Farmers Market - Reconsidered

on May 01, 2011 by Walt Dilg

Farmers’ Market Reconsidered

A couple weeks ago, a group of church leaders met with representatives of the local neighborhood group opposed to the Farmers market.  Representing the church with me were Lay Leaders Don & Cindy Rushing, Church Council Chairperson Don Lincoln, Trustees Board Chairperson Nathan Rogge, and three other Trustees Board members, Charlie Wurster, Roger Wiggans, and Sandy McCreight.  There were 25 or so neighbors present, who took two hours to share with us their concerns about the market in our area, including the problems of increased traffic, safety, parking availability, impact of the market on the homeowners located on La Jolla Hermosa closest to the proposed location, and reports of increasing dissension among neighbors within the neighborhood.

The next Saturday at a special Board of Trustees meeting, we reviewed the concerns presented by the neighborhood group, using another two hours to thoroughly process their perspective and the consequent circumstance for the church.  Our sense of the growing animosity in the neighborhood, and our desire to be good and effective neighbors to local community needs and concerns, led the Board to determine to no longer support a market in our immediate vicinity.  It was clear there would be a very contentious neighborhood fight to block the community agency approvals for the market which would damage the good will and spirit of our neighborhood.  We were saddened to acknowledge that the Moms group was not going to be able to reach its goals of fund-raising for the school while also building a good community esprit de corp. 

Based on some comments from the market opposition group, we church leaders felt it might be possible for Bird Rock Elementary School and its moms’ group to pursue a different, less controversial way of seeking financial help through a direct appeal.  The Moms group is open to this idea and the opposition group has expressed its willingness to participate in such an effort and help it be successful. We are now doing what we can to help encourage this appeal by the school to our extended neighborhood. Anyone wanting to learn more about how to support Bird Rock Elementary School will find further information elsewhere in this issue of the Journal.   

I want to thank the congregation for your consideration and support of our effort to be in mission in the neighborhood by responding to articulated needs, your willingness to be flexible in our church’s life to accommodate this particular proposed project, and your openness now to change gears and move forward in other directions as circumstances require.  If you have any questions or concerns about what you are reading in this article, please do not hesitate to contact me, Don or Cindy Rushing, or Nathan Rogge.  We’d be happy to discuss the matter with you.