FLORENCE — A proposed market place on South Irby Street is raising concern that it will bring improved site visitors and bring extra homeless men and women to the region.

The market— positioned at 711 S. Irby Street, exactly where Orangeland Seafood restaurant was formerly located— is created to boost the accessibility of fresh neighborhood create for men and women in Florence.

But opponents, seven of whom have spoken at public meetings, argue the home does not have adequate parking to accommodate buyers, will boost congestion and offer a space for men and women who are homeless to congregate, which will all negatively impact neighborhood small business owners.

Rev. Leo Woodberry, executive director of the New Alpha Neighborhood Improvement Corp., which is behind the project, as nicely as the pastor at Kingdom Living Temple, which sits on the adjacent home, mentioned the issues are unfounded.

“I definitely do not see any basis in truth or actuality about something that they are saying,” he mentioned.

The project is on hold just after Florence’s Design and style Overview Board asked for extra data about the plans prior to approving or denying the market’s application.

At an April board meeting, when the program was introduced, Woodberry mentioned the market place will have a related style to the flea market place on East Palmetto Street.

There would be a semi-permanent structure, such as an open shed, and quite a few short-term tents set up when the market place is in operation in the course of typical small business hours Friday by means of Sunday 26 weeks of the year. Woodberry mentioned indigenous plants will beautify the home.

Outdoors of these plans, Woodberry mentioned the organization is prepared to function with the city to comply with the style suggestions for the Irby Street corridor, a single of the places the city has focused redevelopment efforts.

The market place is component of the New Alpha Neighborhood Improvement Corp.’s broader function to market environmental justice, Woodberry mentioned in an interview. The market place would be an chance for compact, neighborhood farmers to sell their create, and a supply for neighborhood, fresh create for Florence residents. There would also be education possibilities obtainable to teach men and women how to use the meals that is obtainable.

In addition to meals, the market place also will sell name brand clothes and household merchandise.

Parking was a principal concern for a quantity of men and women who spoke against the project. On-street parking is not obtainable in the region, and small business owners mentioned they didn’t want overflow site visitors to park in their lots.

Cherie Springs, who owns Bazen’s restaurant across the street, mentioned Kingdom Living Temple’s events sometimes overflow currently and that guests have ended up utilizing Bazen’s parking lot in the previous. That is not a thing that she desires to come about on a regular basis, she mentioned.

The improvement corporation estimates the market place will have a peak occupancy of 45 men and women, but opponents mentioned they believe lots of extra will come. Design and style Overview Board members also questioned the methodology the corporation applied, saying they want to program for the possibility that occupancy will exceed 45.

At an occupancy of 45, the city would demand the market place to have 20 parking spaces, which are integrated in the web page program.

Woodberry also mentioned Kingdom Living Temple would be capable to offer further parking spaces as necessary.

Woodberry mentioned parking issues are overblown and the market place would be capable to offer an acceptable quantity of parking spaces.

He pointed out the earlier occupant of the home was a seafood restaurant and mentioned he does not believe congestion will be any extra of a issue than it was then.

“I can not fathom why men and women would believe that there would be a issue of congestion, either with cars or with men and women,” he mentioned.

Opponents also mentioned they’re worried the market place will offer a location for men and women who are homeless to collect. That would negatively impact their firms, they mentioned.

Springs mentioned there are currently a quantity of men and women who are homeless in the region and that the market place, when it is not in operation, would encourage their presence.

“We have a pretty substantial quantity of homeless men and women in the region. We offer you them cost-free meals. We’re content to feed them. But I can not have them hanging out and asking my buyers for revenue,” she mentioned in an interview.

Woodberry mentioned homelessness currently exists in the region and that he does not believe the market place will exacerbate the issue.

Due in substantial component to issues of congestion and homelessness, opponents also mentioned they think the market place will develop into an eyesore.

“My understanding is this redevelopment of Irby Street was to boost Irby Street and boost it. I believe this is in direct conflict to that. I do not believe that is an improvement of Irby Street,” mentioned Dewey Powers, who owns the State Farm workplace subsequent to the home.

Powers spoke at the April Design and style Overview Board meeting.

Powers declined to answer queries from The Post and Courier.

Various men and women referenced the flea market place on East Palmetto Street – which they mentioned was rundown and filled with trash – and they didn’t want a thing like that in their neighborhood.

But Woodberry compared the market place to the City Center Industry downtown and mentioned he thinks it will boost the good quality of life in the region.

“This is the sort of factor that you want to have so that men and women are attracted to your city,” he mentioned.

Members of the Design and style Overview Board mentioned the plans they received have been also preliminary for them to make an informed selection. They advisable at the April meeting, and Woodberry agreed, to defer approving the project till they could collect extra data.

Assistant City Manager Clint Moore mentioned the city has not received any extra data from New Alpha Improvement.