Supervisors adopt resolution urging Safeway to reverse Fillmore store closure; community wins short-term extension

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Jan. 23 adopted a resolution urging Safeway Inc. to reverse its plan to close the supermarket at 1335 Webster Street in the Fillmore, after weeks of community organizing and a large public turnout at Monday's meeting. Supervisor Dean Preston introduced the measure and moved a minor amendment to reflect a company announcement that the store's planned March 2024 closure would be delayed to January 2025.

The resolution asks Safeway to reverse its closure plan or, at minimum, to work with the community and city officials to produce a transition plan that protects access to grocery, pharmacy and WIC services. Preston said the city needs rules requiring earlier notice and formal community engagement when neighborhood-serving grocery stores plan to close.

Why it matters: The Webster Street Safeway serves seniors, people with disabilities, families on Supplemental Nutrition Program benefits and other residents who lack convenient alternatives. Many speakers at the board meeting said the store is the neighborhood's primary full-service grocery, pharmacy and WIC outlet and that a sudden closure would create a food access crisis for nearby residents.

The board meeting drew dozens of residents and community leaders who urged supervisors to press Safeway to remain open and to require chain grocers to notify and consult with communities before closing. Dozens of public commenters described relying on the store for prescription pickup, weekly groceries and WIC benefits, and several said they do not have reliable transportation to other supermarkets.

Policy moves and next steps: Beyond the resolution, Supervisor Preston announced plans to ask the city attorney to draft a Neighborhood Grocery Protection Act modeled in part on a 1984 proposal that would require six months' notice before a neighborhood-serving grocery closes, mandate community meetings and require a search for replacement supermarket operators or other transition measures. He also said he would seek an amendment to the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) to allow qualified nonprofits to receive notice when apartments or properties are conveyed by deed in lieu of foreclosure, so they can act on preservation or acquisition opportunities.

Support and council response: The resolution was introduced as amended by Preston and seconded by Supervisor Shamann Walton; President Aaron Peskin put the item before the board. Several supervisors publicly thanked residents and community groups for organizing; Supervisor Dean Preston said the community's pressure helped secure Safeway's announced extension. Supervisor Ahsha Safaed and others urged work to convert the temporary extension into a binding community plan.

Community reaction: Representatives of the Japantown Task Force, the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, Fillmore neighborhood groups and many individual residents spoke in favor of the resolution. Speakers described seniors and disabled residents who rely on the Webster Street Safeway and urged the board to require meaningful community engagement and a replacement supermarket in any redevelopment plan for the site.

Outcome: The board adopted the resolution as amended. The resolution and the related proposed ordinance are intended to create a formal process to give neighborhoods earlier notice and input when anchor grocery stores announce closures.

Clarifying details and limits: The resolution urges Safeway to reverse course or to work with the city and the community; it does not compel Safeway to remain open by ordinance. Preston said yesterday's company announcement extended the store's planned closure to January 2025 but he noted Safeway had not specified the scope of commitments it would make during that extension. The proposed Neighborhood Grocery Protection Act is a request to the city attorney to draft legislation and is not yet an adopted law.

Community contacts at the meeting included leaders and representatives from the Japantown Task Force and the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, as well as neighborhood advocates and many residents who spoke during public comment.

Ending: Supervisors said the resolution is a near-term step to protect neighborhood food access while they draft and consider stronger, binding rules to prevent abrupt supermarket closures in the future.