As many of you know, Whole Foods Market is coming to the neighborhood. And that's a good thing: Whole Foods has garnered much acclaim for selling and promoting organic and natural products, for its exemplary employment practices, and for its overall good corporate citizenship. The new store, which will be built at 3rd Avenue and 3rd Street, will create several hundred local jobs, and add to Brooklyn's grocery-shopping choices.
But there are some problems with Whole Foods' design plans. They intend to build 420 parking spaces, an excessive amount for an urban neighborhood, especially one in which only about 40% of households own cars. Oversupply of parking encourages people to drive rather than use mass transit or other more environmentally friendly modes of transportation, and more cars means more traffic in Park Slope and surrounding neighborhoods, which are already seeing a major upsurge in traffic from rapid development.
Whole Foods also plans to locate a large number of those parking spaces on the store's rooftop. Such large, hard surfaces contribute to run-off, which is already a significant problem in the Gowanus Basin. The canal is in the early stages of environmental recovery, and a large parking surface will harm rather than help that turnaround.
In addition, Whole Foods lacks a good transportation-management plan, which could make it easier for customers to access the store by mass transit, bicycle, or on foot. The company could take several easy steps to promote alternatives to driving.
So we've launched a petition drive asking Whole Foods to address these issues. Please sign the petition by clicking here, or by visiting http://www.parkslopeneighbors.org. Our petition asks Whole Foods to do three things:
* Eliminate at least one-third of the parking. Oversupply of parking encourages driving at the expense of better transit options, and promotes road congestion. 420 spaces are at least 100 more than what are needed to fully serve customer demand.
* Replace rooftop parking with a green roof, solar panels, or both. A green roof will reduce run-off, lower energy costs and promote a healthy environment. Solar panels will supply a significant portion of the store's energy needs and reduce harmful emissions.
* Implement a comprehensive transportation-management plan, including jitney service, bus stops, bike parking, Pedicabs and fee-based parking.
By comparison, the new Fairway Market in Red Hook, which is nearly as large as the planned Whole Foods, and which is about a mile from the nearest subway station, has just a 300-car parking lot, which is typically only two-thirds full even during peak times. And Whole Foods is implementing a green roof on a planned store in Madison, Wisconsin, and has several locations with roof-mounted solar panels, including its Edgewater, New Jersey store. So we're not asking for anything new or unique.
Please encourage your friends and neighbors to sign the petition. If you're interested in circulating a hard-copy petition, please let me know and I'll send you a PDF version, which will also soon be available for download on our petition page. Let me know, too, if you'd be interested in hitting the streets with some fellow Park Slope Neighbors to collect signatures.
We'll report back to you soon on our progress, and will continue to update our web site with relevant information.
Last edited by pitu on Mon Feb 05, 07 11:56 am; edited 1 time in total
belzjm Carneviento Devotee
Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 1355
Fri Feb 02, 07 11:32 am EST
while i am all for mass transit, i find that because of the location that whole foods has decided on, it will be necessary for many people to drive to this location. the problem is...for most of us in park slope...this is going to be too far a walk from up near 7th avenue to do my grocery shopping (even those closer to 5th probably would rather stop at the whole foods in manhattan on their way home rather than walk down to 3rd and 3rd). had whole foods considered ACTUALLY putting it in an urban locale, I would agree with you, but this is in no mans land where driving will sadly be the most convenient way of getting there.
Guest
Fri Feb 02, 07 11:36 am EST
I do not live in Park Slope, so I will be driving to the Whole Foods location in Brooklyn. I walk to my local supermarket, but driving would be a given to go to Whole Foods. I fully support the construction of the parking lot. If I can't find a parking spot, I will not bother shopping there.
frank lloyd wrong Guest
Fri Feb 02, 07 11:42 am EST
This is a worthy cause for petition, but I don't think that Whole Foods is going to comply. I used to work for a development firm that worked with similiar client such as Whole Foods, and I can tell you that careful calculations are done by the developer to determine parking spaces using economic and geographical data. Whole Foods wants to be accessible to as much of Brooklyn as possible, and as the largest borough, I am sure that as hard as it is to believe, their parking is probably severely underweight for the demand. Whole Foods is a MUCH bigger draw than fairway, from an economic standpoint.
