San Francisco lawmakers have put forward a plan allowing city residents to sue grocery stores that close without providing six months’ notice.
The Neighborhood Grocery Protection Act was introduced by San Francisco Board of Supervisors members Dean Preston and Aaron Peskin. The bill is based on a similar proposal approved by the Board of Supervisors in 1984, but was struck down by then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein.
If passed, any store that closes without giving notice to the Board and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) would be able to sue for damages.
The bill also requires grocery stores to meet and work in good faith with neighborhood residents and the OEWD to explore solutions to keep the store open.
“It was a good idea in 1984, and it’s an even better idea now,” Preston said in a press release. “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 says the initiative is to improve food security for the city’s residents amid rising food costs.
“Food insecurity is on the rise, especially for seniors and families, as food prices skyrocket and food programs face major cuts,” said Preston. “We need to be doing everything in our power to maintain access to groceries in our neighborhoods.”
The proposal comes as major grocery retailers have shut their doors due to rising crime rates.
Whole Foods closed its Market Street location last year after 568 emergency calls were placed in just 13 months, with police being called over incidents including fighting, yelling, vagrants throwing food, and people attempting to defecate on the floor, the New York Post reported.
For years now, stores in the San Francisco area have been forced to close due to rampant criminal activity.
Preston put forth the proposed legislation in January after a Safeway supermarket in Fillmore said it would close in March.
Safeway sold the land to a developer that plans to build a mixed-use property, which includes housing and commercial retail, according to the Post.
