The Office of Economic Development provided financial support and consultation to the QAFMA to develop the new permanent site using a street closure on West Crockett Street that is closer to the business district.
"Scouting and securing a new, permanent location for the Queen Anne Farmers Market would not have been possible without the logistical support of the Office of Economic Development," said Queen Anne Farmers Market Director Julie Whitehorn.
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