The city of Malibu announced Friday that it has ordered the operator of the Malibu Farmers Market to immediately cease operations at Legacy Park, citing unresolved concerns over public safety, parking and compliance with the market’s permit.
The market had moved to Legacy Park from its originally approved location at the Los Angeles County Library parking lot on Civic Center Way, according to the city.
City officials said they had worked with the market operator to allow operations to continue at Legacy Park while attempting to find a safe and compliant long-term location, but the park was never designed or approved to permanently accommodate the market.
Concerns over the temporary location include public safety, limited parking, access to neighboring businesses and compliance with the market’s conditional use permit, according to the city.
Officials said those concerns have become more significant during the summer, when increased visitor traffic adds vehicles and pedestrians to the Civic Center area.
Market vendor vehicles and booths occupy nearly 40% of the available public parking in the Civic Center area, reducing parking available to visitors and customers of nearby businesses, according to the city.
“This is not about shutting down a farmers market that our community values,” City Manager Joe Irvin said. “We have worked to make the current arrangement work, but we also have a responsibility to protect public safety and ensure City requirements are applied fairly.”
Irvin said the city wants the market to return to its approved location on the county-owned lot.
“The City has offered to host the market in an approved location outside of City Hall while its permanent license is processed by L.A. County,” Irvin said.
The city said the market operator had been notified that operations at Legacy Park must cease immediately.
Officials said the city remains supportive of having a farmers market in Malibu and would continue working with the operator toward securing a properly permitted location.