CB6 Committee OKs Whole Foods Build

Following a public hearing last night about Whole Foods’ application for a variance to build a supermarket that’s much larger than zoning allows on its 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue property, members of Community Board 6’s landmarks/land use committee voted in favor of supporting the store’s plans. The vote followed a hearing in which a number of community members expressed reservations about the project, particularly Whole Foods’ traffic study, which many criticized as inadequate in scope. There were also concerns aired on environmental grounds, such as whether the construction of the supermarket could theoretically hinder the Gowanus Superfund cleanup. Members of the Whole Foods team gave presentations and answered questions about the proposal, saying the 56,000-square-foot building would have a greenhouse on its roof for growing produce that would be sold inside; a cafe and community meeting room on the second floor; and, outside, feature a waterfront walkway open to the public. A few community members said the walkway would be more of a public benefit if it was larger and more park-like, while others said the aesthetics shown in the rendering above were unappealing because of the small windows (one of the Whole Foods reps said the rendering, which was handed out at the hearing, was out-of-date, and that a newer design calls for much larger windows). The committee voted to approve the variance request conditionally, asking that Whole Foods conduct another traffic study a year. They also urged the store to consider closing at 10 p.m., rather than 11 p.m., as it does in Manhattan, and to implement some sort of shuttle service. A motion was also approved to request a letter from the EPA about whether the project could negatively impact the Superfund cleanup. The full community board will vote on the variance request next week.