Farmers market seeks security upgrades

Phil Pagano sees the thousands of people who visit the Sarasota Farmers Market each Saturday, and he worries.

Pagano, executive director of the farmers market, has carried this anxiety with him for several years. Although the event is a popular local institution, as an organizer, he can’t help but think about a worst-case scenario.

“Anyone who holds an event downtown with so many people gets worried something’s going to happen,” Pagano said. “It happens to me every week.”

He’s thought about ways to increase the security around the pedestrian market. It became a more timely topic recently, with an increase of high-profile vehicle-based attacks of pedestrians across the globe.

That’s why, on Tuesday, Pagano appeared before the Downtown Improvement District’s board of directors. He asked for money for protective barricades to place at the intersections of Main Street and Lemon Avenue and First Street and Lemon Avenue.

“With safety issues happening around the globe, it is important that the farmers market be proactive on the safety of all that attend each week,” Pagano said.

He proposed the purchase of 16 plastic water-filled barricades, which weigh 1,600 pounds each. He also asked for a fork truck capable of lifting 3,000 pounds, so market officials could set up and take down the barricades each Saturday. The total cost, he estimated, was just over $16,500.

The DID declined to commit to the spending, suggesting the city as an alternative funding source. The board also suggested other protective barricades, including removable bollards, though Pagano was concerned those wouldn’t effectively stop cars.

Pagano is weighing his options, including possibly fundraising at the market. He remains dedicated to finding a way to heighten the market’s safety.

“What if something does happen?” Pagano said. “Maybe something will never happen. But what would happen to the market if, you know ... there was a tragedy?”