The San Francisco city government is considering an ordinance that would force grocery stores to give six months’ notice before closing while searching for a replacement to take over their real estate while hosting community meetings to offer updates on their closures.
According to combined media sources, San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston’s Neighborhood Grocery Protection Act is inspired by a proposal that was approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1984 but vetoed by then-Mayor Diane Feinstein, who called it “an unnecessary intrusion of governmental regulatory authority.”
“It was a good idea in 1984, and it’s an even better idea now,” Preston said in a press statement. “Our communities need notice, an opportunity to be heard, and a transition plan when major neighborhood grocery stores plan to shut their doors. Meeting the food security needs of our seniors and families cannot be left to unilateral backroom decisions by massive corporate entities.”
Preston’s proposal follows his efforts to keep a Safeway supermarket in his district that announced in January it would close in March. The store has since delayed its closing until the end of the year.
“Food insecurity is on the rise, especially for seniors and families, as food prices skyrocket and food programs face major cuts,” Preston said. “We need to be doing everything in our power to maintain access to groceries in our neighborhoods.”
If a store closes without notifying the Board of Supervisors as well as the Office of Economic and Workforce Development six months ahead of the planned shuttering, the ordinance enables those impacted by the closing to sue for damages. However, the proposed ordinance could not stop a store from closing if it was unprofitable or due to other unforeseen business circumstances, nor would it prevent it from shutting down because of a natural disaster.
San Francisco’s deteriorating quality of life has forced multiple retailers to leave the city, including food merchants. Last year, a Whole Foods store on Market Street closed after barely a year in business following 568 emergency calls including incidents with vagrants throwing food and trying to defecate on the floors. However, last week the California-based grocery chain Mi Rancho went against the local trends of exiting retailers when it announced its first San Francisco supermarket would open in the city’s Bayview community.