Rose Ninja
Joined: 10 Nov 2005 Posts: 911 Location: South Slope
Fri Feb 02, 07 11:47 am EST
belzjm wrote:
while i am all for mass transit, i find that because of the location that whole foods has decided on, it will be necessary for many people to drive to this location. the problem is...for most of us in park slope...this is going to be too far a walk from up near 7th avenue to do my grocery shopping (even those closer to 5th probably would rather stop at the whole foods in manhattan on their way home rather than walk down to 3rd and 3rd). had whole foods considered ACTUALLY putting it in an urban locale, I would agree with you, but this is in no mans land where driving will sadly be the most convenient way of getting there.
I agree with you. Public transportation is not a realistic option for most people, for this site.
Also, I take the subway or bus most of the time, even though I have a car, because I find driving and parking in Park Slope so painful. But for grocery shopping, I need my car (or delivery). I shop for four humans and five pets -- there is no way I'm getting the weekly groceries home on the bus!
this is exactly what Zipcars are for _________________ Get your paws off my canned chicken
friendlypitbull Local
Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 261 Location: Central Slope btween 4th and 5th
Fri Feb 02, 07 12:30 pm EST
Given the location - eliminating parking for the purpose of encouraging mass transit use will not reduce the number of car trips to WF but rather simply cause a spill over of people parking on the nearby streets, and circiling endlessly waiting for spots to open - just like what happens at Costco in Sunset Park. This will result in more traffic, more pollution and lower quality of life for nearby residents then if they provide the approriate parking from the beginning.
I certainly think that they can encourage less private car trips by providing cab stands, providing free delivery to nearby neighborhoods, maybe a jittney from the subway and by trying to get better bus stops/routes nearby. But at the end of the day, the store is very far from the subway and is designed to sell alot of items that arent conducive to long pedestrian, bike or even mass transit trips and therefore private auto trips will be a major component of the store and limiting parking on site will be counterproductive.
willregistersoon Local
Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 268
Fri Feb 02, 07 12:46 pm EST
Quote:
By comparison, the new Fairway Market in Red Hook, which is nearly as large as the planned Whole Foods, and which is about a mile from the nearest subway station, has just a 300-car parking lot, which is typically only two-thirds full even during peak times.
I fiind that hard to belieive. Whenever I got to Fairway at peak time I can never find a spot.
Can someone explain this "run-off" thing? I don't understand what's bad about having parking spaces on the roof? Isn't this better? Can't there be a green roof on top of the parking spaces?
Is this just a case of an activist group trying desparately hard to find something to protest about?
friendlypitbull Local
Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 261 Location: Central Slope btween 4th and 5th
Fri Feb 02, 07 12:52 pm EST
willregistersoon wrote:
I fiind that hard to belieive. Whenever I got to Fairway at peak time I can never find a spot.
I agree and I also see that as a result there is traffic and congestion as people jockey for street spots as well as try to 'create' spots wherever they can, including quite a few 'permit holders' using sidewalks and similar open areas.
pitu Fake Buddhist
Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 6489 Location: Utopian Park Slope
Fri Feb 02, 07 12:56 pm EST
willregistersoon wrote:
Is this just a case of an activist group trying desparately hard to find something to protest about?
I sure don't think so.
I appreciate people trying to figure out good things for our community and *do* something instead of just bitching about the results once it's a done deal.
willregistersoon Local
Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 268
Fri Feb 02, 07 12:58 pm EST
pitu wrote:
willregistersoon wrote:
Is this just a case of an activist group trying desparately hard to find something to protest about?
