Opposition to Whole Foods

Whole Foods buys a site in Brooklyn hard on a Superfund site and the infamous Gowanus Canal (which in the past may have been the smelliest, most polluted body of water in America). They clean the site of toxic waste. They plan to create 350 jobs (262 full time). And as in their other stores, they plan to sell local products. It will be a "Green" building that, "will sell fruits and vegetables grown in a 20,000-square-foot rooftop greenhouse, and will have a charging station for electric cars."

But, of course, people who have not made an investment in the property have better plans: a park, a complex for small businesses and job training, etc.

And, because Whole Foods needs a zoning waiver, eight years have passed since the site was purchased.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/28/nyregion/whole-foods-faces-decisive-vote-in-brooklyn.html

The Times recently published this article about the German economy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/business/global/in-germany-a-limp-domestic-economy-stifled-by-regulation.html

The headline: In Germany, a Limp Domestic Economy Stifled by Regulation

I guess the same guy didn't write the Whole Foods headline.

We are strangling our own economy. Time to set it free.

 

I venture into the Whole Foods that moved into the area a few years ago only rarely, but it is a good neighbor and I'm glad it's there.

 

Love it -- even the Stumptown Coffee reference. And, not to threadjack my own thread, but has anyone seen Portlandia? Sounds hysterical, but haven't had a chance to see it.

Heard some theme song from it on NPR and it nearly made me pee my pants.

 

Not sure how this is an example of 'strangling our own economy.'

 

Who else is going to invest in a neighborhood like this when they witness Whole Foods struggle for eight years to build a store?

It's not worth it.

And, when Whole Foods, and other companies, decide to focus their growth in foreign markets, the same people who opposed their development will accuse them of abandoning America.

 

It's not simply a regulatory struggle, or a fight with knucklehead government, which is what your post implies.

 

YF, I've only seen a few episodes of Portlandia, but I liked them a lot. If you laughed at that graphic, you'll like the show. Watch away.

 

It's NIMBYism, and it's just as stifling as regulation, and they use regulation as a weapon.

You want a park, buy the land, or lobby your government to purchase the land and build a park.

The only reason these regulations even exist is to allow government and community groups to wrangle concessions out of private developers/companies.

This is private property. Whole Foods has invested millions of dollars to purchase and clean the site. They will spend millions more to develop the site, if allowed. And they will employ hundreds of community residents, and support community businesses.

Why should the opinion of a few hippies hold any sway?

This site was polluted. It's not like Whole Foods is preventing the construction of a park or community center. Those projects were not on the drawing board. It's either a beautiful grocery store, or a dump.

And, some people would prefer a dump, and they're being listened to.

Meanwhile, jobs go to waste.

 

The 'hippies' proposed an alternative that includes a smaller Whole Foods - and creates more jobs. Neighborhoods still get to argue on their own behalf, don't they?

http://www.gowanusmade.org

Also, as another embedded link points out, WF may have dragged its feet for a while cause it was losing money.

www.nysun.com/arts/gowanus-where-irony-meets-hope/84295/

 

There is no absolute right to do whatever you want with your land, except, apparently, the right of Wal-Mart to leave their abandoned stores as they are.

 

I really like the show, but I've only seen season one. Just like he is in SNL, Fred Armisen can be overbearing at times. But when they nail it, it's hilarious.

And you may be thinking about this song: