Taos Merchant Pleads For Council’s Attention

Due to the increasing number of “Plaza Closures,” combined with decreasing numbers in retail trade, Plaza merchants say they are growing more desperate. The perceived threat from the Town of Taos, whether in the form of the Saturday Farmers Market, extended closure due to special events or poorly administered and scheduled traffic controls, will be the subject of a Taos Plaza Merchants meeting with Councilor Judi Cantu, on Wed. April 29 at 6 pm at El Taoseno Room at the Town Council Chambers on Civic Plaza Drive.

According to several merchants, the disruption in pedestrian and visitor trade on the Plaza as well as the Town Council’s lack of response to merchants implies that the Town has targeted merchants themselves for “disappearance.”

During the last 13 months, according to merchants, the Town has neglected the downtown streets, left crucial positions in planning and marketing vacant, and has yet to offer a vision that attracts tourists and augments its own GRT by increasing local retail sales.

Some say the Town could restrict Farmers Market booths to the interior park, set up in the alleys, and use a portion of the John Dunn House parking lot, while maintaining traditional parking places and traffic lanes. Claims about closure due to “public safety” are seen as a charade meant to mask ulterior motives by the Mayor and Council.

The former Graham’s Grill is still vacant and recently the restaurant in Hotel La Fonda shut down. Decay and deferred maintenance on buildings up and down the Paseo suggest the steady decline of business in Taos just as potholes suggest that the Town Fathers and One Mother have been asleep.

Below, a Plaza Merchant, Tammy King of SunShades of Taos, has written a plaintive letter, representative of the general plight, to town officials.

Ms. King Writes:

I just wanted to write this letter to express my concern about the farmers market and business in general. As our elected officials, I know that you are trying to make everything fair and have put in many hours in hearing the back and forth of both “sides” as well as putting up with mean spirited comments thrown at you etc. I appreciate your time in reading this letter and hope that it will explain how I feel and the clear problems of having the Farmer’s market and other events on the plaza.

I am disappointed that we have already had several meetings with no clear decisions made, especially since it [the market] will begin in May. I am hopeful that there is still a chance that the Farmer’s Market will be moved to a more ideal location! As of right now, there has been no compromise. There will still be booths in front of our stores, no parking for customers, and the plaza will be overly congested.

They keep talking about adding booths when there is already no room. If the parking was left open, or the footprint was contained to a smaller area it might be a good compromise. I just don’t understand why we are pressing the issue of the farmers market on the plaza when it has been such a headache.

Everything about having the Farmers market on the Plaza is a red flag. The only real positive is that it has a nice ambiance.

There are now extra security issues, more congestion of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, increased parking and signage issues. In addition it doesn’t make any sense to me that the town would want to lose money on parking, (look at last year), lose quality businesses, jobs for local families, and gross receipts taxes for something that could be moved elsewhere. I feel, as well as many others that its prior locations was perfectly fine.

At the prior location, I never had any issues parking, nor felt like I had to be rushed. And it definitely didn’t hurt other businesses. Farmers could park there and had easier access to their goods. On the Plaza, visitors park 3 blocks away, rush to find a vendor that is in a different place than last week, and then drop one’s veggies in the middle of the road on the trek back to your vehicle, then risk getting run over while picking them up…Funny and true!

The Farmers Market has affected many businesses financially and emotionally. The Farmers Market has already outgrown the space. Having the Farmers Market on the plaza has affected my business very dramatically. My employees and I have spent many hours trying to figure out how to make it work, both last year and this year.

So in addition to losing thousands of dollars last year, due partially to the chaos of the farmers market, I have been forced to cut the number of my employee hours in half. I may have to close at the end of summer.

Now we have people stealing from us. Normally, I would always have two employees working. But we can’t afford that due to significant Saturday losses. Knowing there was only one person working, a thief took the opportunity. I know that theft is going to happen. But the main reason we have low theft, is that we usually have two employees working. Call it the trickle down effect.

The reality is that there are currently some interesting and beautiful shops that represent Taos. Some have already had to close due to last year’s decline in business. Empty storefronts are not going to represent Taos well. All visitors want to come see the historic plaza, park and walk around.

Events that close off the Plaza to traffic are always detrimental to business. Traffic has always been open for Taos Plaza live and there have never been any problems. “Events” for the Plaza should be cultural, events that don’t negatively affect commerce.

I am trying hard to be optimistic, cooperative, and understanding, “Some” people like the Farmers Market on the Plaza. However, there has been no compromise, The Market has already outgrown the space and created headaches. It’s very sad to me that we are willing to put the mostly non-local farmers above your local business owners and residents, who pay rent, mortgages, and staff the Plaza businesses seven days a week.

So my questions are…Why are we are trying so hard to make something work that didn’t work last year? Are there more pros than cons?

Thank you for your time. Please feel free to contact me with any comments or questions.

Best regards,

Tammy King

SunShades of Taos

tammy@sunshadesoftaos.com