Farmer's market opening delayed Broward County
Farmer's market opening delayed Mike Clary and Joe Cavaretta, Sun Sentinel Updated: 11:1 PM 11/7/2009
Would be shoppers have a look around at the unopened Yellow Green Farmer's Market at the market site in Hollywood. Hundreds of would-be shoppers and vendors were turned away when the city shut the project down because of permit issues.
Multiple Page View Hollywood-They arrived in droves, some before 7 a.m., expecting organic squash, fresh bakery goods and pony rides for the kids--all in a onetime steel warehouse turned into South Florida's newest farmer's market. "We were planning on getting all of our greens here," said Jaime Herman, 38, who came from Parkland with her husband Lee and their two young children. But what Herman and hundreds of others got Sunday at the Yellow Green Farmer's Market was a handout notice that the opening was delayed--perhaps forever—because the city refused to issue a permit to owner Abraham Lalo. And Lalo, who said he invested nearly $5 million to get ready for the opening, was furious. "Something good has turned into something sour," said Lalo, 59, who with his family, runs Invicta Watch group, next door to the market property on North 30th Road. "Now I don't want to open." After weeks of wrangling with Hollywood officials over permitting and inspections, Lalo said he learned Friday that he would not be given an occupancy permit to open. "I can't be any clearer than this," wrote city planning director Jaye Epstein in an e-mail to Lalo. "Yellow Green Farmer's Market will not be opening on Sunday, November 8, 2009. The reason continues to be all work has been done without permits, inadequate plans has [sic] been submitted, inspections cannot be made, approvals cannot be granted. "We are dealing with a major life safety issue, not minor technicalities." Lalo admits that improvements to an existing bathroom, and some electrical work, may not have been properly permitted. But he also suggests city officials have been less than cooperative in assisting the venture he said would create 700 new jobs and that his family would operate at a loss. "Why isn't the city helping instead of hurting?" asked Lalo's daughter Gany Lalo, 36.
Eyal Lalo, 35, Gany's brother, speculated some city officials may fear the Farmer's Market could morph into a flea market. But he said vendors, working from 350 booths, would sell only produce, flowers, baked goods and art. Not welcome, he said, were sellers of radios, used clothing or tattoos. "We assumed that they intended to work with us to make this a success," he said. Epstein, in an e-mail sent early Friday morning, insisted the city would welcome a farmer's market. "The idea of a Farmer's Market is an interesting concept, one which the city would likely embrace," he wrote to Lalo. "However, this is not about a Farmer's Market, this is about protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public." Gany Lalo said the family began to run radio spots Saturday in an effort to pull back from a widespead advertising campaign touting the grand opening. But the constant stream of traffic into the site Sunday morning attested to the fact that many had not heard the opening was cancelled. Adriana Ruiz, along with Dexter Roberson and their son Emilio, 6, drove up from their home in South Miami. "I can't wait for this to open," said Ruiz as she and her family walked through the cavernous space, decorated with hay bales, wooden farm wagons and ceramic Holstein cows. While Abraham Lalo said he might explore moving the market to Hallandale Beach, Gany and Eyal Lalo said they still hope to open at the Hollywood site. Mike Clary can be reached at mclary@sunsentinel.com or at 305-810-5007.