A special committee of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council recently met with local Whole Foods representatives to discuss the opening of the new store. Here is the statement the Neighborhood Council team presented at that meeting:

As Whole Foods prepares to open its doors in Jamaica Plain, many are celebrating the opportunity to shop closer to home and enjoy the addition of Whole Foods’ natural and organic foods. Many are also pleased that as a large multinational corporation, Whole Foods holds a core value of “community citizenship,” and that it recognizes its “responsibility to be active participants in our local communities.” Whole Foods’ dedication to philanthropic giving is admirable and can provide a much needed life preserver in a time of economic hardship, where city and state budgets are stretched thin.

The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council held two community forums and created an ad-hoc committee that worked over a period of two months to write an extensive report analyzing the effect of having Whole Foods in the neighborhood. Through this process we learned that, in addition to its positive impacts, Whole Foods potentially has impacts that will pose significant challenges to many Jamaica Plain residents. We have considered the recommendations of the ad hoc committee, sought input and feedback from numerous community organizations, and created the below in seeking to partner with Whole Foods, helping it mitigate its negative impacts and effectively implement its value for community citizenship.

Part I: Whole Food will help create a fund to be used by credible local community-based organizations for work in the following areas:

1. Anti-displacement work -which could include foreclosure prevention, tenants’ rights counseling, and the creation and preservation of affordable housing
2. Assisting locally-owned businesses in the Hyde Square area
3. Youth training and development including financial literacy and education around healthy cooking and nutrition across cultural contexts
4. Food assistance that targets low income families and elderly residents
5. Workforce development/small business training programs that target low and moderate income residents, particularly youth

Part II: Whole foods will address the following issues:

I. Youth
A. Provide a salad bar to the Curley School (as planned) and expand this program to other Jamaica Plain public schools, prioritizing public schools in the Hyde Square area.
B. Provide employment opportunities, including training if necessary, for local youths, especially youths of color from low- and moderate-income families.

II. Local and Livable Employment
A. Commit to hiring, across all staffing levels, 75% JP residents at this location over the first five years the store is in operation, prioritizing bilingual and Hyde Jackson residents.
B. Commit to hiring all former Hi-Lo workers who are interested in working at any Whole Foods location at positions equivalent to or higher than their former positions at Hi-Lo. Provide appropriate training to help workers advance to higher-paying positions over time.
C. Partner with local organizations to co-facilitate recruitment and hiring as well as post-hiring support as needed to promote job retention and advancement.
D. Offer a living wage, as defined by the City of Boston.

III. Small Businesses
A. Share parking with neighboring business tenants after hours.
B. Prioritize purchasing products made by small food manufacturers and other businesses in Jamaica Plain and surrounding neighborhoods

IV. Traffic and Parking
A. Provide the Traffic Study requested by the City of Boston, which should included the following:
1. Traffic Flow
2. Peak hour traffic management
3. Parking Impact on surrounding community
4. Environmental Impact/Air Quality
5. Deliveries
B. Commit to addressing any issues brought up by the Traffic Study prior to opening.
C. Commit to a professionally-facilitated community meeting to discuss traffic and parking 12 months after opening.
D. Develop programs and incentives to encourage use of alternative means of transportation and delivery, including providing bicycle parking, serving as a Hubway kiosk, and offering grocery delivery by bike.

Part III: Jamaica Plain store management will work with the community to plan two meetings twice yearly to seek input from residents of Hyde Square. One of these meetings will be conducted in English and one will be conducted in Spanish.