I sure don't think so.
I appreciate people trying to figure out good things for our community and *do* something instead of just bitching about the results once it's a done deal.
I wholeheartedly agree. I'm just trying to find what the good is that they're fighting for here. I'd like to understand this issue of run-off and how it relates to roof-top parking. What else is there?
willregistersoon Local
Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 268
Fri Feb 02, 07 1:42 pm EST
I just read the petition. They wrote:
"420 spaces are at least 100 more than what are needed to fully serve customer demand."
How do the figure that? As "frank lloyd wrong" wrote above, these companies do very lengthy, indepth studies to calculate these things. How does this group just assume that the number is wrong? Also, there is already a bus that runs right down 3rd ave. What more can WF do? Build a subway?
Guest
Fri Feb 02, 07 1:50 pm EST
It's a supermarket-people need to drive to it! Do people really think someone is going to go to Whole Foods via subway (which, considering it's location will be very difficult indeed) and, do what with their bags and bags of groceries? haul them all home on the subway or bus? Come on!
statician Guest
Fri Feb 02, 07 1:51 pm EST
willregistersoon wrote:
I just read the petition. They wrote:
"420 spaces are at least 100 more than what are needed to fully serve customer demand."
How do the figure that? As "frank lloyd wrong" wrote above, these companies do very lengthy, indepth studies to calculate these things. How does this group just assume that the number is wrong? Also, there is already a bus that runs right down 3rd ave. What more can WF do? Build a subway?
The people circulating the petition have no idea what they are talking about. They are pulling numbers out of the air. The "300-car parking lot, which is typically only two-thirds full even during peak times" sentence alone demonstrates how little knowledge they have. I never go to supermarkets at peak times, and I still find the Fairway parking lot full.
These armchair urban planner shouldn't quit their day jobs.
belzjm Carneviento Devotee
Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 1355
Fri Feb 02, 07 1:54 pm EST
if whole foods is committed to the preservation of the environment, smart development, etc. and seems to be a company that prides itself on these things, i personally think that they should have selected a more appropriate site for their store. i don't know available sites well enough to suggest an alternative (nor does it matter at this point) but most whole foods stores i have been to are in a densely packed, urban environment where lots of people are able to walk to/from the store. so to answer the question...what more can WF do...well nothing now...but i think they made an error in their site selection. i'm sure they will do well and i'm sure a ton of people will go, but it will be more of a commuter store. those that live in the surrounding areas will benefit less from this store than those that live farther away in brooklyn, which to me seems rather silly. especially given that i'd guess that those that live in carroll gardens, park slope, etc. would be those most interested in shopping at whole foods.
Guest
Fri Feb 02, 07 2:17 pm EST
It seems people on the Park Slope list do not want outsiders coming to Whole Foods. Seriously, they want people to take buses?
Rose Ninja
Joined: 10 Nov 2005 Posts: 911 Location: South Slope
Fri Feb 02, 07 2:32 pm EST
Anonymous wrote:
It seems people on the Park Slope list do not want outsiders coming to Whole Foods.
I think you're deliberately missing the point. Also, 3rd Ave. isn't exactly Park Slope. The petition is consistent with other positions that Park Slope Neighbors has taken -- in an urban environment, people should be encouraged to walk and take public transportation, rather than drive; and businesses should be designed accordingly. Which I normally agree with, but I don't think it's realistic in this context. It's not reasonable to expect that most people are going to haul their groceries home from 3rd Avenue on the bus.
linusvanpelt Jockin my Mercedes
Joined: 12 Oct 2005 Posts: 394 Location: Center Slope, between 4th and 5th Avenues
Fri Feb 02, 07 3:08 pm EST
Even assuming the petition is right about the amount of parking needed, at this site or Fairway:
(1) They argue that the parking lot should be smaller because 100 fewer spaces would still be plenty for everyone who wants to drive there
(2) They argue that the parking lot should be smaller to "encourage" people to use mass transit
Well, which is it? If there will still be plenty of parking after the reduction, how does that "encourage" anyone to do anything different?
