Seattle Press on Line - Sunday Market, Boaters Quarrel over Parking

Boating

Sunday Market, Boaters Quarrel over Parking

Live-aboard boater Tom Benningfield is one of many inconvenienced by the Fremont Sunday Market.

May 29, 2001 -- "I feel like a flack sponge," says Jon Hegeman, founder and manager of the Fremont Sunday Market, after hearing a stream of angry complaints from boat owners. The boaters lost access to precious wharfside parking when the Fremont Sunday Market reopened in the U Park lot at N 34th Street, at the foot of Stone Way.

At the end of last season the market was evicted from its traditional home on the former Red Door parking lot, which is now a construction site. Fremont used to have plenty of vacant lots for markets, parades and outdoor movies. But development is gobbling up open space like a crazed troll with an appetite for land instead of VW Beetles.

Brilliant sunshine and huge crowds greeted the market on opening day May 6. But storm clouds quickly gathered as enraged boat owners in two adjacent marinas saw their cherished waterside parking spots grabbed up by an endless stream of market patrons.

"It's very hard to go out to the store and come back," explained Tom Benningfield, who lives on board his 32' Bayliner in the Fremont Boat Marina. "It's definitely an inconvenience to have the market there," he said.

It has been reported that marina owners Mark and Margie Freeman are circulating a petition among their tenants, urging that the market move to another location. At press time the Freemans had not returned phone calls from The Seattle Press.

"It's territorial," Hegeman said. "People resent the market on what they think of as their space.

"I've bent over backwards to try to ease the problem," he continued. "I've spent hundreds of dollars on signage to keep some of the parking open for the boat owners. I don't think that's been appreciated, so maybe I'll just quit trying to help make it better."

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Al	Aug 26, 2001	Fremont, Seattle
Biased to say the least. Mr Hegman forgot to tell that the boaters are paying for parking at the lot he is making money freom.... and there has been no attempt to garuntee parking for those who pay by either the market or Upark that leases the parking... For an example my wife was called into the hospital on an emergency with no parking to come home to.... remember we paid for that spot....when is the truth going to be told...this was a takeover by the market with little or NO provision for those that do pay and live in the immediate area