West Vancouver
Rory
and about two weeks ago, the test of the web site and flyer have been
changed to eliminate all mention of west Vancouver?
I see no mention of this in any board minutes, and the flyer is dated
in such a way to suggest that this change was made in March.
Given that the very first press release about VFC centered on west
Vancouver, as have strong expressions of community support such as
letters, the Vancouver Voice cover story and The Columbian editorial,
this seems to me imprudent. A large portion of our owner base is in
west Vancouver, and it seems a very odd change of focus to eliminate
all mentions, given the past emphasis on west Vancouver.
Who decided to make this change, and why?
Is there any plan to reverse it or announce it to the ownership?
Summer
at the next mtg!
Summer
Rory
meeting to ask at.
The last meeting where I was on the board was in February. There were
then two March meetings with notes published only very recently. The
last meeting of the interim board in April had to be adjourned because
Sunrise and Heather did not attend, meaning there was no quorum. May
was the first meeting of the newly-elected board and they have MUCH
more important things to be worried about right now than wording on a
web page. The June meeting was necessarily focused on other things.
Given that there was a very expensive market study commissioned by
Pete Davis for completion in late January and which no one I have
spoken to will admit to having read, all of this makes me a bit
nervous.
The wording for flyers went through multiple revisions in committee
and was explicitly approved by the board. A change to that wording
seems to have been quietly made without documentation or rationale.
My guess is that the current board has not been advised of this and
does not understand its import, which is why I bring it up here.
Almost all of the subscription agreements which VFC has are on forms
which explicitly say west Vancouver. If removing all mention of west
Vancouver now was an accident it needs to be rectified. If removing
all mention of west Vancouver was deliberate, it should be openly
explained.
A portion of the ownership has explicitly petitioned the board for a
special meeting under RCW 24.06.100 during which the elected board is
to provide the ownership with an explicit plan (to include financing,
marketing and owner/dollar benchmarks) from now until a retail store
opens. I can guarantee that west Vancouver shall feature prominently
at this meeting.
Currently I understand the board to be consulting with counsel as to
whether and how they need to hold the RCW 24.06.100 meeting, but the
petition requested that such a meeting be held before September 1,
2008, so that owners can decide how to best support the original
vision and/or any plans the board will commit to.
West Vancouver featured prominently in a draft business plan I
prepared in September, 2007, which was on the old web site but which
has been removed. That business plan was awaiting data from the
January 2008 market study by Pete Davis of Cooperative Development
Services. Hence my concern.
For folks unfamiliar with terminology, I understand from Pete Davis
that a "market study" is general and refers to a larger area, while a
"location study" or "site study" refers to a specific property. The
market study as I understood it was commissioned based on a primary
market area SW of 39th/Main, with a secondary market area SW of
Andresen/78th. If the Pete Davis study has been completed on schedule,
the ownership deserves a report, ESPECIALLY if that changes the
original vision for west Vancouver which has received so much public
and institutional support.
As owners and potential owners, I believe it is our duty to support
the organization by raising these issues in support of the original
vision, rather than awaiting pronouncements from approved channels
which may or may not see everything and its repercussions.
If people want to abandon west Vancouver, God bless them. It wouldn't
be the first time. I just want them to be clear and clean about it.
Rory
and it was also excised from the subscription agreement. Given that
VFC commissioned Pete Davis of CDS to do a market study on the area
south of 39th street and west of I-5 for delivery at the end of
January, 2008, is there absolutely no news of this?
Was the Pete Davis study ever delivered? Does anyone know of anyone
who will admit to knowing? This definitely needs to be addressed at
the upcoming RCW 24.06.100 meeting on the plan for the time between
now and opening.
Rory
the answer that Sunrise gave was positively Clintonesque. In the
agenda it was stated that Pete Davis' market study was received on
July 9, but Sunrise asserted that the decision to remove "west
Vancouver" and "affordable" from the owner flyer was made in March by
the interim board: the original incorporators (Sunrise O'Mahoney,
Sharon Kulish-Bayles, Heather Lehman) and Lori Loranger.
She asserted that the primary market area was still the area south of
39th Street and west of I-5, with a secondary market area south of
78th Street and west of Andresen Road. When I asked why the market
study had been delayed, the question was dodged, so I asked if anyone
on the current board was involved in negotiations for any locations
outside of the primary market area, and here it got interesting.
What Sunrise said was that what VFC should do, and what they now do
(note the lack of any past tense) was tell anyone who approaches them
(note the qualifier) about a particular property that VFC is not ready
to enter into negotiations at this time, but they will record their
information. I did not ask if there was a list of such properties but
I found it interesting that she asserted that there had been no
negotiations "in Salmon Creek."
My theory based on rumors I have heard over the past several months is
that there WERE negotiations held about some area outside of Salmon
Creek and that the market study was delayed from the January date
because of these negotiations. Given that I was on the interim board
until late February, I am not at all convinced that we have heard the
full story on why the market study (commissioned in November for
January delivery) was so delayed.
I have formally asked the board to vote on and commit to a number of
items, the first of which is an explicit commitment to what Sunrise
asserted was their intent: a primary market area west of I-5 and south
of 39th Street, with a secondary market area south of 78th Street and
east of Andresen Road.
Supposedly there were "owners" asking why west Vancouver and the
wording was changed to be "more inclusive."
We shall see when they have an all-owner meeting at Fort Vancouver
Regional Library on the evening of August 28, 2008.
Many owners in west Vancouver are still on strike against active
recruitment until this question is settled and we have confidence in
the competence and transparency of the current board. The suburbs
don't need another grocery store. We do.
heather lehman
Rory
Monday, September 8, 2003
For More information Contact: Sunrise O'Mahoney (360) 887-4399
Grocery Store Run by the Community for the Community in Downtown
Vancouver
Vancouver, WA—The planning has begun for a food Co-op in downtown
Vancouver. “There is a strong need for a grocery store in West
Vancouver and now is the time to make it happen” says Sunrise
O'Mahoney, Vancouver Co-op Board member.
A food co-op offers a unique grocery experience to Vancouver.
