AMSTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) -“The City’s response was there was no way they were gonna grant us a temporary permit so we could continue to serve,” said Everett Flint, Director of the Royal Pantry Corporation.
2,500 pounds of vegetables had to be thrown away after Flint had a code violation posted on his pantry door. All that’s left are some rotten tomatoes outside. Along with Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara, he met with Mayor Michael Cinquanti’s administration on Thursday to find a solution.
They were told that the pantry will have to go in front of the City’s planning board with a site plan. This would get their outdoor operations approved or denied. “We will have to wait until July 23 to see if we are approved,” stated Flint.
Santabarbara explained that Royal Pantry isn’t the only one having to expand into the sidewalk. He thinks it shouldn’t have been closed either. “Every single food pantry that I have visited: the ones in Rotterdam, the Rotterdam community center, the ones in Schenectady… Food insecurity doesn’t take a day off and neither should we.”
In a previous statement, Mayor Cinquanti said:
The pantry has operated on Tuesday afternoons during the time of day when court is in session. The area in front of the food pantry has a high amount of traffic and the City has concerns…
In response, Flint said the City could make crosswalks. Adding, if he doesn’t have guests park on the street, there is still enough parking spots between the back lot and Kirk Douglas Park.
Amsterdam 2nd Ward Alderman, Rich Holoday, thinks that Flint’s plan could work, especially if the pantry switches its usual Tuesdays for another day. “On like a Friday, that parking lot would be much more freed up. So do like a feasibility study. As a councilmember, we would just bring it up to the professionals that we have on our staff and they would make their best determination.”
NEWS10’s Anthony Krolikowski is waiting for Mayor Cinquanti to respond after emails were sent on Friday and Saturday asking how Thursday’s meeting went.
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