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February 22, 2007
Park Slopers Petition for a Greener Whole Foods
Whole Foods Market is working on their plans for a new branch on Third Street and Third Avenue along the banks of the Gowanus Canal, and the local organization Park Slope Neighbors is hoping to convince them to build a cleaner, greener supermarket. Their petition, addressed to Whole Foods Chairman and CEO John Mackey, requests the reduction of the store's planned 420 parking spaces by at least 100. It all calls to replace parking spaces planned for the building's rooftop with a green roof or solar panels. To fight the onslaught of neighborhood traffic jams, it recommends the implementation of a jitney service, ample bike parking, and a fleet of pedicabs, among other strategies...
Eric McClure, campaign coordinator for Park Slope Neighbors, writes in yesterday's press release:
"We think a Whole Foods Market would be a great addition to the neighborhood, but it's disappointing that they appear intent on implementing a suburban-style plan. Since only about 40% of households in this area own cars, we'd like to work with Whole Foods to de-emphasize vehicle traffic in favor of other modes of transportation to and from the store. We also think Brooklyn deserves environmentally friendly measures like green or solar roofs, which Whole Foods has implemented or planned for in other markets."
Due to cold weather and snow, PSN volunteers have not been able to hit the streets — but nevertheless, more than 500 residents have already signed the petition. If you're interested in supporting their cause, Park Slope Neighbors' Whole Foods petition can be signed online here.
Comments
Whole Foods will be a borough-wide destination; hence the need for parking. As susual PS residents [of which I am one] are contemplating their own navels without looking at the Brooklyn-wide picture.
For chrissakes the lot is in a grimy industrial area, not Prospect Park West!
A jitney service will be co-opted by the MTA, it seems to be counter-productive because it would allow large, dirty, smelly buses on the streets. Large smelly vehicles like the other fave Fresh Direct. And where are the jitneys for Bensonhurst?
Pedicabs for groceries? Ha!
Bike parking is nice. You'll be able to carry a bag of aragula home nicely.
If there's less lot parking, more people will try and park on the streets, causing more traffic, hadaches, and ticket revenue for the city.
The only thing that's worth anything in the petition would be a green roof.
Posted by: 5w30 at February 22, 2007 9:27 AM
I have to agree with 5w30 about the parking issue.
What's the basis of the assumption that reducing parking there has fewer negative effects than going as planned?
Honest question, not offered rhetorically.
Thoughts?
Posted by: webster at February 22, 2007 10:21 AM
I will be writing a letter to the CEO requesting that WF make this store a model of green building. Furthermore, I will express that Brooklyn is not necessarily the suburban-esque picture that our Marty likes to paint. He dreams of Detroit (Vanderbilt Yards), we dream of Zurich (most walkable city). There is nothing worse than dodging the yacht sized SUVs and grumpy toyota drivers trying to get in and out of Target, most of whom are convinced that they live in Detroit.
Posted by: Clinton Hillster at February 22, 2007 11:00 AM
Brooklyn is becoming suburbia. Resistance is futile.
I will be shopping at the BROOKLYN Whole Foods, and I will be driving. If they reduce the size of the parking lot and I can't find parking, I will shop somewhere else.
This WF is meant for Brooklyn, not Park Slope. The NIMBYs should stop being so selfish.
Posted by: non-PS resident at February 22, 2007 2:04 PM
I believe that eric mcclure is married to lumi rolley of no land grab. I wouldn't be surprised if they are the entire membership of park slope neighbors. This plan is just plain silly.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 22, 2007 4:27 PM
yeah right, like park slopers don't drive to Fairway in Red Hook. I guess it's fine to drive and park in the poor people's neighborhood.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 22, 2007 5:42 PM
Amen, 5:42.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 22, 2007 9:20 PM
Park Slopers shop at the Park Slope Food Coop. And they walk there.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 23, 2007 12:24 AM
3rd Ave. is a dangerous alternative to the BQE for many aggressive, road-raged drivers simply trying to get from point A to point B and using 3rd Ave. as their means - having risked my life in the bike lane on numerous occassions, I can only hope that WF honestly attempts to help alleviate this reality rather than add to it. Only time will tell.
Posted by: Brownstone Dreamin at February 23, 2007 8:35 AM
anon, 4:27: lumi rolley and eric mcclure are married? those evil-doers!
Posted by: Anonymous at February 23, 2007 9:26 AM
I also agree with 5w30. This doesn't seem to be so much about green planning, but about not wanting more cars on the streets of Park Slope. People will drive to get their food, so ample parking will be a benefit to the people who live nearby.
