By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — The Town Council has approved the 2023 license agreement that will allow the Wakefield Farmer’s Market to operate at Hall Park on North Avenue on Saturdays from June 17 to Oct. 28. The license approved last week is essentially the same as last year’s agreement.
A policy prohibiting wine vendors from providing samples at the Farmers Market will remain in effect after Police Chief Steven Skory expressed his continuing opposition to allowing wine sampling.
Skory noted that Massachusetts General Laws would allow for the distribution of one-ounce samples with a limit of five samples per customer.
Only one vendor was requesting permission to distribute wine samples this year, but Skory expressed concern about the possibility of additional vendors seeking to offer samples in the future. At a rate of five samples from each vendor, he said, the amount of alcohol consumed on the site could add up quickly. He noted that people purchase wine in stores all the time without the ability to sample.
Farmers Market Manager AnnMarie Gallivan claimed that the inability to offer samples has affected vendors’ sales but admitted that the wine vendors still did very well at the market.
Town Councilor Jonathan Chines said that he didn’t think wine sampling was necessary.
Another issue that came up was traffic and parking at the Farmers Market.
Skory recommended no parking on the sidewalk and travel lane along North Avenue on market days. He recommended that people instead use the parking lots across the street at the Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department, which is closed on Saturdays.
Gallivan said that the Farmers Market has been trying to get people to walk or bike to the Farmers Market instead of driving. She said that it would be “a challenge” getting people to stop parking on North Avenue.
Town Councilor Edward Dombroski suggested the implementation of a couple of additional traffic-calming measures on Farmers Market days, such as the use of orange cones and barrels down the center of that stretch of North Avenue. Skory agreed with Dombroski’s suggestions.
The Town Council approved the 2023 license agreement for the Wakefield Farmers Market. They also approved a request from House Bear Brewing, LLC to sell wine at the Farmers Market, but sampling will be prohibited.
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The Town Council also approved the 2023 license agreement that will allow the Boys & Girls Club of Stoneham & Wakefield to run the summer boat rental operation on the Lower Common from May 30 to Oct. 15.
The license authorizes the Boys & Girls Club to operate a business on the Comon consisting of the daily rental of canoes, kayaks, pedal boats, and row boats. No sailboats will be rented. The Boys & Girls Club may also conduct classes in the use of such watercraft, and may, subject to the approval of the recreation director, operate camplike activities for children. They may also furnish snacks to customers, subject to Board of Health approval. No services are permitted before 7 a.m. or after 8 p.m. on any day.
The license agreement calls for rental prices to be “reasonable” and requires that “Wakefield residents shall be provided a 25 percent discount upon proof of residency.”
