A whopping 20 people came out to City Hall on Monday night (March 24) to voice their opinion on Peekskill’s weekly Sunday flea market.

Before those residents, vendors, and business owners spoke, the Common Council removed the agenda item that would authorize the street closure of Bank Street, from Park Street to Main Street, for the Business Improvement District’s (BID) Flea Markets on Sundays.

This followed a business tour last week by the city manager and BID officials to gauge opinions on the flea market. Of the 15 businesses visited, one was in favor, seven did not want a flea market near their establishment, two had no opinion, and five were closed, City Manager Matthew Alexander said.

It also followed concerns of business owners who cited competition, litter, insufficient parking due to the flea market’s location, as well as a petition from 26 business owners that requested relocation of the market, submitted last year.

But the council is still weighing where to place the flea market, which attracts an average of 2,000 people every Sunday, according to the BID at its annual meeting earlier this month.

Some of those location ideas include Brown Street going from James to Elizabeth Street or James Street to Bank Street; James Street itself from Maine to Park Street; the top of James Street Garage; the riverfront, and Peekskill High School’s parking lot.

However, BID Executive Director Bill Powers did not favor any plans to place the flea market outside of the BID, such as the riverfront or James Street, which would give vendors less space and reduce the market about 25 percent. Powers said the flea market has to at least break even for the BID.

Regarding the Brown Street proposal, Powers said, “I’ll be honest, I think it puts the flea market in danger of not operating at all.”

Powers also noted that, until the BID holds its next monthly board meeting, in April, he was not sure whether the board would support going outside the district.

Mayor Vivian McKenzie emphasized the importance of figuring out where to place the flea market.

“We don’t want our businesses to be unhappy,” she said. “And they have a right to do business, and we understand that concept. But we also know that people really use this flea market as a source of revenue, as a source of where they buy things that they can’t buy other places.”

Vendors, business owners, residents voice their opinions

About eight people spoke in favor of the flea market, while another 12 either had qualms with the management of the flea market or favored relocating it. An additional five emails were submitted into the record that were in favor of the flea market, according to the city clerk’s office.

Those who favored the markets — including vendors, family of the flea market manager, and residents — said it was a positive place to make money, explore hobbies, meet people, and that vendors thoroughly clean up after themselves.

On the other side, some business owners and residents complained about insufficient parking and space on sidewalks, garbage being left, competition from vendors selling new items, and slowing down business or scaring customers away.

John Torres, a vendor at the flea market for several years, said he has observed how the flea market helps to weave the fabric of the community.

“As vendors, we’re very quick to tell people, ‘Hey, go to this guy because he does the batteries for the watch that I just sold you,’” he said. “And then they come back and they’re like, ‘Look, it works.’ And it’s a reciprocal relationship.”

Eddie Guiracocha, the owner of Copy Center & Services Inc., advocated the relocation of the flea market.

“I don’t open on Sundays, but when I have opened on Sundays, I have to walk into my shop with garbage flying all over the place,” he said. “Boxes of food, boxes of packaging, boxes and bags of wrapping, of this, that and the other.”

Gessenia Arce, the stepdaughter of the flea market manager who also works at the flea market, shared that she started a petition in favor of the flea market that currently has 315 signatures, at this writing.

Hazel Nelson, owner of G&H Caribbean Restaurant on North Division Street, spoke in favor of the flea market.

“If it’s about parking, seven days a week customers would call and say there’s no parking, ‘We can’t get in the store because there’s no parking on the street,’” Nelson said. “It’s not only Sunday, it’s seven days a week… It’s a busy town. So I don’t think it’s parking [that] is the issue we’re talking about right here.”

Arne Paglia, owner of Division Street Grill, who criticized the flea market at the Mayor’s State of the City Address, spoke again on Monday night.

“It does say in the flea market details that you’re not allowed to sell new merchandise, but it says at the discretion of the flea market manager, which is a contradiction,” Paglia said.

Emiliano Peréz of Perla de Oriente Panadería was one of several business owners who spoke against the flea market’s location. Last month he shared complaints similar to the ones heard at the council chambers on Monday.

“They come to the flea market,” he told the Herald then. “They come here to sell, to compete with our local vendors without paying, without paying taxes, sales taxes and they compete with our own people.”

Of several businesses visited by the Herald on North Division Street and Bank Street on Thursday (March 27), there were several business employees who commented they supported the flea market or that it attracted customers to their establishments.

However, one Bank Street business owner told the Herald the flea market resulted in insufficient space outside his establishment and increased competition with new items being sold. A worker at a separate establishment similarly complained about parking and garbage.

Chris Mahoney, a tattoo artist at Speakeasy Tattoo Studio on North Division Street, said the flea market hasn’t affected him in any negative way. Another  tattoo artist commented the market was a staple in the community and without it the community would the lesser for it.

“If it’s putting money in people’s pockets, I don’t see why it shouldn’t continue,” Mahoney said.

At the end of the public comments session Monday night, McKenzie said, “Thank you so much for all of your comments. The council will take all of this into consideration along with city staff and try to come up with something that’s going to appease everybody.”