Downtown Frederick businesses show concern about increase of vendor markets

FREDERICK COUNTY, Md. ( DC News Now ) — Businesses in the Carrol Creek area of downtown Frederick said that outside vendors have been decreasing traffic into their businesses, and they are looking to the city and the Downtown Frederick Partnership for a solution.

“The concern has really been focused around businesses not from Frederick coming and setting up these vendor markets, and the ones that are created by for-profit businesses are creating competition,” Kara Norman said.

Kara Norman is the Executive Director of the Downtown Frederick Partnership. She said she and the city are working together to possibly alter their policy to police the use of the space.

They also have paused all rental requests for the space.

“What we’re hoping to achieve is kind of clarifying the existing policy document that speaks to the public. Use of this public park is intended for cultural celebrations, music, and things like that,” Norman explained.

Marien Hornyak, who owns The Kitchenette a few blocks down from the Carrol Creek area, says the increase in outside vendor markets doesn’t allow other businesses like hers to market their business.

“We’re usually not notified ahead of time, we have to kind of do our own investigating to find out that they’re even happening,” Hornyak said. “So it doesn’t give us very much time to market our own businesses and try to get people to come up from the creek.”

Hornyak hopes that conversations will be had between the city and the Downtown Frederick Partnership to satisfy both parties.

“The policy does not say anything about for-profit corporations and that’s what we want them to abide by, stick to your policy,” Hornyak said.

The city and the Downtown Frederick Partnership will be hosting a meeting to discuss the issue later this month.

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