Farmer’s market to close down

The Westwood Farmers’ Market is scheduled to be closed
after its last event this Thursday because of complications with a
nearby construction project, marking the end of the market’s
tenure in the Village.

The Los Angeles Fire Department determined the area to be unsafe
for public use due to nearby construction in the coming weeks,
according to a statement released by City Councilman Jack Weiss,
whose district encompasses Westwood.

The construction on Glendon Avenue near the market is for the
Palazzo Westwood, a mixed-use complex with apartments and retail
spaces, a development by Casden Properties LLC, which has been
ongoing since 2004.

Howard Katz, vice president of community development for Casden,
said construction will likely continue until the third quarter of
2007, and it has become necessary to access the northern side of
the construction site, where the market occupies Weyburn Avenue, to
complete the next section.

According to the statement, the market was ordered by the Los
Angeles Fire Department to vacate Weyburn Avenue by the end of the
month.

“The market cannot continue to operate on Weyburn Avenue
during the next phase of construction,” the statement
said.

This order to vacate will supersede the street closure permit
and void any previous City Council motion, according to the
statement.

The market was originally informed that it would need to secure
a new location in March 2004, according to Weiss’s
statement.

A flier being passed around the market last Thursday warned of
the market’s closing and urged market patrons to contact
Weiss’s office to oppose the closure.

Donovan Marshall, the market’s manager, said the market
and its 70 vendors were not given adequate notice of the immediate
closure of the market.

Marshall said the market would like to establish a dialogue with
Weiss’ office and feels as if the City Council has done
nothing to help its cause.

He added that the market would be willing to work with Casden in
order to continue the market.

“We’re both good for Westwood,” he said.
“Anybody that wants to bring people back, bring the
prominence back, we want to help.”

Market vendors have also expressed discontent over the
closure.

Shaun Rosendahl of Rosendahl Farms said he does 30 markets a
week, but the Westwood Farmers’ Market is one of his very
best.

She said there needs to be compromise between the developments
and the market.

But Steve Sann, part owner of the Nine Thirty restaurant in The
W Hotel, said the market has been on notice to find a new location
for five to six years, and the management has not been aggressive
in finding a new location.

According to the statement from Weiss’ office, the
Farmers’ Market was again notified that closure would be
required in 2005, after the fire department notified the council
office that heavy work on the Casden project was beginning and
would soon create a public safety hazard.

Over its 12 years of existence, the market has had a sometimes
turbulent tenure in Westwood.

In 1998, a 60-day moratorium was placed on all prepared hot food
and craft vendors in the Westwood Farmers’ Market.

This was intended to return the market to its original concept,
which was to include farmers and produce only.

Then, in June 2004, the market was expelled from the Southland
Farmers’ Market Association because of “financial
irregularities.”

“The market has refused to account for hundreds of
thousands of dollars of unexplained expenses over the last several
years. In addition, there is no evidence that the market has
provided financial assistance to the Westwood community programs as
was its original intent,” a press release from the
association said.

The market’s organizers will also be holding a protest on
Thursday to demonstrate its opposition to the closure.

With reports from Tiffany Pan, Bruin contributor.