Has Ligonier Country Market gotten too big?

The Ligonier Country Market has been a popular fixture in the Ligonier community for nearly 50 years, drawing visitors from throughout the area to shop for everything from fresh produce and baked goods to handwoven rugs and wood crafts.

But Ligonier Township officials are wondering whether the seasonal Saturday morning tradition just west of Ligonier Borough has become a little too much of a good thing.

After the market ballooned to about 150 vendors last year, exceeding the 120 allowed by township permit, township officials indicated they are keeping a close watch on this season’s market operations, which began May 18.

Supervisor Stephanie Verna said at this week’s meeting of the township board that she is concerned about pedestrian congestion near the entrance to the market off Springer Road and the hazards that could pose for people pausing along a gravel drive as vehicles enter.

She said other aspects of the market operation have improved from the previous season, adding, “I think the most important thing right now is that we address the safety and traffic issues.”

Township Manager Michael Strelic said the market so far this year has kept within the approved vendor limit for its special event permit while exceeding a separate limit of 130 vendor spots by about three spots. He said he was told that limit was exceeded, in part, because of an Amish vendor who had failed to connect with market managers via email.

“They’re way better than last year,” Strelic said of the market’s compliance.

After contacting market administrators later in the week, at the direction of the supervisors, he said, “We all seem to be on board.”

Claudine DePaul, new board president of the Ligonier Country Market, said the organization hadn’t previously been aware of township concerns.

“We’re working diligently to correct them and make the market the best it can be,” she said, noting a new market manager is in place this year. “We want to be 100% compliant with anything the township is requiring.”

“I think we need to talk to (market management) about the footprint where they have the booths,” Verna said. “We have a serious issue with traffic.”

Verna suggested shifting vendor booths so they are all on the same side of the gravel drive, using space that is closer to Route 30. She argued it would prompt pedestrians to move in that direction instead of lingering near the market entrance.

But Strelic said it’s a little late to make that move since electrical conduit is in place to serve the market booths in their existing layout.

DePaul said it would be cost-prohibitive to relocate electrical service at the site.

“What we can do is better manage our traffic flow at the front entrance,” she said. “Our customer service booth is right there, and sometimes it gets backed up. We’re trying to make sure the foot traffic is alleviated and moves through quicker.”

In another item of concern, Strelic said market visitors who were parking along Old Lincoln Highway in the past had pulled their vehicles into an adjacent grassy area but recently were encroaching on the public road because the grass had become overgrown and muddy.

“That is not a wide road, so that is restricting access,” Strelic said.

He expressed hope, since the grass has been mowed, that people will again park on the grass.

“If they do not, it’s going to be an issue that needs to be addressed,” he said.

If the issue persists, Verna suggested the township consider installing improved signage to regulate parking along the road. Previously, she said, market operators worked with local police to determine the best spots to put their own parking signs, but she said those paper signs were placed on stakes and blew away.

DePaul said the market is looking into getting more rugged signs.

“It’s not that we don’t want people to come to our market, but there needs to be some signage instructing people where they should park and not park,” Verna said.

Since the early 2000s, the Ligonier Country Market has leased about 9.7 acres for its Saturday events from the Loyalhanna Watershed Association, said Susan Huba, the association’s executive director. In return, she said, the market operators cover the cost of taxes levied on the property and are required to take care of the grounds, provide insurance coverage and abide by township regulations.

She said the relationship with the market “supports local farmers and other vendors and brings people into the Ligonier Valley throughout the summer to support the town as well.”

Huba said the watershed group has no direct involvement with the market operations including vendor selection, booth layout and parking arrangements.

“Over the past five years, due to the increased size of the market each week with visitor attendance, we have been working more with township officials to express our concerns with parking and safety,” Huba said. “We are aware that the market has implemented many various changes over this time to help address pedestrian and traffic safety surrounding the property each week; however, the footprint of the market field has remained the same size, and thus the same issues still remain a concern.

“We rely heavily on the expertise of the township and Ligonier Valley Police Department to address any concerns.”