Politics stalls plan to expand food pantry in a city with no store, church says

Twice a month, Starlight Missionary Baptist Church puts bags of fresh and frozen foods into the hands of those who need them most in a city that doesn’t have a single grocery store.

Rosetta Moore was one of hundreds who filed through the church parking lot last Tuesday to pick up fruits and vegetables ranging from pineapples to collard greens.

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“Sometimes I’ve run out of food. Not intentionally, but it happens,” Moore said. “So, I’m grateful for it.”

Rev. Anthony L. Small, Sr., is the pastor at Starlight Missionary Baptist Church. He’s following in his late father's footsteps, who led the church for many years.

"It seems like churches kind of take on extra roles these days?” I asked him.

“You have to,” Small said. “You have to."

Small said the food giveaway, including meats and frozen items, has outgrown its space.

He thinks the solution sits next to the church on a piece of vacant land that East Cleveland owns.

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Small wants to build a 1,200-square-foot steel garage on the lot. He said it would serve as a food storage facility and provide easier access for walk-up and drive-up service.

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According to the Cuyahoga Land Bank, East Cleveland purchased the lot on Roxford Road for $10 in a forfeited land sale auction.

“We should have been building last year,” Small said.

“What has the roadblock been?” I asked him.

“Well, the roadblock has really been just politics,” Small said.

Church leaders told News 5 that their application to acquire the property through the city’s land reutilization acquisition process has been stalled even after completing a checklist of items, including getting approval from the city’s Neighborhood Advisory Committee.

"We did meet with our councilman (Lateek Shabazz) back in April of this year,” said Edna Williams, the church’s financial director. “And he had indicated that he would take it before the council. But that hasn't transpired."

The city told News 5 and provided documentation stating Starlight Missionary Baptist Church has reached the final step in the application process and is waiting for the city council to set a public hearing and vote.

The city said at least 23 land reutilization acquisition applications await a council vote.

“The issue that we’re having is with the transparency of the committee meetings,” said East Cleveland City Council Vice President Patricia Blochowiak.

Blochowiak said the Neighborhood Advisory Committee hasn’t followed city ordinance, hasn't appropriately communicated with the clerk of council, nor provided necessary paperwork, which she said prevents votes on land applications.

“And once that happens at that point in time they can come before council and then council will then look at them according to whatever information we’re given.” Blochowiak said.

The clerk of council issued the following statement to News 5.

My focus, as the Clerk of Council, is on the fact the Neighborhood Advisory Committee's meetings were not in compliance with Ord. No. 103.03, which instructed its members not to have them if the ordinance was not obeyed. It's why the President of Council is planning to meet with the requestors during his Contracts & Properties Committee meeting.

Rev. Anthony Small's land request may or may not meet the approval of a majority of Council. Euclid Avenue was once the city's busiest retail street. If it's going to return to prosperity, there has to be space for retail. East 105th Street in Cleveland has over 27 churches that are open one day a week. It was once one of the busiest neighborhood retail streets in the city before a former Ward 8 Cleveland city council member bowed to the preachers. Churches are non-profits.

There are issues with how East Cleveland's land bank properties are being distributed and who's receiving them. The President of Council has shared that he wants to exercise caution when he sees laws and ordinances being disregarded.

Eric J. Brewer

East Cleveland City Council President Twon Billings told me by phone late Tuesday that he has concerns about the Neighborhood Advisory Committee and transparency and wants to set up a meeting to discuss a possible path forward.

“Are you confident it can get done soon?” I asked Small.

“I'm prayerfully believing that God is gonna make a move,” Small said. “He's already moving. He's already doing things in our favor."

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