Has Community Board 12's District Manager Wolf Sender usurped the voice of Board members and their constituents? Here is the story of what has transpired so far. It will be enlightening to see how this situation is addressed at the next Community Board 12 meeting.
New York City has a program called Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH), which was created because
many neighborhoods across the city are underserved by grocery stores. The resulting lack of nutritious, affordable fresh food in these neighborhoods has been linked to higher rates of diet-related diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
In response, the City has established the Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program. FRESH provides zoning and financial incentives to promote the establishment and retention of neighborhood grocery stores in underserved communities throughout the five boroughs.
On February 3rd, the New York City Industrial Development Agency (IDA) held a hearing on an application to FRESH by Moisha's Kosher Discount Supermarket. The Project Description reads
Moisha’s Kosher Discount Supermarket, Inc. (“Moisha’s” or the “Company”) currently operates a 7,000 square foot retail supermarket in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. Moisha’s is seeking assistance through the Agency’s FRESH program to expand this facility to create an approximately 15,000 sq. ft. supermarket with parking for 45 cars.
During the hearing, it is pointed out that Moisha's is not eligible for zoning benefits but is eligible for financial benefits. The latter encompasses a larger area.
At 49 minutes and 54 seconds (49:54) into the hearing, it is reported that Mr. Sender testified that the Community Board supports the project. However, IDA received a letter from a member of Community Board 12 stating that the project had not been presented to the Community Board. An IDA member then stated that if Mr. Sender is misrepresenting the Community Board, the Community Board needs to be told about it. The response was that "Our understanding is that the CB did not take any official action, but we'll come back and confirm that with the board."
The discussion about Moisha's application is here and here (audio only). It begins at 25:32 and ends at 56:26.
On February 7th, Chris Bragg's article "Hikind Ally Accused of Lying to IDA on Boro Park Development" was published in City Hall News. Soon after that, the article disappeared from the website. At the moment, the article is still visible in Google's cache. This is a portion of the article:
A politically connected Boro Park leader is being accused of lying to the New York City Industrial Development Agency about a controversial development project seeking $1.9 million in tax breakers, according to testimony and a letter sent by a fellow community board [member] on Friday.Wolf Sender, district manager of Community Board 12 and a longtime ally of Assembly Member Dov Hikind, spoke Thursday at a hearing held by the IDA seeking testimony about whether the city should give tax breaks to a large super market expansion in Boro Park.Reached by phone, Sender declined comment on the letter. 'I would rather not talk about it,' Sender said.
On February 8th, Noah Kazis of Streetsblog reported in "EDC-Backed Supermarket to Build More Space for Parking Than Groceries" that
Thanks to New York City’s Economic Development Corporation, the residents of Midwood are about to enjoy a wider selection of produce and kosher foods. Under the FRESH program, Moisha’s Discount Supermarket is slated to receive just under $2 million in tax breaks to double its size and provide more grocery options to the underserved community [PDF]. Along with 15,000 square feet of supermarket, however, the neighborhood will be receiving 18,000 square feet of parking.
Would the Moisha’s project provide more economic benefit if, instead of devoting so much space to car storage, EDC [Economic Development Corporation] helped them build housing or additional retail space? EDC did not respond to Streetsblog’s request for that information.
On February 9th, the Daily News reported in "Politically-connected supermarket sparks $2M food fight when granted funds for 'food desert' nabes" by Erin Einhorn and Erin Durkin that
A politically connected Brooklyn supermarket is getting a $2 million tax break intended for neighborhoods desperate for grocery stores - even though it's got plenty of competition.
On February 10th, a follow-up article in Streetsblog, again by Noah Kazis--"Shady Dealings Drive EDC Subsidies for Moisha’s Supermarket Parking Lot"--asked the question "Wondering why the city is subsidizing 18,000 square feet of parking for a project that’s supposed to make fresh food more accessible to low-income New Yorkers?" and answered it with
Political favors seem to have something to do with it.
An article in City Hall News, which has been taken off their website (we’re looking into why), suggests more direct impropriety. They report that the district manager of Brooklyn Community Board 12 testified to the city’s Industrial Development Agency that his board was completely behind the Moisha’s expansion. But a member of CB12 said the board had never discussed the issue. The district manager and Moisha’s owners are reported to have close ties to Assembly member and local power broker Dov Hikind.
Community Board 12 will meet on Tuesday, February 22nd, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at Amico Senior Center, 5910 13th Avenue, between 59th and 60th streets, on the 3rd floor.