Posted by: wave at February 23, 2007 10:14 AM
Brooklyn has a long cultural history of walking to get food. Anyone who wants the suburban life stile should move on out, there are other city dwellers who could use your housing.
Why oh why does Whole Foods want us to drive to their store now that we are running out of oil and the side effects of Global Warming promises to swallow up this at-sea-level-site with raising sea levels.
Are we all so selfish that we will insist on driving to pick up our organic foods as the tides overtake us all?
Posted by: Anonymous at February 23, 2007 10:42 AM
Third Avenue is not Park Slope, and the Whole Foods location is not exactly a pedestrian-friendly area. Who is really going to bring their groceries home by bike uphill to Park Slope from 3rd Avenue? Public transportation is a wonderful thing, but if you're shopping for a family, you need a car (or delivery) to do your grocery shopping.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 23, 2007 1:11 PM
Brooklyn _isn't_ becoming suburban. Its county is the 2nd densest county in the U.S. (behind Manhattan's), and is currently experiencing a huge amount of development on whatever open space can be found. Gowanus is only getting denser, and building a parking lot there is a greedy move that's going to generate more traffic in the long run. Whole Foods wants you to believe they care about your neighborhood and the environment, but it's clear their top priority is their bottom line.
Also, most households in Park Slope (57%) don't have cars (source, U.S. census, http://11215-cars.notlong.com ).
Cars are anti-urban.
Posted by: steveo at February 23, 2007 1:34 PM
it's a dump site - whole foods can do whatever they want and everyone will still shop there and more power to them -
how ridiculous for some to say no cars - sure you don't own one - your choice not everyone else -
write the petition instead to the carmakers who keep making 500 horse pwer cars instead of using existing tech to make a car that can go 100 miles a gallon -
bunch of crap - and BTW - IT"S IN GOWANUS - not PS - stay up the hill if you want - We Gowanus folk would rather have one of America's best business's doing well than having a green roof -
Solar Panels will be installed for sure - it's a good investment for them and they are rolling to all their stores.
when they build it and especially the esplenade on the canal it will change everything -
for all the haters - you woudn;t hate it if prospect park was a shit hole and some great company offered to clean it up!
Posted by: gowanyourself at February 24, 2007 2:13 PM
gowanyourself,
If you're representative of "Gowanus folk," I, for one, am glad that Park Slope and Gowanus are different places.
Point out, please, where anyone said "no cars," would you?
While you're at it, explain why you would call a group advocating for a transportation plan and environmentally friendly measures in a neighborhood that's environmentally fragile "haters?" Look in the mirror lately?
Posted by: UpSloper at February 25, 2007 4:30 PM
Requesting a "greener" organic market chain whose newest location is being built on a Super Fund site? Am I the only person who senses the irony here?
My current fave is the grocery store planned for Admiral's Row on Flushing Ave. They're planning some big Pathmark type store, which in itself isn't a bad idea. The area is poorly served with grocery retailers (if you can get over the bad plan of demolishing historic houses). The kicker? THEY ARE PLANNING A 1000 car lot!
Here's the kink - they're revising the city tow pound - right around the back of these houses - to have fewer spots for impounded vehicles. How much do you want to bet that the city has worked out some deal with a developer to LEASE BACK spots from the grocery?
The city gives the land away, then pays to get parts of it back. I wonder whose palm is getting greased?
Posted by: Anonymous at February 26, 2007 9:21 AM
UpSloper is right.
A GREEN ORGANIC market at this Gowanus location is an oxymoron.
Whole Foods, the morons.
Posted by: Hope at February 26, 2007 4:26 PM
I think it makes more sense for Park Slope neighbors to focus on pedestrian safety rather than focus on parking issues. 3rd Ave. is just plain unsafe, as is 4th Ave. If families are going to be walking down to WF on 3rd Ave. they will be jeapordizing their children's lives and their own lives. I kid you not. Those truckers couldn't care less that you are trying to conserve fuel and get some exercise. They will mow you all down. More traffic might have the effect of slowing down the monster trucks who veer around slow drivers and create 2 lanes on that stretch of 3rd Ave where there really is only 1 and a bike lane. No traffic rules are ever enforced down there. Even after a young boy died a few years ago.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 26, 2007 11:39 PM
Good luck, anon 11:39. Judging from their web site, Park Slope Neighbors seems to prefer battles that they will lose, not win.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 27, 2007 1:31 PM
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