“We will focus on buying as much local produce and products as
possible” says Heather Lehman, Vancouver Co-op Board Member. “It is
time for us to increase the economic support of our local economy. The
Co-op will be an excellent opportunity for local farmers and vendors
to sell their products and it will increase Clark County consumer’s
ability to buy locally, it is a win-win situation” says Sunrise
O'Mahoney, Vancouver Co-op Board Member.
Many have asked what a co-op looks like—it looks like a grocery store.
The difference is, in how it is run. A co-op is run by a board and its
members. Membership is not required to shop but members will receive a
discount on all purchases. Members are given a vote, thus giving them
a voice on how the co-op is run.
There will be a general meeting open to the public on September 16th
from 7-9pm at the Fort Vancouver Regional Library, 1007 E Mill Plain
Blvd, Vancouver, WA. The meeting is open to the public and will give
everyone a chance to learn more about how a co-op is run, meet the
board and ask questions.
Rory Bowman
March 25, 2004
Meeting: Citizen Resource Team – Workshop #2, March 25, 2004
From: Bob Wood/Helen Devery
Present: CRT, Steve Burdick, Gerald Baugh, City of Vancouver, Jerry
Morgan, Port of Vancouver, Paddy Tillett, Bob Wood, ZGF, Helen Devery,
John White, JD White Company, Dan Seeman, Kittelson & Associates,
Chris Zahas, The Leland Consulting Group
Distribution: Via Steve Burdick
1. The Workshop began with an update of Vancouver City Center Vision
(VCCV) Team activities and a presentation of the Success Audit: an
inventory of projects and actions completed since adoption of the
Ester Short Plan six years ago.
2. The updated Revitalization Agenda, representing projects and
actions which are under consideration for implementation by 2010 was
presented and the list of current concepts and ideas were reviewed as
a starting point for CRT participation.
3. Paddy moderated a CRT group discussion which focused first on
intangible but important values concerning the 120 block study area.
The group discussion yielded significant input including:
- Main Street revitalization, reinvestment streetscape are high
priority.
- The need for a grocery store is important and is considered a
significant part of the retail issue.
- Discussion and formulation of VCCV Principles and Goals was begun.
- The importance and feasibility of continued housing development
was discussed.
- Significant input on the continued development of housing, with
discussion of density and height of housing and the location of the
grocery store.
The CRT also expressed the need for open space downtown.
4. A transcription of the notes that were taken by Helen Devery on the
large tablet and the sketches by Bob Wood on the project site plan
base contain the detailed account of the workshop as follows:
#1
- Artwalk is an example of a successful event that connects Uptown
and downtown
- Two-way traffic on Main would connect Esther Short, Firehouse
Gallery and Uptown effectively.
- Broadway: improve as part of the Main Street corridor:
- More residential character contrasting with Main Street retail
character.
- More density?
- City could encourage development on Broadway
#2
- What would be the best location for a Grocery store?
- Holland Restaurant site is an option.
- Grocery store needs access to traffic to Port, freeway and
employment concentrations
- Location north of Mill Plain and west of freeway would serve the
community best.
- A worthy example is in Queen Anne, Seattle – Five-story grocery
store, QFC. Well-designed and located.
- Grocery store access - pedestrian and traffic access are both
important.
#3
- Noise such as e.g. garbage collection is a problem for urban
housing residents.
- What constitutes the Heart of City? – if based on assessed value,
80% of property value is south of Mill Plain with 20% north of Mill
Plain
- Bigger grocery stores will be concerned about current Vancouver/
Downtown demographics.
- There are stores such as Albertsons working on smaller urban
formats.
- A site at Main Street and Mill Plain would have enough traffic to
support a grocery store.
#4
- Once Main Street has been revitalized we should look to Broadway
next
- Waterfront – encourage retail, housing and active uses along
waterfront. Encourage tourists to this area
- Center of downtown is at the corner of Evergreen and Main: The
Biggs Insurance building. This is the crossroads intersection of
downtown - “The Heart”
- A single center or heart is limiting. Downtown is a patchwork –
each area with its own flavor
#5
- CRT members agree that downtown has multiple hearts
- Main Street from 8th-22nd is a revitalization opportunity
- West of Clark County Campus – what opportunity is there in this
district?
- Jefferson/Kauffman couplet provides access to Port and downtown
- The Markle area north of Mill Plain needs improvement
#6
- Primary focus of plan should be Main Street and the waterfront
- If Main Street is improved this may lead to growth in other areas.
Focus in 6-year plan on Main Street
- Columbia & Washington provide access to waterfront
- Is there an opportunity for multi-family housing west of Clark
County campus?
#7
- “Funk factor” e.g., Pearl District empty warehouses provided
opportunities that preceded new development.
- There must be interesting areas with personality that do not
include big box chain stores.
- "Messy vitality" describes many successful streets
- Zoning/density changes in Pearl District encouraged development
- Need to look at open space needs in the VCCV district.
#8
- Development Costs – up-front costs including parking and fees
discourage redevelopment (uptown example)
- Adding light rail could enhance redevelopment potential
- In the 1950s and 60s the intersection of Evergreen and Main was
the center of downtown
- As the semi-industrial district around Thurman St. in NW Portland
has supported townhouses, would economics support similar investment
in Vancouver (west of County Campus or north Mill Plain near I-5)?
#9
- Property values in area north of Mill Plain near I-5 have doubled
- 40-80K in last few years
- Will City allow increased density?
- NW corner I-5 and Mill Plain is visible from I-5. Could develop
more quickly because of good access
- Issue of rail and traffic noise west of County campus must be
addressed, especially if housing is developed there.
#10
- What should happen on the Blank 5 blocks on Main Street between
Mill Plain and Uptown? Encourage mixed-use development. A local
example is Vancouver center with ground floor retail
- Priorities
- Lower Main redevelopment
- Five blocks N. of Mill Plain
- Stronger tie to waterfront
- Waterfront
- Housing
- Recreation
- Retail
Rory Bowman
FRIDAY, Dec. 8, 2006
Yes, Virginia, there is a Vancouver Food Co-op
The nonprofit Vancouver Food Co-op was formed in 2003, and, while
there is no physical store just yet, there is a buyer's club that
members may use to buy a wide variety of food products.