Clearly the petitioners really want to shrink the lot enough so that a lot of customers will not be able to find spaces there, but they don't have the stones to come right out and say it.
Carnivore Brooklyn Snark
Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 13566 Location: St Johns Pl and Underhill
Fri Feb 02, 07 3:44 pm EST
Rose wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
It seems people on the Park Slope list do not want outsiders coming to Whole Foods.
I think you're deliberately missing the point. Also, 3rd Ave. isn't exactly Park Slope. The petition is consistent with other positions that Park Slope Neighbors has taken -- in an urban environment, people should be encouraged to walk and take public transportation, rather than drive; and businesses should be designed accordingly. Which I normally agree with, but I don't think it's realistic in this context. It's not reasonable to expect that most people are going to haul their groceries home from 3rd Avenue on the bus.
Agreed. I haven't had a car in 9 years, and I'm a huge advocate of mass transit and local shopping. But the entire business model of this particular store in this particular location is clearly built around access by cars. It's not in a convenient location within a neighborhood (at least not until "Gowanus" fully comes into its own) with a lot of foot traffic. It's between large affluent neighborhoods along a major transportation artery. The plan all along was for people from surrounding neighborhoods and other parts of Brooklyn to access the store by car. I'm not saying this is a good thing, but this store is going to be successful because of the ease of access by car, and they're unlikely to sabotage that because of a petition. I think that the best thing they can do for the surrounding neighborhoods is offer delivery, and possibly jitney service to major nearby access points (maybe Smith+9th, 5th+9th, 7th+9th, GAP, and 4th+Union or something) like the Harlem Fairway does (or used to anyway) to the UWS.
Jamzer Lifer
Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 911 Location: Park F'ing Slope
Fri Feb 02, 07 4:01 pm EST
Does anyone know how many parking spaces Fairway has? I've been there a million times, but I've never counted.
stacey Beyond Karma
Joined: 01 Mar 2005 Posts: 3105 Location: Underhill Ave.
Fri Feb 02, 07 4:06 pm EST
They have the lot directly adjacent to the store and then there is lot that is adjacent to the old train lot - if I had to guess it has to be at least 200
mrdennis Newbie
Joined: 27 Nov 2006 Posts: 13 Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Fri Feb 02, 07 5:09 pm EST
This seems like the stupidest petitions I've seen in a while. The number of parking spaces is dictated by building code. Drainage (run-off) is dictated by building code. Facility type (supermarket) and floor plan (square-footage) are the controlling factors. Its not guess work, its math. Whole Foods has no choice but to put a certain number of parking spots. Street parking, foot traffic, subway are all factors taken into account. Buildings like this are usually restricted by the parking they have to provide. Reducing the number of spots would actually increase the size of the building.
Guest
Sat Feb 03, 07 12:36 am EST
It's threads like these that make Park Slope an easy target for mockery.
easy Target, easy Whole Foods, easy Wal-Mart, then who knows what else? _________________ Get your paws off my canned chicken
armchair_warrior retsop cixelsyd
Joined: 23 Dec 2005 Posts: 5800 Location: boondocks
Sat Feb 03, 07 1:29 am EST
if whole foods is smart. they should provide free bus from nearest train stations to their location. _________________ Fight white guilt and injustice by going to a Native American casino and gamble your money away.
I would like to see WF's offer a delivery service to the surrounding neighborhoods. I could walk down from 7th ave (why not, it's a long walk, but i can do it, after all sometimes I walk to Smith St) if they could deliver it home. But, I'm unaware of WF's offering this service anywhere.
The jitney/bus idea stopping at central locations would be even better. While it's a great idea, I don't think they would even consider it. I'm not aware of any grocery stores in the transportation biz. Hauling people around and accounting for where they get on and off...well, you see my point.
