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Residents, supervisors press for hearings after Safeway announces Fillmore closure; supervisor to file hearing request
Summary
Community members and supervisors urged action after the announced closure of the Fillmore Safeway, calling it a 'state of emergency' for neighborhood food access; Supervisor Mahmood said he will file paperwork to hold a hearing in Land Use Committee.
Residents and community groups pressed the San Francisco Board of Supervisors during public comment to act after the announced closure of the Fillmore Safeway, saying the loss threatens access to groceries, prescriptions and banking for seniors and other residents in the Fillmore, Western Addition and Japantown.
Supervisor Mahmood said he will file paperwork to hold a hearing in the Land Use Committee and said his office is working with the mayor’s office on short, medium and long‑term solutions. "We are working to ensure...there's minimal disruption of service to food security for the neighborhood," Supervisor Mahmood said, and added he will request a hearing so the community can be heard about "what is the history of this project, what are we gonna do now, and what are we gonna do next."
Multiple public speakers said the Fillmore Safeway closure would create a food desert in one of the city’s higher‑senior population districts and called for immediate transitional plans, security measures for the site and community participation in any sale or redevelopment. Marlene Morgan, president of the Cathedral Neighborhood Association and co‑chair of the Van Ness Corridor Neighborhood Association, said the community wants a security plan, a transitional plan for ongoing businesses and a proposal for what will replace the store before any sale is finalized.
Other commenters framed the closure as part of decades‑long redevelopment concerns in the Fillmore that removed community control over neighborhood anchors. Community groups delivered letters to supervisors and requested a transparent hearing involving city attorneys and staff.
Supervisor Melgar also referenced neighborhood storefront vacancies in multiple corridors and said he will ask the city attorney for planning code changes to make it easier to fill large commercial storefronts, citing recent closures of Walgreens and CVS locations.
The board did not take a formal vote on the matter during the meeting but several supervisors pledged follow‑up attention and at least one indicated a hearing would be scheduled in the Land Use Committee.
