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Supervisor Preston urges Safeway to reverse plan to close Fillmore store; residents and leaders warn of food‑access impacts
Summary
Supervisor Dean Preston introduced a resolution on Jan. 9 asking Safeway to reconsider its planned March closure of the Fillmore Safeway at 1335 Webster St. Community speakers and supervisors described the store as the neighborhood's only full‑service grocer, pharmacy and bank and said the closure would create a food‑access gap.
Supervisor Dean Preston introduced a resolution on Jan. 9 calling on Safeway Inc. to reverse plans to close the Fillmore location at 1335 Webster Street, a store he and residents described as the neighborhood's only full‑service grocery, pharmacy and bank.
Preston said Safeway announced the planned shutdown and a sale of the 3.68‑acre property to Align Real Estate with less than 60 days' notice and without community outreach. “Safeway's choosing to close and sell the property without holding a single community meeting with Fillmore Neighborhood residents regarding closure plans,” Preston said. He said city departments reported they were unaware of the proposal when his office reached out.
Speakers from the neighborhood and community organizations told the board the loss would hit seniors and residents with limited mobility especially hard. Nina Smallwood, a representative of Collective Impact, said she was “deeply angered” by the sudden announcement and asked the board to support Preston's resolution to halt the closure and force a community‑driven process for alternatives. Reverend Amos Brown of the San Francisco NAACP said the closure felt like “deja vu” and urged the board to “put the brakes on the car” and insist on community engagement.
Supervisor Safaie moved to be added as a co‑sponsor during the meeting. Preston said he remained ready to negotiate a path forward with Safeway and Align Real Estate but asked the company to reverse the March closure pending community discussions.
Preston framed the location as part of a post‑redevelopment set of services intended to remedy earlier displacements, noting the site includes a pharmacy and banking services in addition to groceries. He asked colleagues for unanimous support for the resolution and said he would work with the company and city departments to seek mitigations should the sale proceed.
Public commenters echoed concerns about transit barriers to alternative stores and the timing of the planned closure. The board did not take a final vote on Preston’s Safeway resolution at the Jan. 9 meeting; Preston introduced the measure and requested action. He said he hoped the board’s unified message would prompt Safeway and the buyer to engage with the community and city leaders before any sale or closure proceeded.
Preston also mentioned related local development and redevelopment history in Fillmore, saying the store was an intended community benefit following past displacement from redevelopment policies.
The item will proceed through the board’s legislative process; no committee referral or hearing date was announced on the record during the Jan. 9 meeting.