If anyone knows of ANY grocery store offering either of these services speak up. Well, regardless, I think we petition for anything it should be for a delivery service (free ).
willregistersoon Local
Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 268
Sat Feb 03, 07 10:40 am EST
Also, people who take some sort of bus to the store are not going to be spending as much as people who come with their cars and load up. Don't think it would be worth it for WF.
Carnivore Brooklyn Snark
Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 13566 Location: St Johns Pl and Underhill
Sat Feb 03, 07 10:43 am EST
Anonymous wrote:
I would like to see WF's offer a delivery service to the surrounding neighborhoods. I could walk down from 7th ave (why not, it's a long walk, but i can do it, after all sometimes I walk to Smith St) if they could deliver it home. But, I'm unaware of WF's offering this service anywhere.
The jitney/bus idea stopping at central locations would be even better. While it's a great idea, I don't think they would even consider it. I'm not aware of any grocery stores in the transportation biz. Hauling people around and accounting for where they get on and off...well, you see my point.
If anyone knows of ANY grocery store offering either of these services speak up. Well, regardless, I think we petition for anything it should be for a delivery service (free ).
Like I said above, the Harlem Fairway used to offer a jitney to the UWS, although I'm not sure if they still do. This seems like a comparable situation.
roux42 "Anonymous Guest"
Joined: 16 Apr 2005 Posts: 435 Location: Butler Place
Sat Feb 03, 07 6:45 pm EST
Signed and forwarded to all my Brooklyn pals!
Guest
Sat Feb 03, 07 10:50 pm EST
Who made this a sticky? What a ridicolous petition.
bklyngirl Halfway to Paradise
Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 147
Sun Feb 04, 07 11:15 am EST
This whole thing is ridiculous. Whole Foods is a big box store. They aren't unionized and will pay their workers less than the McDonald's down the block on 4th avenue. Who fucking cares if they are "green". money you spend there does NOT stay in the neighborhood.
don't you entitled PSers have anything better to do with your money?
WhyFi Staid and Dull
Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 4389 Location: In the Groove
Sun Feb 04, 07 12:20 pm EST
-1
1) Maybe it's just me, but I think that keeping things "green" is in the best interest of everybody.
2) If it upsets you so, I'm sure that these same PSers will support your local efforts at a "green" store when you stop your entitled rants and do something productive.
Guest
Sun Feb 04, 07 2:16 pm EST
>>If anyone knows of ANY grocery store offering either of these services speak up. Well, regardless, I think we petition for anything it should be for a delivery service (free ).<<
I get my groceries delivered from C-Town all the time. All three Whole Foods in Manhattan offer free delivery for over $150 (and I think you can get delivery for a fee under that amount), so I think it's safe to assume that Whole Foods in Brooklyn will offer the same.
>>They aren't unionized and will pay their workers less than the McDonald's down the block on 4th avenue. <<
True, they are not unionized. But they are actually quite progressive in their employee policies (the CEO can only make XX times what the lowest paid worker makes, etc., I don't remember the actual number) and it was #5 on Fortune's 100 best companies to work for last year.
don't you entitled PSers have anything better to do with your money?
well,it IS pretty cold today and i'm a little low on wood, so i'm just going to bundle up all my extra cash and throw it in my fireplace. the new inks give the flames that extra special glow. _________________ Get your paws off my canned chicken
bklyngirl2 Guest
Sun Feb 04, 07 5:20 pm EST
willregistersoon wrote:
Also, people who take some sort of bus to the store are not going to be spending as much as people who come with their cars and load up. Don't think it would be worth it for WF.
Any money people spend at WF will be worth it to WF. It just won't be worth it to to the people using mass transit.
escap expatriated
Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Posts: 1189
Sun Feb 04, 07 5:22 pm EST
bklyngirl wrote:
money you spend there does NOT stay in the neighborhood.
