The Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC) is preparing to take stronger enforcement action against roadside vendors in the Linden community, Mayor Dominique Blair said.
Blair said the Council has exhausted several measures aimed at bringing vending in the central business and other areas under control. Addressing municipal issues recently, he said the municipality intends to begin removing vendors from the Republic Avenue area to improve the town’s appearance, safety and orderliness.
“The Council already passed a decision to remove… We are starting with the Republic Avenue and we’re still working on the Co-op Crescent [area],” Blair said.
The Mayor said the council previously attempted to work with vendors, including introducing a “6 to 6” arrangement for those operating in the Central Mackenzie area and market space. However, he said some vendors had failed to comply with the measures.
“As a result of that, the council will be moving to take aggressive actions towards those vendors, but we still want to work with those vendors,” Blair said.
He added that the Council is pursuing designated economic zones where vendors could operate from purpose-built spaces rather than roadside locations.
“We want to get the economic zones up and running so at least we could remove those vendors,” Blair said.
The initiative, he said, is intended to remove vendors from street corners while providing them with more appropriate spaces to conduct business.
“We want to see a cleaner, safer community,” Blair said, adding that roadside vending has contributed to environmental and aesthetic concerns in parts of Linden.
He acknowledged that some vendors face difficult economic circumstances, including single mothers, and stressed that the council does not intend the enforcement action as a personal attack.
“Some of them are single mothers. We understand the situation… But we have exhausted all options,” Blair said.
He said the issue is also affecting areas such as Blueberry Hill at Wismar, which will also be addressed.
The Mayor said the Council wants vending to continue, but in a more regulated and orderly environment, while it works to establish the proposed economic zones.
