Project Update on Whole Foods - North Raleigh

Dear Friends:

With Citizen's Advisory Council meetings behind us, our next hearing is the Joint City Council and Planning Commission Public Hearing on October 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the City Council Chambers, located in the Avery Upchurch Municipal Building, 222 West Hargett Street, Raleigh. Please visit www.bringwholefoods.org or e-mail info@bringwholefoods.org for more information on the meeting.

Your participation is critical to maintaining our momentum. Please attend the October 21 meeting AND bring neighbors and friends that also support this project! We must show the city how strong the community consensus is for us to get the rezoning for the Whole Foods project. We're aiming for a "Standing Room Only" show of support!

A special thank you goes out to our supporters who attended the September 4 North Citizen's Advisory Council meeting. Together we constituted what is believed to be the largest turnout in the history of the North Raleigh CAC in favor of a rezoning case. At the meeting, there was debate regarding whether a vote on our case would be held that evening. I held a "show of hands" vote myself, because it had been clearly stated that the vote would be held at that meeting, and I believed that the rights of those who attended (both supporters and opposition alike) deserved to be protected.

We've since consulted with several city officials to confirm our position. They've communicated that the CAC's stated purpose of soliciting and encouraging public input was fulfilled at the September meeting, and that no further participation in North CAC meetings is required. The overwhelming vote of 99-17 in favor tells the story!

The North CAC may hold another vote on October 2. However, we will not participate in such a vote, and instead will report the tremendous show of support at the September meeting at the Joint meeting on October 21. Of course, you are free to attend the CAC meeting, and we appreciate your support if you do. Please visit the following weblink for information on the meeting (note location change) if you choose to attend.

http://raleighnc.gov/publications/Community_Services/CAC-Agendas/CAC-north-agenda.pdf

THANK YOU again for your commitment to this project and feel free to call me or Paul Muñana at 919.831.4900 with any questions.

Best Regards,

Chris Widmayer

Regency Centers

PS Be sure to revisit the online petition at www.bringwholefoods.org, email the City Councilors and the Mayor with your support, sign the petition if you haven't yet done so and forward it to your friends.. Most importantly, be at the City Council meeting on October 21! CW

Stretching your food dollar at Whole Foods

Food prices are on their way to posting their biggest increase in nearly 20 years and it’s not just the average consumer who is feeling the pain.

Whole Foods Markets Inc, the upscale supermarket chain known for selling natural and organic food to an affluent clientele, has rolled out programs to show consumers how to budget shop at its stores.

The chain — referred to by some as “Whole Paycheck” — has “value gurus” who take customers on a tour around the stores and show them how to get the best deals. It is highlighting its 365 private label brand, weekly promotions and other deals. And, it has launched “The Whole Deal,” a site that invites shoppers to share their money-saving tips.

Grocery stores have seen margins pressured as consumers pull back on certain organic food, switch to store brands from national brands and cook more meals at home rather than buying prepared food.

Source: Lisa Baertlein
http://blogs.reuters.com/shop-talk/

Whole Foods survey claims quality trumps price for most shoppers

Rising prices or not, most consumers say they won't compromise on the quality of the food they buy, claimed Whole Foods yesterday, summarizing results of a recent survey it released in an apparent attempt to gain exposure for its stance as a purveyor of "value offerings" as opposed to low-priced goods.

Whole Foods also said its survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, showed that the majority (70 percent) of consumers are still buying the same amount of natural and/or organic foods, regardless of price. The survey found that 67 percent prefer to buy natural and/or organic foods over conventional foods if prices are comparable, the super-natural market leader said.

"It is reassuring to see these results as they confirm we're on the right track in highlighting our value offerings for our customers," said A.C. Gallo, co-president and coo for Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Markets.

Whole Foods said the survey results were similar across geographic locations, despite the varying regional impact of the housing slump and economic downturn.

The survey also found many adults are now preparing more meals at home (43 percent), using more coupons (40 percent), or going out of their way to look for lower-cost items (37 percent) as a result of higher food costs.

The grocer said it also completed a market basket survey the week of Aug. 18 that found Whole Foods Market had "the lowest total price for common pantry items when compared to Albertson's, Wegmans, King Soopers and Kroger in Nevada, Maryland, Colorado and California."

Whole Foods compared non-sale prices for items such as milk, eggs, lettuce, peanut butter, tuna, shells and cheddar and frozen fruit. The average total price for the Whole Foods market basket was $47.04, compared to an average of $55.97 for competitors, it said.