Not sure if I follow this logic. How does money stay anywhere? Can we be sure that if we buy a sandwich from the local deli that the owner isn't going to spend that on a family vacation to Florida? Isn't he buying from suppliers who operate in other states or other countries? And won't Whole Foods be spending money directly into the neighborhood by paying rents that are likely far higher than what they were previously, by creating construction and service jobs, not to mention work for attorneys, real estate and mortgage brokers, bankers, government bureaucrats to deal with land and regulatory issues? Any way you cut it, the opening of a Whole Foods on 3rd Ave represents a massive net inflow of funds into the local area, not an outflow.
bklyngirl Halfway to Paradise
Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 147
Mon Feb 05, 07 9:53 am EST
Quote:
True, they are not unionized. But they are actually quite progressive in their employee policies (the CEO can only make XX times what the lowest paid worker makes, etc., I don't remember the actual number) and it was #5 on Fortune's 100 best companies to work for last year.
That doesn't help some poor schlub in Bed Sty trying to make his rent, bagging groceries or watering produce . Best companies to work for? Bull. If you want to make a REAL difference, support your local businesses that treat workers fairly - like FAIRWAY - and not some overpriced big box store that charges 3x the amount for the same products you can buy at the local grocery. Or better yet, the food coop (crazy as it may be).
Whole foods=evil
sweet tea Cooler Ham
Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 4960 Location: the jewish
Mon Feb 05, 07 11:08 am EST
i don't love whole foods. but they employ 39,000 people -- how many does the coop employ? as far as i can tell from cursory internet research, starting crew pay at nyc WH is $10/hr, which isn't fantanstic, but is a good deal better than mcdonalds (the best i found for micky d's was $8/hr, but that wasn't in nyc).
if i were a "poor schlub in Bed-Stuy", i'd rather work for WH than for mcdonalds, i think. even in the absence of unions, more money = more money. how much better is fairway?
do you know things i don't? it seems like it. did you used to work there? as i said, i don't love WH, so if there are things i'm missing, by all means tell me. _________________ Bumping ancient threads with bot-like bullshit
friendlypitbull Local
Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 261 Location: Central Slope btween 4th and 5th
Mon Feb 05, 07 11:19 am EST
bklyngirl wrote:
That doesn't help some poor schlub in Bed Sty trying to make his rent, bagging groceries or watering produce . Best companies to work for? Bull. If you want to make a REAL difference, support your local businesses that treat workers fairly - like FAIRWAY - and not some overpriced big box store that charges 3x the amount for the same products you can buy at the local grocery. Or better yet, the food coop (crazy as it may be).
Whole foods=evil
Actually the Coop is the worst for any poor-schlub - it has few employees and uses 'free' labor to ensure low priced food for those that could afford to pay more (by statistical income level).
bklyngirl Halfway to Paradise
Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 147
Mon Feb 05, 07 11:28 am EST
Quote:
don't love whole foods. but they employ 39,000 people -- how many does the coop employ?
Mcdonalds employs 400,000 people. The starting pay in NYC - including brooklyn - is $9.25 and hour. Whole foods starting pay is $8.15
And no, I never belonged to the co-op, which is a volunteer organization and doesn't employ but a handful of people.
The Whole Foods is a Wal Mart in yuppie clothing, completing a triangle that will destroy the Gowanus triangle between Atlantic Yards and 3rd and 3rd. The whole Foods organization actively worked to close down 2 adjacent properties (via sanitation violation) so they could purchase the land as a work-around for their toxic waste site.
sweet tea Cooler Ham
Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 4960 Location: the jewish
Mon Feb 05, 07 11:33 am EST
bklyngirl wrote:
Mcdonalds employs 400,000 people. The starting pay in NYC - including brooklyn - is $9.25 and hour. Whole foods starting pay is $8.15
good to know about mcdonalds. incidentally, the whole foods web site says:
Quote:
Hourly wages start at $10 per hour (but we pay more for experienced people.)
