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San Juan County OKs CDBG application up to $2 million for Lopez Food Center
Summary
The San Juan County Council authorized Health and Community Services to apply for up to $2,000,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding to build a Lopez Food Center that supporters say will house the food bank, community kitchen, storage and a farm stand.
The San Juan County Council authorized the county’s Health and Community Services Department to submit a Community Development Block Grant application for up to $2,000,000 to develop a Lopez Food Center.
Supporters told the council the center would create a permanent home for the Lopez food bank, provide storage and processing space for local farms and offer a community kitchen that could help residents launch small food businesses. Barbara (last name not specified), a project supporter, said the island had gathered “over 202 signatures in support of the food center and 38 letters from volunteers, food businesses, and a wide variety of nonprofits.”
Why it matters: council members framed the project as both a food-security and economic-development investment for Lopez Island. Council member Cole said the proposal could help residents generate income and support first-generation college students in ways that temporary, mobile operations cannot.
Details and supporting evidence - The food bank currently serves 718 adults and children in Lopez Village, according to a public comment summarizing the organization’s operations. - The food hub that would be anchored at the center was described as supporting more than $300,000 in countywide farm sales and about $110,000 in Lopez farm sales. - Commenters emphasized needs the center would address: accessible storage and cold storage, a community kitchen to produce value-added items, a farm stand, and a hot evening meal site in partnership with Lopez Locavores. - Community organizer Levi Rodriguez testified the facility would provide “additional storage and processing and distribution facilities” to reduce waste and increase local food participation.
Council action and next steps Council member Cole moved to authorize Health and Community Services to submit the CDBG application; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The council closed the public hearing and asked the project team to keep council informed as the grant process continues.
Discussion vs. formal action - Discussion: Numerous island residents and farmers described how the center would be used and why it matters to local food security and small-business development. Several commenters spoke in Spanish with an interpreter present. - Formal action: The council approved a motion authorizing staff to submit a CDBG grant application for up to $2,000,000. No appropriation of funds or award acceptance was made at this meeting.
Context and constraints The council emphasized that this vote authorized only a grant application; any award would require subsequent steps, including acceptance of funds and appropriation. Supporters and council members asked to be notified of grant outcomes and further milestones.