Source: http://www.progressivegrocer.com/

Calling on Community Support for Successful Rezoning

Your support of our project is among widespread enthusiasm from residents of the area, and both Regency Centers and Whole Foods are excited about bringing their store to North Raleigh. We discussed several items of interest in our meeting, and I’ll add a few additional clarifications that are important, as follows:

• Whole Foods has signed a lease for the market, contingent on us gaining successful rezoning. Now, it’s up to us to make this happen!In order for us to deliver this project, the site will require rezoning from its current Office & Institutional -1 designation to Shopping Center-Conditional Use. Doing so will require a change to the Comprehensive Plan. This process is why we need those who want a Whole Foods Market in North Raleigh to be visibly supportive of the project by attending public meetings.

• The first important public meeting is the Citizen’s Advisory Council-North meeting on Thursday, September 4, at 7 PM at Exchange Park Community Center, 1905 Spring Forest Road. This is a voting meeting, so physical attendance by supporters is essential. Starting at 5:30, Whole Foods and Regency Centers will host a “meet and greet” for supporters of the project at an outdoor public area adjacent to the Community Center. The event will be well-marked so that it will be easy to find, and Whole Foods Market will provide refreshments. We look forward to seeing you and your neighbors there.
  
  
  • The second important meeting will be a joint meeting between Raleigh City Council and the Planning Commission on October 21. This is the meeting at which our case is formally presented to the City, which includes an accounting of the vote of the CAC-North from September 4. I will provide you additional details on this at a later time, but please note it on your calendars.
    
    
  • The third important meeting will be a Planning Commission hearing on October 28. I will provide you additional details on this at a later time, but please note it on your calendars.
    
    
  • There will be additional meetings beyond October 28, and I’ll let you know the subjects, dates and times as we get closer.

• Community participation, in terms of showing up for votes and, at certain time, a “show of hands” in support of the project, is very important. We’ll also seek individuals who are willing to speak out in support of the project. Please have those individuals contact me directly so that we can take advantage of their passion for this effort.
  
  
• If anyone in your neighborhood has questions about the project, especially the rezoning issues, feel free to have them call me directly (my contact information is shown below). To the best of our ability, we want all the neighbors in the area to support our project. The best way to achieve this is by sharing thoughts and making sure that concerned citizens have correct information about it.
  
  
• I’ve attached conceptual site plan and rendered elevation for you to share with your neighbors. The site plan is pretty firm; the building front may likely change, but you should expect a North Hills-like style.
  
  
• We can’t overemphasize the need for neighborhood participation. A vocal minority in opposition will drown out a silent majority in favor every time, so we need the community to join in for us to succeed.

Also, please let your neighbors know that www.bringwholefoods.org is still gathering signatures in support of the project, so please have people sign the petition.

Supporting local growers and vendors

Do you know that when you shop at Whole Foods you are supporting local vendors and growers?

Here are some Whole Foods factoids:

• They empower their individual store and regional buyers to seek out locally grown produce
• They are particularly committed to buying organically, locally grown produce
• Only produce that has traveled less than a day can be labeled "organic"
• They reduce their impact on the environment by requiring less transport when buying locally
• They help local farmers maintain agricultural heritage
• They encourage local farmers to diversify their crops
• Most of the money spent on local production stays within the community

Author: Libby Telford, BringWholeFoods.org
Factoid Source: WholeFoodsMarket.com
Photo: Libby Telford

BringWholeFoods.org Grassroots Committee

The BringWholeFoods.org committee was formed in June of 2008 in an effort to bring a new Whole Foods location into the North Raleigh area. Currently the only Raleigh Whole Foods Market is at Ridgewood Shopping Center (Wade Ave). It is a smaller and more congested location. While the Wade Ave location serves its community well, it is a far reach for the many residents of North Raleigh and surrounding areas that have to go out of their way to get the unique selection of locally grown produce and natural products that they want.

This blog has been created to inform the public and mark the milestones towards rezoning approval for Regency Centers and Welcor Development to go forward with their plans of building at Six Forks & Strickland (Colonnade Center). Rezoning permission is being asked solely for the purpose of having Whole Foods Market as the anchor tenant.

Sign the Petition here > www.BringWholeFoods.org

Author: Libby Telford, BringWholeFoods.org