I am writing in response to the editorial in your July 10-23 issue, “Circular Firing Line at Armory?” I was puzzled by your characterization that the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition is trying to shut out Community Board 7.

We agree that the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA) and CB7 must work in common purpose or risk being divided and conquered by the Armory developer. KARA, made up of over a dozen community stakeholders including churches, unions and community groups shares with CB7 a common vision for responsible development at the Armory calling for living-wage union jobs and community space, among other things. We think that both of the “paths” you lay out for working together make sense. We have been and continue to be ready to work with CB7 in either fashion. We have had a number of meetings with CB7 Chair Greg Faulkner and District Manager Fernando Tirado to figure out how to do just that.

KARA has two principles regarding the type of business we want to see in the Armory. First, the Armory businesses should complement local businesses on Kingsbridge Road, not duplicate and compete with them (for example a bookstore would be good because we don’t have one for miles in any direction). And second, we do not want businesses which require massive parking as many big-box stores do. There has been talk about wanting a big-box food store in the Armory. This would kill the Associated supermarket on Kingsbridge Road, which provides good union jobs for hundreds of people in our neighborhood, not just at their two Bronx stores but also at their 10 locations in Manhattan. They do all of their hiring at their Kingsbridge store. A big-box food store requires people to drive so they can transport bulk items. In a community with high asthma rates like ours, we do not need more traffic and pollution.

Solidarity between KARA and CB7 will afford us the best chance to win a development at the Armory that meets our community’s needs.

Ronn Jordan

The writer is vice president of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition and a member of the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance.

In your editorial, “Circular Firing Line at Armory?” I am puzzled by your assertion that the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition has rejected a request by Community Board 7 and its chair, Greg Faulkner, to work together in negotiating a Community Benefits Agreement with the developer of the Kingsbridge Armory.

In a meeting on July 8, community leaders from KARA (the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance) met with Mr. Faulkner to discuss how to work together formally. Mr. Faulkner withdrew his request to fill half the seats on the KARA negotiation team.

KARA and other community groups have worked for over a decade to make sure the Armory is developed and further to make sure the community receives the greatest benefit from this vision. This vision includes preferred hiring of local residents in an area where unemployment rates are amazingly high, living wage jobs, union neutrality, and businesses that will enhance the community, not put mom-and-pop stores out of business.

KARA is the community and is working, tirelessly and with full transparency, to create a binding, enforceable Community Benefits Agreement.

Greg Faulkner and Community Board 7 have walked with us in this process.

While Community Board 7 has decided not to join with KARA, I see no reason why our organizations cannot work together for the benefit of our community.

-Rev. Dr. Katrina D. Foster

The writer is pastor of Fordham Evangelical Lutheran Church and Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion’s community representative to the Kingsbridge Armory Task Force