do you have a personal exp with WH? the friend i have working for them seems to think it's a good deal. she works in the kitchen, and is paid better, has better benefits, etc., than when she did the same work for a local business. _________________ Bumping ancient threads with bot-like bullshit
pitu Fake Buddhist
Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 6489 Location: Utopian Park Slope
Mon Feb 05, 07 11:34 am EST
bklyngirl wrote:
If you want to make a REAL difference, support your local businesses that treat workers fairly - like FAIRWAY - and not some overpriced big box store that charges 3x the amount for the same products you can buy at the local grocery. Or better yet, the food coop (crazy as it may be).
If I were working at a grocery, I'd take the Coop -- they employ 50 some people with a starting rate of $20-something an hour, stellar health insurance and vacation pay. Of course, they have to herd cats for a living . . . er, manage a cast of 13,000 members.
If I wasn't into the Coop model of not-for-profit community grocery collective,
and was DRIVING to a grocery store in Brooklyn, it would be FAIRWAY not WF. That sh*t's expensive. On the other hand, I merrily visit the happy workers at Trader Joe's, also currently on 14th St.
TJ workers have health ins. I don't know a thing about WF's employees, but I hope they get a decent shake too.
Did I mention I'm still holding out for Trader Joe's to take over the 7th Ave Key Food? I'd still be a Coop member!
but THIS thread is supposed to be about green roofs and traffic and a community's reaction to a ginormous store coming in . . . I wish more of us actually knew alot about the urban planning aspects of this. _________________ maar de oesters zijn zo lekker!
bklyngirl Halfway to Paradise
Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 147
Mon Feb 05, 07 11:40 am EST
Quote:
but THIS thread is supposed to be about green roofs and traffic and a community's reaction to a ginormous store coming in . . . I wish more of us actually knew alot about the urban planning aspects of this.
There has been TONS written on the impact of the Whole Foods, including a massive meeting of CB6 the last week. Unfortunately, too many people are more concerned with their own petty bullshit of smashed bagels, dog poop, strollers and free wifi.
sweet tea Cooler Ham
Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 4960 Location: the jewish
Mon Feb 05, 07 11:48 am EST
pitu wrote:
but THIS thread is supposed to be about green roofs and traffic and a community's reaction to a ginormous store coming in . . . I wish more of us actually knew alot about the urban planning aspects of this.
this seems like community reaction to me, but if it's too off-topic, maybe the thread could be split. _________________ Bumping ancient threads with bot-like bullshit
Hank Guest
Mon Feb 05, 07 12:23 pm EST
I happen to know that WF takes better care of their employees than any other store. The benefits are amazing. They get incredible health insurance, paid vacations, and the pay is more than any other store. My friend worked at Murry's Cheese Shop and quit to go work for WF because the pay and the benefits were so much better.
Whoever started the rumor that local businesses treat their employees better has never worked at both. I have and I can tell you, local businesses don't have as much money so they don't pay as much, plus, the owners are often on power trips, thinking they own you and worst of all they hardly ever offer real benefits like health insurance. Big businesses have policies against the managers mistreating employees. The managers are usually locals themselves so they have an interest in keeping people happy etc.
Of course this is not a hard and fast rule, but neither is it that working for local businesses is always better.
For everyone who is on about how far it is to tote groceries from 3rd and 3rd; I shop at C-town which is much father for me than WF will be because I live up 5th close to the R. For many Park Slopers who live near me, it will be closer than where we already shop. I also take a car to Fairway sometimes for special things that C-Town doesn't carry, I will be able to get those things at WF when it opens so I will be very happy about that.
I welcome and encourage corporations that are socially responsible.
Whole Foods does not equal evil. They equal exactly what you wish all corporations would be; good to the environment, good to the employees, good to the people they buy from, good to the people they sell to.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Subscribe in a reader
).
