MONTGOMERY – A food distribution center proposed in the village would make it easier to feed more families in need.
Having outgrown its Cornwall-on-Hudson location, Food Bank of the Hudson Valley plans to replace the facility with a new 40,000-square-foot food distribution center near the intersection of routes 416 and 211 in the village of Montgomery.
Unlike other warehouses proposed in the town, this project has gained support from multiple parties including residents and local officials.
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Molly Nicol, CEO of the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, said the move is to accommodate a growing demand during the pandemic.
In 2020, the food bank distributed 22 million pounds of food to agencies across Orange, Sullivan, Ulster, Putnam, Dutchess and Rockland counties. About 57% of the food was shipped from its Latham headquarters to the local agencies because the Cornwall facility is not big enough to handle the volume, said Nicol.
The entire Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York has seen a 40% increase to 55.8 million pounds in food distribution. The average annual distribution was 38 million pounds before 2020. With a distribution of 52 million pounds of food in 2021, the number has not come back down, Nicol said.
“We feel we need a more robust space in the Lower Hudson Valley to handle the demand for food for the foreseeable future,” said Nicol.
Nicol noted only 20,000 square feet of the 50,000-square-foot Cornwall-on-Hudson facility is usable space for their purposes.
Nicol said the new warehouse would bring more food to the region. Meanwhile, it would open up new options to deliver food, including launching mobile pantries to rural areas and expanding services to seniors and students. Nicol hopes to double the number of employees to 50 in a few years.
Don Berger, founder of Residents Protecting Montgomery, said this specific project is the type of structure they would like to have in the town. The citizen group, formed a couple of years ago, has about 900 members.
“We are fully supportive of the food pantry. We believe the food pantry, and the service it provides, is very needed throughout our community,” said Berger.
While the project is awaiting approval by the Village of Montgomery Planning Board, the town board has submitted a $10 million Community Development Block Grant Application to help fund the $13 million project.
Nicol said they are raising money to cover the rest of the cost. She encouraged people who are interested in supporting the project to reach out to the organization.
The proposed building is 42 feet in height and is seeking a variance to exceed the village’s 35-foot limit. It would allow them to stack food five racks in height. The Cornwall facility can only accommodate two racks in height.
If all goes according to the plan, Nicol expects to get an update on the grant in March and hopes to break ground in the summer.
Town Supervisor Brian Maher said the town and village are willing to assist with the grant process and how to best move the project forward.
“It’s great to have the whole town come together to support an organization that’s going to give so much back to not just our community, but countless communities throughout the state,” said Maher.
