On Nov. 4, the Corte Madera Town Council approved the development of a one-year pilot program to allow small vendors to sell in Menke Park at Piccolo Pavillion in four designated parking spots. The city plans to put out a comment box so community members can voice their opinions on the program while it operates.
Director of Community Development in Corte Madera Amy Lyles surveyed community members on their thoughts on the program.
“Overall, we had really positive input. People want to see more activity, vibrancy and foot traffic in Menke Park,” Lyle said.
Piccolo Pavilion has an electrical outlet, making it a more viable spot for potential vendors than other locations such as Corte Madera’s Town Park. However, Menke Park still has limitations, specifically concerning water access.
“[The city] doesn’t have water available so the food trucks would have to bring their own. [The city] would have very limited electricity [available for vendors]. There is also going to be a small fee for leasing the parking spaces and the electricity,” Lyle said.
Currently, the program only has one applicant: Amy Hughes, who initially proposed the idea to the town council. Hughes is a longtime member of the Redwood community and is known for bringing pastries to staff. She plans to open a food trailer called Town Buzz Cafe, where coffee and pastries will be sold and locals can stop by and interact with each other.
“I want Town Buzz Cafe to be a spot for people to disconnect and reconnect. People need a place where they can come together on common grounds and be in the moment and enjoy the park and company,” Hughes said.
However, the program has raised concerns regarding how it would affect the park and the people who use it daily, as complaints were raised about how it may affect parking.
Junior Dean Wozniak is a resident of Corte Madera who lives very close to Piccolo Pavillion. Because there is no available street parking near his home, he parks at Menke Park.
“Whenever there’s an event at [Piccolo Pavillion], I have to find somewhere else to park. I would [shop at the food trailers], but I need parking [that may be taken up by the food trailer],” Wozniak said.
However, according to Hughes, the food trailer will only take up two of the four parking spots designated for the program. The remaining parking spots will still be available for public use as long as Hughes remains the only approved applicant.
Overall, the program aims to create a community space in Corte Madera for residents and visitors to enjoy in the mornings.
“I think it would be nice to have a place where people can hang out, have a coffee and a cake and enjoy that beautiful gazebo. I love the idea of people just learning to be together. Connection is really important,” Hughes said.
