A popular event for many in the Sedona area are its farmers markets, which provide consumers with something different from their local grocery store while helping local growers.
The Sedona Community Farmers Market has operated a winter and spring event — November through May — on the Wells Fargo Bank property on Sunday mornings since 2012. The market originally operated under temporary use permits and has operated under a conditional use permit since January 2013. The CUP was originally approved for three years but was subsequently renewed for five years. It’s set to expire on Jan. 18, 2021, which is why operator Katrin Themlitz came before the Sedona Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday, Dec. 1, seeking renewal of the CUP — and a bit more.
The proposed CUP and modifications — which were approved by a unanimous vote — include the following:
■ Allow for year-round operation at the location. The farmers market is currently permitted to operate at this location from November through May. Themlitz currently operates a farmers market during the summer at Tlaquepaque and intends to continue operation of that market for the foreseeable future. However, based on feedback from vendors, Themlitz wants to have the option of moving the farmers market to Wells Fargo year-round if needed in the future.
■ Modify hours of operation. The current conditions allow operation from noon until 4 p.m. Set up for the market is permitted to start at 10 a.m. on the days the market occurs and clean up shall be finished by 5 p.m. Based on vendors, Themlitz is proposing to move all time frames up by one hour, with market operation from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m, setup beginning at 9 a.m. and clean up completed by 4 p.m.
Community Development Director Karen Osburn has the authority to approve a basic renewal, but because Themlitz is proposing amendments, it requires review by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Themlitz said she is planning to continue the schedule that she’s established over the last five years with holding the market at Wells Fargo from winter through May and moving it to Tlaquepaque for summer and fall. She said both locations are working well for the vendors and the property owners.
“The reason we’ve considered the request for a year-round venue at Wells Fargo is because due to COVID, much of the scheduling of the vendors in Northern Arizona is up in the air given that the Flagstaff farmers market has encountered many challenges this past summer,” she said.
In the past, there have been very few vendors available on Sundays in the summer since most take part at the farmers market in Flagstaff, which is larger and more lucrative. Themlitz said that’s why she never considered expanding hers on Sundays past April. Because of the uncertainty with the market in Flagstaff, she said those vendors may be available next spring depending on the pandemic.
“We would like that flexibility if anything changes in the future where we have that option as a backup to the currently-established rhythm of winter-summer with those two locations,” Themlitz said. “The year-round request is really coming as a back-up option — it’s not something that we’re actually planning to institute at this time. It just makes sense for us at this time to have a little more flexibility so that we don’t have to come back and ask for additional changes.”
Themlitz said she and her vendors adhere to COVID- 19 guidelines, limiting the number of people within the market at any given time, using masks, prohibiting the sampling of goods and giving hand sanitizer to everyone entering the market. While the city has not received any code violation complaints over the years, parking has been an ongoing one with the adjoining Plaza West. However, Themlitz said she is in talks with representatives from Plaza West.
