Online Petition to Save Fenton Street Market Allows Community to Voice Opinion

While a decision on the fate of usage fees for Veterans Plaza has not yet been issued by Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett, the Silver Spring community is offering opinions, comments and support for the Fenton Street Market via an on-line petition.

One person, under the “anonymous” pseudonym, posted:

Do not increase the fees!! We will pay now or later. Having people USE downtown Silver Spring reduces crime, increases quality of life for the residents and vendors and makes this area of the county a better place to live and thus brings in revenues through more sales, higher property taxes (as homes go up in value), more successful businesses, etc.

Since going live yesterday, more than 100 people have either “signed,” or left comments regarding the proposed enforcement of a $125 per hour usage fee for renting one half of Veterans Plaza.

When asked about the petition, Fenton Street Market founder and president Hannah McCann said "Based on the suggestions of many in Silver Spring, I started the petition last night and have been overwhelmed at the way people are articulating how much the market means to them."