"The Vancouver Food Co-op store will be in west Vancouver," reports
Sunrise O'Mahoney, the co-op's interim chair.
There currently is no timetable.
In the meantime, the co-op board meets publicly at 6 p.m. the second
Wednesday of each month in the Vancouver Housing Authority offices at
Fourth Plain Boulevard and Main Street. In addition to the board
meetings, the co-op holds outreach meetings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on
the fourth Wednesday of each month at Cover-to-Cover Books, 1817 Main
Street.
O'Mahoney says visitors are welcome: "We want potential buyers to put
their names on our list. Building membership in our buyer's club will
give us insight into potential membership and participation in the co-
op. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities for interested people
who want to help build the co-op."
The co-op grocery store will be run by the community for the
community, according to O'Mahoney.
Membership in the co-op won't be required of shoppers. Members,
however, will guide the store, deciding what products to stock, as
well as what prices to charge.
According to O'Mahoney, the store will provide wholesome food and
grocery products similar to what is found in Wild Oats stores.
In addition to O'Mahoney, members of the co-op board are interim
treasurer Sharon Kulish-Bayles, interim secretary Rory Bowman, Merritt
Hitzeman-Anzjon, Lori Loranger and Kate Wallis.
O'Mahoney welcomes calls from people interested in the Vancouver Food
Co-op. She can be found by calling 694-3663. To learn more about the
co-op and the buyer's club, go to www.vancouverfood.org/buyers.htm.
The next Vancouver Food Co-op board meeting is 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec.
13.
Rory Bowman
June 5, 2007
Dear Vancouver Food Co-op Supporter,
As the former Director of Economic Development for the City of
Vancouver, I am encouraged by the interest of the Vancouver Food Co-op
in establishing a healthy choice grocery store in West Vancouver.
This is an area in which more and more “creative class” people are
residing. The Food Co-op is exactly the type of grocery that this
highly educated and food quality conscious group of people are
demanding. West Vancouver is also the older, established area of the
City in which there is a large component of lower income and elderly
people who need not only nutritious food, but often times the
convenience of home delivery as well as a store that willingly accepts
EBT and WIC certificates.
Throughout Southwest Washington people are increasingly regarding West
Vancouver as the template for sustainable living – alternative
transportation, community gardens, higher density living, melding of
arts and education, etc. The establishment of a Vancouver Food Co-op
grocery in West Vancouver would reinforce this positive magnetism.
I hope you will join me in my support for the Vancouver Food Co-op.
Sincerely,
Stephen M. Burdick
2222 G Street
Vancouver, WA 98663
Rory Bowman
From an initial brochure by Kate Wallis
Approved by VFC Interim Board for Owner Drive, beginning 1 July 2007
Vancouver Food Co-op
1701 Broadway #B, Vancouver, WA 98663
360.694.FOOD or 360.694.3663
www.vancouverfood.org
ques...@vancouverfood.org
Who are we?
The Vancouver Food Cooperative is a not-for-profit business planning
to open a grocery store in west Vancouver, Washington to provide
accessible nutrition and local foods at a fair price. As a community-
run business with a broad ownership base, our goal is to strengthen
the entire community: shoppers, vendors, and growers alike. The
cooperative started in 2003 with a group of volunteers and has since
grown to an incorporated organization that is governed by an interim
board.
What is a food cooperative?
A food cooperative (or “co-op”) is a grocery store owned by the
community. Anyone is welcome to shop but people are encouraged to
become owners by buying one or more shares, to help "capitalize" the
store and equipment. Once established, owners may be eligible for
patronage refunds based on how much they spend each year. The owner-
elected board and management, in keeping with sound business
practices, may establish other benefits. Profits go into store
improvements and back to owners based on their purchases. REI is one
famous Washington cooperative, and local food cooperatives include
Food Front, People’s, and Alberta Co-op in Portland.
Where is the VFC located?
The VFC does not currently have a retail location. Our goal is to be
west of Interstate 5 and south of 39th street. This allows for easy
access by Vancouver’s oldest neighborhoods by bicycle, automobile, and
bus.
When will the VFC open?
The VFC will open a retail location as soon as it is financially
reasonable. Volunteers began work toward this goal in 2003 and
incorporated in 2006. Much of our initial capital will come from new
owners buying shares. Our capital campaign will begin in 2007. Those
who are able to buy a $180 share are encouraged to do so. Startup
costs that are not covered by initial owner shares will be covered by
loans, as with most startup businesses. If you would like to show your
support, please purchase shares, sign up for announcements at www.vancouverfood.org
or plan to volunteer! The sooner we have enough support, the sooner
we open!
Why buy a share?
Buy a share to become an owner, and you will help promote nutrition in
our city and region. Healthy shopping will be easier at the VFC, as we
work to support sustainable food systems and hope to sell local and
organic foods whenever possible. As we become financially stable, our
goal is to provide a "patronage refund" or money back to owners based
on their purchases at the VFC. With one vote per owner (regardless of
shares) the cooperative is a community-owned business. Owners elect
the board of directors and may run for the board as well. As a local
community, we own it! Cooperatives also have a long history of
strengthening local economies with local cooperation and humane,
sustainable business practices.
What are the details?
Once the store opens, anybody may shop there, but purchasing one or
more shares will help us open sooner.
- A share is a one-time investment of $180.
- Shares can be paid with an initial $60 payment, with the remaining
balance paid within 3 years.
- An owner can purchase up to twenty shares, but only receive one
vote.
- Your benefits begin as soon as you make your first payment.
- Pay in full before we open the store and have the honor of
becoming a founding owner!
Rory Bowman
Cooperating on a grocery store
Vancouver Food Co-op may be able to satisfy needs of downtown business
owners
BY JESSICA SWANSON of the VBJ
August 3rd, 2007
You just never know which way people are going to go. I really thought
the downtown Vancouver businesses adjacent to the indoor Vancouver
Farmers Market would be outraged, or at the least, deeply disappointed
that the market is dissolving after two years of failed attempts to
secure produce vendors at the space. (See “Space Available” on page
1.) The market, which obviously never became financially solvent, will
close at the end of September.
