After months of debate, the Inter-Faith Council decided upon the location for FoodFirst, its new community kitchen.

The council Board of Directors unanimously voted to select 110 West Main Street in Carrboro as the new home for the kitchen which serves between 75 and 100 people a day.

Michael Reinke is the executive director of the Inter-Faith Council. He said the decision comes after much deliberation and input from the community.

“We’ve been looking at this question for a long time, and I think it was really important that this be a community process. So we’ve been talking to stake holders, people that we serve and the neighbors in the area.”

During the months of research, Reinke said the council reviewed 10 different locations and analyzed a number of different factors.

The final two choices, 110 West Main Street and 303 Jones Ferry Road, both had their advantages, Reinke said. But what broke the tie was the community response.

“When we talked to the people that we serve, the people that volunteer, the people who support the IFC in so many ways, they were thinking that 110 West Mains Street is a better overall location. And at least as many people were saying they didn’t want 303 Jones Ferry Road.”

Other factors in choosing 110 West Main Street include transportation options and proximity to downtown.

“110 West Main Street has significantly better access to public transportation than 303 Jones Ferry Road. As many of the people we serve are using public transportation, that was a pretty important factor in making a decision.”

The location also offered more potential for adding additional programming, Reinke said.

Another bonus to the location is the fact that the IFC already owns 110 West Main Street. The council currently operates its food pantry as well as their administrative and community service offices from that building.

Local business owners and residents raised concerns about the kitchen’s location during a public meeting in March. Reinke said these concerns prompted the council to make the process as transparent and open as possible.

“Look at the process. We did it deliberately, we were inclusive, took our time, we looked at all the different factors that we could possibly consider. And I think we made a very reasonable decision.”

Reinke said he understands the community’s concerns and appreciates that people have been so involved in the kitchen’s future.

“It’s one of the main safety nets for people who are living in poverty in Chapel Hill and Carrboro and more broadly, in Orange County. And with anything that’s important, people are going to have some pretty strong feelings about that.”

Reinke said he hopes to take these strong feelings going forward and continue open communication with the town.

“We’re going to take that same process in terms of the design of the building, how it fits in with the neighborhood and make sure that we’re listening to the people who have concerns. And we’re going to address them as best as we can.”

The next steps for the IFC include preparing a petition for conditional rezoning as per Carrboro regulations. The petition will be submitted in the fall along with building plans that will be presented to the public for review and comment.

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