KNOX—After several years of little or no business, a new owner has re-opened the Fox Creek Flea Market. The flea market in the southwest corner of Knox, just north of the hamlet of West Berne, has been open since Memorial Day.

The owner, Edward Allen, of Berne, says he is continuing to keep the business open even though his application for a special-use permit from the Knox Zoning Board of Appeals has yet to be approved.

Allen said business has been good. Currently, the flea market, which is open on Sundays and holiday weekends, has about 20 vendors, selling everything from antiques to metal detectors.
"Every week, we pick up new vendors," he said.

The site has room for 270 vendors, Allen said.
"I knew the first year was going to be tough," he said.

Allen said he is happy with the amount of customers the flea market draws, especially on opening day, Memorial Day weekend. He suspects extreme heat has kept some away.
"With the heat and humidity, sometimes even I don’t want to go out there," Allen said.

Years ago, the Fox Creek Auction Arena held auctions and functioned as a flea market for vendors from all over the area, bringing hundreds of people into the hamlet every weekend. However, in the early nineties, Douglas Cater, who owned and operated the arena, was taken to court for illegal auction practices and was forced to shut down.

Since then, the stream of out-of-town visitors to West Berne has slowed to a trickle.

Allen hopes to change that. He is working on finding an auctioneer, he said, so he can re-open the weekly auctions.

Allen owns and runs a garage in Altamont. The flea market is a family operation, he said, because his wife, son, and daughter all contribute.

Earl Barcomb, chair of the Knox Zoning Board of Appeals, told The Enterprise that Allen appeared before the board at its June meeting to ask for the required special-use permit, but was not granted one because he needs to submit further information, including a plat plan outlining how the site will be used.

This would include things like hours of operation and where cars can park.

Barcomb said that Allen can’t just say he’s going to run a flea market without explaining what a flea market is. That gives neighbors the opportunity to comment at a public hearing, Barcomb said.
"It makes sense when you think about it," Barcomb said. "This way, folks can come in and see what is proposed. It’s just common sense."

Allen said he plans on submitting the required information and going through the public-hearing process, but will keep the flea market running every Sunday in the meantime.

Barcomb said he had not known the flea market was already open.