But the area business owners are pragmatic – the indoor market was
such a bust, having it gone won’t be any different than having it
there, and the bottom line of these Esther Short anchor retailers just
won’t be affected, they say. Heck, one business owner didn’t even know
it was vacating.
These business owners are also optimistic. They say with the market
gone, there is room for what they really want – a grocery store. A
constant refrain among downtown residents and businesses, there is a
belief that a small high-end grocery would be supported. However,
repeated attempts to attract such a grocer to the area have been
rebuffed.
One organization that has a plan to locate a grocery store downtown is
the Vancouver Food Cooperative, in existence since 2003 and
incorporated in 2006. Part of the organization’s stated mission is to
locate a retail grocery co-op west of Interstate 5 and south of 39th
St. A capital campaign and membership drive kicked off July 1. The co-
op has a new website (www.vancouverfood.org) with details on
membership, which is a one-time fee of $180. According to the minutes
of the last board meeting, the organization needs $25,000 to apply for
a Food Co-op 500 loan of $25,000, and meeting a goal of $100,000 will
trigger a hunt for space. Only 555 people would need to purchase a
single share to make this happen and any one adult can purchase up to
20 shares.
There are many creative ways to bring a viable grocery store to
downtown Vancouver, and this appears to be one of the simplest.
Several vibrant and very long-standing co-ops exist in the metro area
– and sell high end items such as those found in a Zupans or Wild
Oats. It would not be a stretch to bring one here. Downtown businesses
could lead the charge, if they were motivated to – and it sounds like
they just might be.
Rory Bowman
Shumway Neighborhood: Grocery shopping
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
BY DEAN BAKER, Columbian staff writer
For more than four years, Sunrise O'Mahoney has dreamed of opening a
west Vancouver neighborhood grocery store to sell healthy, locally
grown food to people who live downtown, uptown and all around Clark
County.
Her vision isn't just any grocery store. It's a community cooperative
called Vancouver Food Co-op.
It is to be located somewhere in the Lincoln, Carter Park, Hough,
Shumway, Arnada or Esther Short neighborhoods, west of Interstate 5
but east of Kauffman Avenue and south of 39th Street.
"We desperately need another grocery store, and we'd like it in
walking distance for many people in the area," said Glenna Bowman, a
longtime Carter Park resident. She said the area has three fewer
grocery stores than it did a few years ago, and she knows of no one
who opposes having a new grocery store near their home.
"We'd love to have a grocery store in our neighborhood," said
Chairwoman Jenny Brown of the Lincoln Neighborhood Association. "I
think this neighborhood would be all over it."
The co-op is to be run by a board, subject to the votes of those who
buy shares in the venture, at $180 each. The shareholders are to
receive dividends, and all shoppers would be able to buy homegrown
food that supports Clark County's fruit and vegetable growers.
Food co-ops are the new rage around the United States. They're being
spurred by a two-year-old national organization, Food Co-op 500. It
has given grants to co-op promoters from Massachusetts to Virginia to
Arizona and Iowa, including $2,000 to the Vancouver Food Co-op for a
feasibility study.
As a community-run business with a broad ownership base, the Vancouver
co-op's goal is to connect shoppers, vendors and growers around life's
primary requirement: a secure, healthy food supply. "We've recently
sent out 2,000 fliers to the neighborhood groups there," O'Mahoney
said. "Everyone talks about it, from the city developers to the
community leaders. They all say: We need a grocery store."
In the Shumway neighborhood, Chairwoman Anne McEnerny-Ogle said, "It
would be lovely to have a new grocery store in the neighborhood. It
would give Safeway a run for its money. It might be a difficult
concept to sell, but it would be nice."
All O'Mahoney and her fellow board members need to make it happen is
money - a million dollars, they figure.
So far they are short. They have $10,080 and a lot of optimism.
The store would operate like REI or Portland's Food Front, Alberta Co-
Op Grocery and People's Food Co-op. Shareholders would vote and
receive dividends when the nonprofit store generates a surplus of
revenue.
Holly Jarvis, general manager of the 35-year-old Food Front store, has
been advising the Vancouver board.
"The really critical piece is having community support," she said. "If
people are buying shares and are willing to make loans, then you can
be pretty sure you are going to succeed."
She said the demand for food co-ops is exploding across the nation,
much of it in small towns that are losing their last grocery store.
"Right now, the fun of being a member is that we are shaping what we
are going to be, what the bylaws are, what the store is going to look
like. It's not just the board. It's the owners' privilege to say yes
or no," O'Mahoney said.
She said, for example, there is no expectation that the store will be
"organic." But there's a strong view that it will carry local goods
and local produce as often as possible. She said a long-term goal is
to use the store as a community center, for example, connecting to the
schools and the farms locally.
"We want do outreach, and have community service, where kids go to the
farm and see about food, where it grows, how it grows. Some kids don't
know a carrot comes out of the dirt," she said.
O'Mahoney and the co-op board are looking for a retail location that
allows easy access from Vancouver's oldest neighborhoods by bicycle,
automobile and bus. The board includes Kate Wallis, Rory Bowman, Lori
Loranger and Sharon Kulish-Bayles The idea came nearly five years ago
when O'Mahoney's friend, Heather Layman, suggested it would be a good
idea. They were both students at Washington State University
Vancouver. They started with nothing, picking up support and learning
as they went.
Born in Northern California, O'Mahoney, 34, grew up on co-op food. She
and her husband, George Bishop, a teacher at Metropolitan Learning
Center in Portland, live in the woods near Ridgefield with their two
children, Makyla, 9, and Aiyela, 2.
In organizing the co-op, the board targeted the area where a grocery
store is most needed.
They figure they need at least 5,000 square feet with 30 parking spaces.
They couldn't use the space in the current Esther Short Commons
building on Eighth Street, she said, because they don't have the money
to rent it; the market also has too little parking space, and it isn't
accessible to enough customers, she said.
