Crenshaw residents object to new Fresh & Easy market

For years the lower-income neighborhoods of L.A. have been under-served by supermarkets and groceries, and over-served by fast-food restaurants. Along comes the Fresh & Easy chain, which has been making a special point of targeting inner-city areas in its massive expansion efforts. Forget about being altruistic, the Fresh & Easy folks could see the competitive possibilities of being located in a place where supermarkets are few and far between. But some Crenshaw area residents have become hot and bothered about how a proposed store at the corner of 52nd Street and Crenshaw Boulevard will look. From The Wave:

As proposed, it has an unsightly parking lot in front of the building -- something you don't see in other neighborhoods with specific plans. The residents want the standards of the Crenshaw Specific Plan met and they want the parking lot moved to either the back or side of the building and the building, itself, to sit immediately upon the street. "The Fresh and Easy on Central and Adams is exactly like we want ours to be," declared Winnie Jackson, president of HOPE. "Our plan specifically forbids strip malls and that is what Fresh and Easy is proposing to give us. They plan to build on the lot next to an adjacent structure and the rest of the lot is for parking. We don't want parking on the corner. We want the building on the corner, not cars. Otherwise, it's a strip mall.

Ironically, the chain was initially lauded for taking over the property where a Ford dealership had been shuttered a couple of years back. In September, the South Los Angeles Area Planning Commission exempted Fresh and Easy from five elements of the Crenshaw Specific Plan, including the strip mall prohibition. Here's what the L.A. Watts Times reported last year:

Carolyn Hull, who works on CRA/LA projects in South Los Angeles, said representatives of Fresh & Easy and several other retailers joined an earlier "tour" of South Los Angeles hosted by the staffers of the agency and other city officials. "Oftentimes, the retailers don't understand the purchasing power in our communities, so by bringing them in, by doing tours, we kind of get over the perception (of South L.A.), and they see the reality that there is ample opportunity to be in this community and to make their retail stores viable," Hull said.

The Crenshaw specific plan was designed to control the mishmash of businesses that have sprung up along the boulevard. That includes auto repair businesses, drive-through restaurants, gun and pawn shops, swap meets, and the like. Seems reasonable enough. So how did Fresh & Easy get included on that list? From the Wave:

Asata Umoja, a Crenshaw activist, explained that one of the goals of the specific plan was to encourage pedestrian-oriented development. "But now Fresh and Easy is proposing to build a typical auto-related strip mall, which is contrary to our plans to encourage a pedestrian-oriented area around the Slauson Avenue portion of the boulevard," Umoja said. "We have hopes and aspirations for a better looking community."

It's worth noting that Fresh & Easy continues to bleed red ink for its parent company, British-based Tesco. For the six months ended Aug. 28, the El Segundo-based chain lost $152 million, though same-store sales are increasing and there are plans for 19 new stores in the second half of the year. At the same time, 13 stores have been shuttered because they're in locations that have faced tough economic times. So far, there's no sign that Fresh & Easy has given up on the Crenshaw location. A spokesman says, "Every site has its own story and we intend to work with the community as we go through this process." Frankly, I don't see what's so terrible about a strip mall - the city is full of them. Besides, would it be any worse than drive-thru windows? Sometimes it's worth giving a little to get a lot more.