Opposition explodes to Unionville farmers market parking lot plan

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 13, 2017
By Tim Kelly

A city move to pave over a grassy, tree-shaded area of the Unionville Stiver Mill Farmers' Market has prompted a 1,000-plus strong petition in opposition.

For market backer Bob Stiver, it's tantamount to paving paradise to put up a parking lot. But for Mayor Frank Scarpitti, it's been a part of the Stiver Mill plan right from the very beginning - and it will go forward just as planned.

Foes and fans see the area from very different viewpoints.

For Stiver, paving the tree-shaded, grass-covered farmers market area adjacent to Stiver Mill will have a "detrimental effect on the farmers' market," which has been held outside every year since 2009 from the end of June to October on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It moves inside the mill building where it runs into December.

"One of the reasons we're so successful is because we have a farmers' market that's on grass and under trees. Most farmers' markets are on parking lots and on cement," said Stiver. He's concerned that paving the area means "tearing out the trees and putting asphalt where the grass now is."

To try to oppose the city decision, he's generated a petition with over 1,000 signatures asking the city not to pave over the area.

But Scarpitti said paving the area in question, phase 2 of the Stiver Mill project, has long been in the works.

"The whole vision of the site that has always been discussed, and it has gone through a very public process, is that the parking lot will be redone with a combination of permeable paving and asphalt. We will have the ability to provide more formal parking.

"We want it (Stiver Mill) to be used, to have the flexibility of using it for different purposes and for that we also have to provide parking," said Scarpitti.

He said he is setting up a meeting with Stiver to discuss the issue, but notes the parking approval, "went through the heritage committee and the Unionville Vision Committee."