"It's really fun to think about the perfect site, but we just don't
have the money," she said.
It has been a long drive and there is still a long way to go, she
said. But people have made co-ops work three times in Portland and in
dozens of other cities, and there is no reason it can't work here.
---
Previously: In 2003, a group of Clark County residents began
organizing a cooperative grocery store to sell healthy, locally grown
food in west Vancouver.
What's new: The Vancouver Food Co-op has raised $10,080 from 60
members, and plans several fundraising activities this fall, aiming to
raise $25,000 for a matching grant, eventually leading to $1 million
and a new store in the next few years.
What's next: The co-op will sponsor a harvest dinner on Sept. 21 at 6
p.m. at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 426 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., in
conjunction with the annual farm tours by Washington State University
Extension and the Center for Agriculture, Science and Environmental
Education.
ON THE WEB
www.vancouverfood.org
Dean Baker can be reached at 360-759-8009 or dean....@columbian.com
Rory Bowman
Vancouver Voice Cover Story
October 5, 2007
You Are Where You Eat: The rise of The Vancouver Co-Op
By Eric A. Johnson
I ought to admit right off the bat that writing this objectively was
difficult because I’m unabashedly pro-Vancouver Food Co-Op in the same
way I am all for bringing MAX to Vancouver, all for staving off global
warming, and all for saving sea turtles. It’s kind of a no-brainer...
A corporation is like a great white shark—it has no known predators,
it has to keep moving forward or it dies, and it feeds with impunity
on smaller creatures—even its own kind. By comparison, a co-op is like
a school of fish, working together to achieve the greatest good for
the greatest number of individuals.
“It’s hard, in a way, to play the devil’s advocate,” explains Sunrise
O’Mahoney, interim chairperson for The Vancouver Food Co-Op, “because
most people, when they hear what we’re doing, that we’re a store that
promotes ‘local’ and you have a voice in what your store is like,
people have a hard time arguing with that.”
I ought to admit right off the bat that writing this objectively was
difficult because I’m unabashedly pro-Vancouver Food Co-Op in the same
way I am all for bringing MAX to Vancouver, all for staving off global
warming, and all for saving sea turtles. It’s kind of a no-brainer.
What isn’t a no-brainer for most people, however, is what exactly a co-
op is. As defined by the International Co-Operative Alliance (ICA), a
proper co-op is “an autonomous association of persons united
voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs
and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled
enterprise”.
The ICA further explains that, “Co-operatives are based on the values
of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and
solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members
believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social
responsibility and caring for others.” (Visit the ICA site to learn
more about international co-op principals.)
Sounds great, but what does it all translate to when you put theory
into practice?
When asked what makes a co-op a co-op, Stuart Reid of Food Co-op 500
and Holly Jarvis, a 14-year Portland Food Front Co-Op manager, both
answered the same way. “They are all very similar, but all very
different”, said Reid, echoing Jarvis’s sentiments and sounding like a
Zen koan.
One suspects that the reason it is hard to get a simple answer out of
anyone who is hip-deep in a co-op culture is that each co-operative is
formed by a unique group of individuals in a wide array of economic
and cultural environments. If you lived in a community of vegan
atheists, for example, chances are you’d be hard pressed to sell
hamburger or Virgin of Guadalupe votives in your store.
So, again, what is a food co-op? Well, think Wild Oats on a small
scale. Think community supported agriculture. Think local dollars
staying local.
You could easily walk into Food Front Co-Op in Northwest Portland, for
example, and have no idea that it’s not in just another health food
store. The term “co-op” simply denotes a different type of ownership
structure—community ownership.
“It’s not just somebody coming in from out of state, or out of the
area, saying this is what you want and then taking the profit,”
O’Mahoney explained. “Instead, we listen and we take that input and
make it into a store.”
“It’s active shopping where members/owners have a say,” she said.
“Once we have a store, and once we are making a profit, all profit
above and beyond expenses gets paid back to the members.”
REI is a good example of a well known co-operative venture that gives
back dividends to its member shoppers. Sounds great, right? So, what
about the Vancouver Food Co-Op? When’s it going to open? Eaaaaasy,
Flicka. We’ll get there.
The Vancouver Co-Op began its efforts in 2003 when O’Mahoney and
fellow WSU student Heather Lehman—who had national and international
experience with co-ops—conceived the idea of starting a store here in
Vancouver.
In true grassroots style, they printed up fliers and canvassed the
Vancouver Farmers Market with a table and a sign-up sheet to get a
feel for peoples’ reactions.
“We had a really good response from day one,” said O’Mahoney, “so we
just continued.”
Within a year they had an official board of membership but no real
idea how to proceed. They established not-for-profit status, underwent
a lot of infrastructural changes, and tried to learn from the example
of other success stories, most of which were opened in a different
time under different rules.
In 2005, they found Stuart Reid of Food Co-Op 500, a group
specifically designed to enable faster and more efficient start-up
processes for retail grocery co-ops
“The days where you could just find a space and set up shop are over,”
Reid uttered emphatically. “It’s much more involved now.”
Around approximately the same time the group linked up with Reid, they
were made aware of a matching funds grants available to startup co-
ops. The group hadn’t asked for any monies up to that point, so they
sent queries in an attempt to raise enough cash to qualify for the
grant. They raised $2,000 initially and received the matching grant
for another $2,000.
To date, The Vancouver Co-Op has raised approximately $21,000 and
comprises 90 owners/members. They are in the process of developing
feasibility and market studies to establish hard facts for the public.
The initial question of “if” the co-op will open has become “when.”
When asked about support from The City of Vancouver, O’Mahoney
responded, “The city has had people who have been very supportive, but
the support has been limited by what they can do.”
“This has to be community supported,” O’Mahoney added. “We could win
the lottery tomorrow and we still wouldn’t open the store without
community support.”
Stephen M. Burdick, former Director of Economic Development for the
City of Vancouver, has submitted a letter of support that can be
viewed on the group’s website.
