Farmers Market parcel to be sold
Last Updated on 12/4/2008
Published on 10/7/2008
By Scott Harper
sharper@gtowntimes.com
The Georgetown County Farmer's Market will soon wrap up its 2008 season and will likely have to relocate before the 2009 season rolls around in the spring.
The property where the vendors currently set up each Saturday -- on U.S. Highway 701 near Wal-Mart -- is for sale by owners Grimes and Associates.
The Farmer's Market is operated by the county and has been a popular attraction each weekend, according to Georgetown County Administrator Sel Hemingway.
He said the county is working with the Grimes family to find an alternate location for the market.
Depending on who buys the site, there is a possibility the market could be moved to the back of the property if space allows.
Hemingway also said once new parks are built in the county -- as part of the Capital Improvements Plan -- land at one of the parks may be set aside for a permanent Farmer's Market home.
In January, former Georgetown County Parks and Recreation Director Ernie Nance wrote a letter to the editor saying he had heard a fast food chain was going to buy the property.
In response, owner C. Claymon Grimes Jr. himself wrote a letter stating -- at that time -- the property was not for sale.
"I can state with certainty that we have no plans to use this property for any other purpose other than what it is presently being used for," Grimes wrote to the editor in January.
His son, Claymon Grimes III said Thursday a contract for the property has been signed and groundbreaking for a new AT&T store will take place in the near future.
Historic property
In his letter, Grimes also noted the historic value to the property.
"The property in question has been in my wife's family since the Revolutionary War times and we are well aware of Sergeant McDonald's heroic achievements during that period," Grimes wrote.
He was referring to Sgt. Henry McDonald, considered a hero of the Sampit/Whites Creek battle that occurred near Georgetown in 1781.
A marker which was on the property noting McDonald's accomplishments was recently moved to a location on Highmarket Street, closer to where the battle occurred.
When the sign was originally erected in 1938, it was on Highmarket Street but was relocated to U.S. Highway 701 "without explanation," a document supplied to Georgetown County Council states.
Council agreed to return the marker to U.S. Highway 521 at the request of some of McDonald's descendants.
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To CITIZEN X: There is another chain restaurant here in Georgetown now. In fact, it is located across N. Fraser from the Farmer's Market. It is called Beef O' Brady's. While we could use a bit more variety, we need to patronize our local restaurants and the few chains that we do have in order to keep them open. They provide important jobs in our community and they are hard to replace. Just my two cents. Posted by A city resident on 10/14/2008
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Georgetown really needs more cell phone carriers. Posted by Tomas on 10/13/2008
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Perhaps the empty lot where Shoney's use to be can be constructed to be a permament indoor & outdoor farmer's market, something similar to the Farmer's Market in Florence. Visibility would be perfect!! With the redlights, access would be easy as well as safe. Visitors and locals alike would be able to go & buy local foods. Granted there will not be as much shade as the present location provides, but with construction an open building this will create a pleasant (as well dry) atmosphere. They could also walk down to the fishing/observation pier and enjoy the wildlife. Posted by Local Resident on 10/13/2008
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More cell phone providers! Wonderful, because what does this city need more than another wireless provider? It sure would be nice if the city planners would shop some national chains like Appleby's, Sonic, Arby's, Friday's etc. This town could use some alternatives to the high priced front street restaurants and for God's sake anything other than Ryan's steak house. Give the people of Georgetown a reason to stay in town to eat and to spend their money Create much needed jobs not more cell phone coverage. Posted by Citizen X on 10/13/2008
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Unfortunately, new businesses to the area find it easier (and cheaper) to build from the ground up, instead of renovating what is currently available.... no matter the size of the building. Perhaps the city & county to review their policies so that businesses coming to the area would find it to their advantage to renovate a currently empty building than to cut down trees, move wildlife, & stretch the urban sprawl by building a newer, fancier building that is in all cases a "small" box building. With the economy as it is now [and perhaps for the next few years], whose to say that this building won't soon be another empty building that Georgetown's finest will need to include in their patrol for vandalism. Posted by on 10/10/2008
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Put the farmer's market in the old Big Lots building out of the elements. Posted by CeCe on 10/9/2008
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Lynne -- Is that a serious question? Perhaps AT&T doesn't want the Big Lots building. Remember that parties do have freedom to contract. Posted by Uh, what? on 10/8/2008
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Why not shove AT&T into the old Big Lots and leave the open space for the Farmers Market? Posted by Lynne Sherlund-Dupuis on 10/8/2008
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East Bay Park has an approved Master Plan that the County didn't bother to include in the Visions Plan because the County wants to buy some good ole boy's land and create more sprawl. Now they want to charge impact fees in the City to take services away! Posted by Burgess Boy on 10/8/2008
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Why not have the farmer's market at east bay park? There is plenty of room and parking. It is a perfect venue for events such as this. We need to utilize that space before the city tries to sell it. Posted by logic on 10/8/2008
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