Supervisor Preston Introduces Ordinance Requiring Six Month Notice Before Closing a Grocery Store in San Francisco

Proposal Mirrors Law Requiring Extended Notice, Community Meeting for Grocery Closures, Passed in 1984 and Vetoed by Mayor Feinstein

Earlier today, Supervisor Preston introduced the Neighborhood Grocery Protection Act, a legislative effort that is both old and new. The Act seeks to resurrect a 1984 law, passed by the Board of Supervisors but vetoed by Mayor Feinstein, that requires notification and community involvement when neighborhood-serving grocery stores close. 

“It was a good idea in 1984, and it’s an even better idea now,” said Supervisor Preston. “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 introduction comes on the heels of a major victory for the Fillmore, Japantown, and Western Addition communities, as Safeway, which in January announced plans to close in early March, rescinded the announcement and committed to keep its Webster Street location open until January 2025. Preston is working with community leaders to make sure that any future development on the site includes a grocery store and housing affordable to the people who live in the neighborhood. 

After doing extensive research to help push back on the imminent closure, Supervisor Preston’s team found a 1984 law written in response to an abrupt closure of a Safeway at Bush and Larkin Streets, where residents were given only one week's notice of the closure. The law was passed by the Board but ultimately vetoed by then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein.

Supervisor Preston’s Grocery Protection Act mostly mirrors prior efforts 40 years ago to require the following: 

• Six-months notice prior to close of a neighborhood-serving grocery store;

• Requirement to meet with community members prior to closure;

• Requirement to explore a replacement supermarket.

“Food insecurity is on the rise, especially for seniors and families, as food prices skyrocket and food programs face major cuts,” said Supervisor Preston. “We need to be doing everything in our power to maintain access to groceries in our neighborhoods.”

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