“This is an area in which more and more ‘creative class’ people are
residing,” said Burdick. “The food co-op is exactly the type of
grocery that this highly educated and food-quality conscious group of
people are demanding.”
According to the co-op’s board, the store will ideally be located in
the heart of downtown, south of 33rd Street, east of Kauffman, and
west of I-5. The group is looking for a site that is 5,000 to 10,000
square feet.
“The two major setbacks to establishing a co-op in Vancouver are
funding and organizing,” explained Jarvis. Establishing consensus
within a diverse group of personalities isn’t easy. But one thing is
clear—the impetus is there.
“The feel of a co-op is just different,” O’Mahoney explained. “You go
into one, and you tend to know the people working there. You have
pride it in because it’s something you helped create.”
The easiest way to support the efforts of The Vancouver Food Co-Op is
to buy a membership share; lifetime memberships are $180.00 and can be
paid in full up-front or in three annual installments of $60.00. Once
a member, you will be able to participate in the voting process and
join the debate about the future of Vancouver’s co-op.
-------------------------------------
The Vancouver Food Co-Op
694.FOOD
vancouverfood.org
Peoples Co-Op
3029 SE 21st Street
Portland, OR 97202
503.232.9051
www.peoples.coop
Food Front Co-Op
2375 NW Thurman St.
Portland, OR 97210
503.222.5658
www.foodfront.coop
The Alberta Cooperative Grocery
1500 NE Alberta St.
Portland, OR 97211
503.287.4333
www.albertagrocery.coop
Rory Bowman
Columbian Editorial from Monday, September 10, 2007
In our view: Grocery Gains
Co-op could bring needed shopping opportunities to Vancouver's west side
Here's your chance to be entrepreneurial, even if you didn't think you
had an entrepreneurial bone in your body. The opportunity comes with
very little risk, given its low cost. And while the return on the
investment might not ever be counted in dollars or cents, it could
improve the quality of life in Vancouver.
A handful of ambitious local people are determined to see a grocery
store sprout in west Vancouver. If they succeed, it won't be just any
grocery store, but a community food cooperative that features
healthful, locally grown foods. The area the Vancouver Food Co-op is
targeting is west of Interstate 5, east of Kauffman Avenue and south
of 39th Street. The area now has a few scattered convenience stores
and one Safeway.
Many people have been concerned for years that Vancouver's older west
side is lacking in grocery shopping options - especially in the
Arnada, Hough and Esther Short Park neighborhoods. Vancouver city
leaders have been trying to attract a grocery store to the city's
downtown area for years. Despite their efforts, the quest has always
resulted in a game of chicken and egg. Established retailers say there
aren't enough people living in downtown to support a full grocery
store, while some who might want to live downtown say they can't
experience the lifestyle they crave without a major grocery store
within walking distance.
Optimistic community members might be able to do what city leaders and
private businesses have been unable to accomplish. First, they've cast
a wider net. The grocery store could land anywhere within that target
zone, avoiding higher downtown rents and drawing on the residents in
six or more neighborhoods.
Second, starting a co-op means having community owners. For just $180
a share, one could own a piece of the food co-op. The group has a long
way to go. Its members have raised a little more than $10,000 and say
they need about $1 million to make the Vancouver Food Co-op a reality.
But if they can sell some 5,000 more shares and/or land some loans,
you might see a new food store with local produce and a community
focus thriving in west Vancouver.
The community-owned business would run similar to REI, Portland's Food
Front or the Alberta Co-op Grocery. Anyone could shop there;
shareholders could see dividends.
Holly Jarvis, the general manager of the 35-year-old Food Front store
in Portland told reporter Dean Baker of the effort here, "The really
critical piece is having community support. If people are buying
shares and are willing to make loans, then you can be pretty sure you
are going to succeed."
People who buy in are likely to be loyal patrons - especially after
they've had a vote and a say in what the place will look like and how
it runs. Every shareowner has a vote and a voice.
A grocery store within walking distance of a revitalized downtown
Vancouver, carrying local products, is something to be excited about -
and something to invest in.
Learn more about the food co-op at www.vancouverfood.org
Lori Loranger
talking about "shareholders" getting "dividends". While there is some
possibility of a future "patronage refund" based on how much an owner
buys at the coop, there will never be dividends. I understand that
Rory's goal is to show the original target area, which is indisputably
established as a very specific area in west Vancouver, but I hate to see
the proliferation of erroneous information that is coming along for the
ride.
for truth
I remain
-Lori Loranger
Rory Bowman wrote:
> http://columbian.com/opinion/news/09102007news194916.cfm
> Columbian Editorial from Monday, September 10, 2007
>
> In our view: Grocery Gains
> Co-op could bring needed shopping opportunities to Vancouver's west side
>
> ...
>
> A handful of ambitious local people are determined to see a grocery
> store sprout in west Vancouver. ...
>
> Many people have been concerned for years that Vancouver's older west
> side is lacking in grocery shopping options - especially in the
> Arnada, Hough and Esther Short Park neighborhoods. ...
> The grocery store could land anywhere within that target
> zone, avoiding higher downtown rents and drawing on the residents in
> six or more neighborhoods.
>
> ... Anyone could shop there;
> shareholders could see dividends.
>
> ...
Rory Bowman
cooperatives over the last twenty years and, although I believe REI
still uses the term "dividend" in some of their literature, the
preferred language for most food co-ops is "patronage refund." A few
years ago I believe there was an IRS ruling of some sort that
"patronage refunds" on goods purchased for personal and household use
were not taxable income. To avoid any confusion with conventional
stock dividends, the "patronage refund" is the current, preferred
nomenclature.
Rory Bowman
by Rory Bowman, Petitioning Owner
From 2003-2007 the stated goal of the Vancouver Food Cooperative was
to open a modest grocery store in west Vancouver. After a variety of
false starts, NWCDC was paid for a feasibility study which indicated
that this was possible, VFC incorporated and an interim board of
directors began an ownership drive in July of 2007. Having agreed not
to identify specific locations until there was at least $100,000 cash
on hand, they also approved "pro forma" financial projections from
Bill Gessner and a market area study from Pete Davis, both nationally-
recognized consultants with Cooperative Development Services. These
reports were scheduled for delivery by the end of January, 2008, and
would help complete a business plan draft narrative from September of
2007 in time for the February annual meeting. That did not happen.
