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Community leaders urge Board of Supervisors to act after Fillmore Safeway closure announcement
Summary
Residents, neighborhood associations and advocates called the board to hold hearings and pursue community-centered solutions after the announced closure of the Fillmore Safeway, saying the loss threatens seniors, people with limited mobility and neighborhood food access.
Community leaders and residents used the board’s public-comment period to request immediate hearings and actions after the announced closure of the Fillmore Safeway.
Supervisor Mahmood (addressing colleagues during introductions) described plans to file for a hearing on the impending Safeway closure and said his office had received calls from seniors and refugees about losing access to groceries, pharmacy and banking services; he announced coordination with the mayor’s office on short-, medium- and long-term responses. “We heard our constituents; they deserve to be heard,” Supervisor Mahmood said.
Multiple public commenters framed the closure as an emergency for the Fillmore, Western Addition and Japantown neighborhoods. Marlene Morgan, president of the Cathedral Neighborhood Association, said the closure was occurring "without any discussion, input, ... or short term plan" and asked the board to insist on transitional security and operational plans from the seller or prospective buyer. David Robinson, president of the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association, congratulated the board’s new members and urged collaborative approaches to neighborhood stability.
Reverend Amos Brown and other community members urged historic‐preservation and reparative options for the Fillmore site, including landmarking culturally significant sites and exploring community ownership or trusts. Speakers emphasized impacts on seniors and families and said redevelopment risked long vacancies and security hazards if a sale proceeds without community oversight.
Why it matters: The Fillmore Safeway is described repeatedly by speakers as a neighborhood lifeline for food, prescriptions and banking; its closure raises access and equity questions for seniors and households with limited mobility.
What happens next: Supervisor Mahmood said he will file paperwork to hold a hearing before the land use committee; the board did not take immediate action on the Safeway during this meeting but several supervisors pledged to pursue hearings and community engagement.
