The Bainbridge City Council passed a motion last night to close a portion of West Street every Saturday morning for about six months out of the year to allow a farmer’s market downtown.

The closure will enable the Bainbridge Farmer’s Market Committee to set up a traditional farmer’s market downtown on West Street.

The market will begin October 11 and will take place every Saturday until December. The market will reopen on Saturdays in March and run until June. It will operate from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“I certainly commend the effort,” councilwoman Glennie Bench said. “I think it’s very worthwhile, and I think there’s a lot we can do to build on the efforts of the farmer’s market to promote downtown on Saturdays.”

Amanda Gordon, with the Downtown Development Authority, said the DDA has been in contact with most of the merchants, all of whom are in favor of the market.

“We intend to stay well off of the sidewalk and not impede on [the business’s] traffic,” said Mack Lane, a local farmer. “We want to encourage people to come downtown. We think that if we close off between Broughton and Water Street that just the asphalt there will be sufficient space.”

Traffic will only see minimal effects, as drivers will fully be able to drive on the other three sides of the square, Gordon said.

Lane said that the Farmer’s Market Committee has already reached out to several local farmers and is in the process of talking with more.

“It’s moving along,” Lane said. “People are expressing a lot of interest in it, so we’re hoping it takes off.”