Instead, Sunrise O'Mahoney entered into conversations for possible
sites outside of the agreed project area, and privately contacted Pete
Davis in late January or early February to delay the market study. My
best guess is that one proposed property was part of the Bybee
extension in west Camas, which would involve rezoning of a 6-8 acre
parcel by developer named David Lugliani who runs a company called
American Pacific Communities. There is a woman by the name of Diana
Howes who has been trying to assemble a woman-owned "eco village" in
this area. How Sunrise entered into these talks does not matter. What
matters is that her unilateral decision helped derail all previous
business planning and the owner drive.
Without advising the interim board as to what she had done, O'Mahoney
had Davis delay his study and asked him to keep this fact from other
board members. In concert with Heather Lehman, decisive action was
taken to remove all mention of west Vancouver from the share agreement
flyer and VFC web site without explanation, promoting distrust among
key volunteers, including board members. In the few months since the
board election, four of nine elected board members have resigned "to
spend more time with their families." Having already lost a thirty-
year marketing veteran and two MBA's, I predict at least two more such
resignations before the end of this calendar year.
What is left of the Vancouver Food Cooperative board has demonstrated
that they are unable to execute their previously-stated goals, and
shown a remarkable indifference to proper business planning. When a
group of owners presented them with a petition for a special meeting
in May, their first reaction was to contact a lawyer to see if they
could avoid such a meeting. When they learned they could not, they
have done as much as possible to avoid any mention of the meeting, and
chose not to send out a meeting notice by mail, as legally required.
They do not appear to have a clear and actionable plan to fulfill the
original mission as previously stated on all VFC materials for a
cooperative grocery in west Vancouver. Of the 147 owners who joined
VFC by March, 2008, every one of them signed on to support a
cooperative that would help the entire county but be located in west
Vancouver. Of the other 17, it is hard to say, but abandoning the
original vision for west Vancouver can only hurt us.
At the first annual meeting, Sunrise clearly stated the ownership goal
from the fall 2007 business plan: 600 owners by the end of 2008 for
1000 owners to open by the end of 2009. With only 164 owners as of
July 30, this goal will clearly not be met. Given that the previous
plan has been abandoned, what does the current board offer in its
place and what? With a special meeting on the business plan for August
27, what can this board realistically deliver?
The current board is not dedicated to the original vision and has no
discernible hope of fulfilling it. It is time for them to be honest
and move on.
I respectfully assert that they cannot deliver what was promised, and
it is time for them to rename this the Clark County Food Co-Op and
leave west Vancouver to those who can do things. Their muddled purpose
and mixed signals are hurting their store, west Vancouver and the
wider cooperative movement. If they do not have a workable plan for
west Vancouver, they should politely leave the field.
Rory Bowman
Publication: Columbian (Vancouver, WA)
Publication Date: 15-FEB-07
Byline: Dean Baker
Feb. 15--A three-year-old organization is mobilizing to open a
cooperative grocery store in downtown Vancouver and nurture new
partnerships between small farmers and the public. The Vancouver Food
Cooperative probably will begin soliciting memberships in a couple of
months to raise money as it searches for a storefront with adequate
parking somewhere between Esther Short Park and 39th and Main Streets,
said Sunrise O'Mahoney, interim chairwoman of the co-op. "We don't
have a store yet. We're looking," O'Mahoney said.
After three years of gearing up to create the downtown co-op grocery
featuring nutritious, locally grown food, the fledgling group has
spread its net wider. It has organized a Feb. 22 public get-acquainted
session with some of Clark County's newest small farmers. The public
can meet farmers in the county's growing community-supported
agriculture (CSA) network at 7 p.m. at St. Luke's Episcopal Church,
426 W. Fourth Plain Blvd. at F Street.
The CSAs operate on subscriptions independent from the co-op. At least
seven CSAs are growing food in the county. The Feb. 22 session will be
devoted to CSA partnerships between farmers and customers, who
generally pay $500 to $600 a year for a household of four. For that,
they receive a weekly share of vegetables and fruit and possibly meat,
mushrooms, milk or cheese, usually for 20 to 25 weeks from May through
October. Half shares often are available.
"We will always encourage buying through CSAs, although some of them
don't want to go retail and may not want to sell through the store,"
O'Mahoney said. Once the co-op is closer to opening a store, it will
work with farmers who are interested in selling through it, she said.
"We are working on opening a community-run, not-for-profit grocery
store, a little different from your typical grocery," said O'Mahoney.
"Vancouver needs a co-op, first of all because it lacks any downtown
grocery store," she said. "Both the downtown and uptown areas are
interested in getting a store, and haven't succeeded in getting a
large one."
The co-op doesn't need the 40,000 square feet of space or more as most
groceries do, she said. The co-op store can be much smaller and offer
nutritional foods, attempt to sell local products, and give any
profits back to the community. "Members support local growers and
environmentally sustainable companies and products. Members vote on a
board. It's a real different model from the standard store," she said.
The organization hopes to start a store similar to the Food Front in
northwest Portland or the People's Grocery in southeast Portland, said
O'Mahoney. She lives on 6 acres at Ridgefield with her husband, George
Bishop, who teaches at Jefferson High School in Portland, and their
two children. O'Mahoney isn't a farmer. "We just grow for ourselves
and friends," she said. She's lived in Clark County since 1991, and
says she is passionate about the cooperative movement and locally
grown food. "I devote my time to that," she said.
Dean Baker writes about agriculture.
Reach him at 360-759-8009 or e-mail dean....@columbian.com.
