Sahadi's Looks To Its Neighbors For Support

is looking to build an arsenal of support in advance of a hearing on the store’s planned expansion. To shore up their case, the owners of the specialty food shop have asked the community to submit letters declaring their approval of the expansion.

“We love being a part of downtown Brooklyn and want to grow within this vibrant community,” the shop’s owners wrote in an appeal published on the Brooklyn Heights Blog on May 18.

As Patch in April, Sahadi’s plans to connect their current two Atlantic Avenue storefronts by building over an outdoor courtyard. Although the construction will add only 270 square feet to their property, it will allow them to access an additional 2,500 square feet of usable store space. The expansion requires approval of a land-use variance by the Board of Standards and Appeals.

Robert Perris, Community Board 2’s District Manager, explained that because the property, built in 1886 and altered in 1962, was constructed before the current zoning resolution was in place, it is already a denser development that the zoning rules would otherwise allow.  (Sahadi’s has been at the location since 1948.)

According to the zoning regulations, a building in that spot would be limited to 8,080 square feet. The building is currently 14,510 square feet.

“So the addition of 270 square feet makes it that much more in noncompliance,” said Perris. “But obviously 270 square feet is not a lot of space.”

Community Board 2 voted unanimously to approve the expansion at a public hearing in January. The Community Board then made its recommendation for the expansion to the Board of Standards and Appeals, the final arbiter in the decision. The BSA first heard the case on April 12, but required more information and scheduled a second hearing for June 7.

Jeff Mulligan, the BSA’s executive director, says that while the board does take community support into account, the decision is ultimately based on the applicant’s ability to meet five criteria for a variance, including “inherent uniqueness in your property that leads to a hardship in realizing a reasonable economic return,” and the proposal having no effect on the “essential character of the neighborhood.”

Christine Whelan, daughter of Charlie Sahadi, said that she expects the expansion project to meet all the BSA’s criteria for a variance. She explained that they are seeking the additional evidence of community support in hopes of avoiding going back for another hearing.

“I was hoping to be able to answer any questions that they had while we were there,” she said. “I’d like to get started on construction now in order to be open in the fall.”

In the meantime, Whelan has been amazed and touched by all the affection coming in through the mail. She says they have received hundreds of letters supporting the expansion and none against it. She also noted that the letters are coming from all over the country, often describing personal experiences and history with the store.

“It’s really been eye-opening to see how far-reaching our customer base is,” Whelan said.