Community-supported agriculture in Clark County
--Hidden Oasis Davie MaxwellVancouver, 360-256-6896
--Hunters' GreensJim and Diane HunterBrush Prairie, 360-256-3788, hunter...@juno.com
--Storytree FarmNelson and Anne LawrenceVancouver, 360- 576-7139...@hotmail.com
--ToadstoneDena, Angus and Kate RaeBattle Ground, 360-687-4481
--Dee Creek FarmsSummer Steenbarger Woodland, 360-225-9711, sum...@deecreekfarm.com
--Purple Rain VineyardJames Voisin and Luisa DePaivaHockinson,
360-256-8658
--RGI CSA ProducersBrenda StantonBattle Ground, 360-666-1547
Rory Bowman
Vancouver. There are of course many, many more.
---
From VFC's first press release, September 8, 2003:
The planning has begun for a food Co-op in downtown Vancouver. “There
is a strong need for a grocery store in West Vancouver and now is the
time to make it happen” says Sunrise O'Mahoney, Vancouver Co-op Board
member.
---
From City of Vancouver Citizen's Resource Team Workshop, March 24,
2004:
- The need for a grocery store is important and is considered a
significant part of the retail issue.
- What would be the best location for a Grocery store?
- Holland Restaurant site is an option.
- Grocery store needs access to traffic to Port, freeway and
employment concentrations
- Location north of Mill Plain and west of freeway would serve the
community best.
- A worthy example is in Queen Anne, Seattle – Five-story grocery
store, QFC. Well-designed and located.
- Grocery store access - pedestrian and traffic access are both
important.
---
From The Daily Insider, “Yes Virginia, There Is a Vancouver Food Co-
Op,” December 8, 2006:
The nonprofit Vancouver Food Co-op was formed in 2003, and, while
there is no physical store just yet, there is a buyer's club that
members may use to buy a wide variety of food products.
"The Vancouver Food Co-op store will be in west Vancouver," reports
Sunrise O'Mahoney, the co-op's interim chair.
---
From “Grocery Co-Op is Envisioned Downtown” by Dean Baker, The
Columbian, February 15, 2007:
A three-year-old organization is mobilizing to open a cooperative
grocery store in downtown Vancouver and nurture new partnerships
between small farmers and the public. The Vancouver Food Cooperative
probably will begin soliciting memberships in a couple of months to
raise money as it searches for a storefront with adequate parking
somewhere between Esther Short Park and 39th and Main Streets, said
Sunrise O'Mahoney, interim chairwoman of the co-op. "We don't have a
store yet. We're looking," O'Mahoney said.
---
From Letter of Support by Stephen Burdick, June 5, 2007:
As the former Director of Economic Development for the City of
Vancouver, I am encouraged by the interest of the Vancouver Food Co-op
in establishing a healthy choice grocery store in West Vancouver.
This is an area in which more and more “creative class” people are
residing. The Food Co-op is exactly the type of grocery that this
highly educated and food quality conscious group of people are
demanding. West Vancouver is also the older, established area of the
City in which there is a large component of lower income and elderly
people who need not only nutritious food, but often times the
convenience of home delivery as well as a store that willingly accepts
EBT and WIC certificates.
---
From VFC Share Agreement Flyer Approved Spring, 2007:
The Vancouver Food Cooperative is a not-for-profit business planning
to open a grocery store in west Vancouver, Washington to provide
accessible nutrition and local foods at a fair price.
The VFC does not currently have a retail location. Our goal is to be
west of Interstate 5 and south of 39th street. This allows for easy
access by Vancouver’s oldest neighborhoods by bicycle, automobile, and
bus.
---
From “Cooperating on a Grocery Store” by Jessica Swanson, Vancouver
Business Journal, August 3, 2007:
One organization that has a plan to locate a grocery store downtown is
the Vancouver Food Cooperative, in existence since 2003 and
incorporated in 2006. Part of the organization’s stated mission is to
locate a retail grocery co-op west of Interstate 5 and south of 39th
St. A capital campaign and membership drive kicked off July 1.
---
From “Grocery Shopping” by Dean Baker, The Columbian, September 5,
2007:
For more than four years, Sunrise O'Mahoney has dreamed of opening a
west Vancouver neighborhood grocery store to sell healthy, locally
grown food to people who live downtown, uptown and all around Clark
County.
Her vision isn't just any grocery store. It's a community cooperative
called Vancouver Food Co-op.
It is to be located somewhere in the Lincoln, Carter Park, Hough,
Shumway, Arnada or Esther Short neighborhoods, west of Interstate 5
but east of Kauffman Avenue and south of 39th Street.
---
From “You Are Where You Eat: The Rise of the Vancouver Food Co-Op” by
Eric A Johnson, The Vancouver Voice, October 5, 2007:
According to the co-op’s board, the store will ideally be located in
the heart of downtown, south of 33rd Street, east of Kauffman, and
west of I-5. The group is looking for a site that is 5,000 to 10,000
square feet.
---
From “In Our View: Grocery Gains” Editorial Board, The Columbian,
September 10, 2007:
A handful of ambitious local people are determined to see a grocery
store sprout in west Vancouver. If they succeed, it won't be just any
grocery store, but a community food cooperative that features
healthful, locally grown foods. The area the Vancouver Food Co-op is
targeting is west of Interstate 5, east of Kauffman Avenue and south
of 39th Street. The area now has a few scattered convenience stores
and one Safeway.
---
No other business model makes better sense for west Vancouver, and (as
VFC's primary business planner for 2007) I do not believe the
cooperative business model makes sense for any other location in Clark
County.
Rory Bowman
http://www.dailyinsider.info/2007/07_02_07.html
Vancouver Food Co-op selling shares: plans pot-luck information
sharing event.
The Daily Insider, July 2, 2007
Shares in the nonprofit Vancouver Food Co-op are being sold for $180
each, reports Sunrise O’Mahoney, interim president of the co-op board.
The goal of the organization, formed in 2003, is to establish a
downtown Vancouver healthy food grocery store south of 39th Street and
west of I-5, according to O’Mahoney.
O’Mahoney says that buyers may purchase up to 20 shares each, but will
receive only one vote in the co-op, regardless of the number of shares
purchased.
The informational pot-luck is from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 19, in
the National Park Service Interpretive Center, 1501 E Evergreen
Boulevard, southeast of Officers Row.
For further information, call O’Mahoney at 694-3663, or go to www.vancouverfood.org
.