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Supervisor Mahmoud unveils Affordable Groceries Act to address food deserts; also proposes mezzanine code harmonization
Summary
Supervisor Mahmoud introduced two measures: a pair of November ballot proposals—the Abandoned Pharmacy and Grocery tax and an Affordable Grocery Fund—to deter long‑term vacancy of grocery/pharmacy storefronts and fund conversions and storefront acquisition; she also introduced an ordinance to align planning and building code mezzanine rules to reduce project delays.
Supervisor Mahmoud told the Board on June 16 she is introducing a multi‑part package aimed at addressing grocery and pharmacy access across San Francisco and reducing project review delays caused by inconsistent code definitions.
On food access, Mahmoud described two measures she said will go to voters in November. The first—an "Abandoned Pharmacy and Grocery" tax—would hold large property owners accountable when former grocery or pharmacy storefronts sit vacant for extended periods. The second would create an Affordable Grocery Fund: a dedicated city fund to support conversions of corner stores to full grocery markets, acquire vacant buildings and lease them affordably to grocers that commit to keeping prices low, and provide grants and loans to nonprofit or worker‑owned cooperative grocery operators. Mahmoud said the package would include a gross‑receipts tax credit to incentivize pharmacies to open or remain in San Francisco and the creation of an affordable groceries working group to guide implementation.
"Vacant stores don't feed families, and empty pharmacies don't fill prescriptions," Mahmoud said, describing the measures as a mix of "a tax to stick" and "a carrot to complement the tax." She credited deputy city attorneys, planning staff, the treasurer and several community partners in designing the package and said she intends to bring it to the voters in November.
Separately, Mahmoud introduced an ordinance to harmonize the building code and planning code treatment of mezzanines. She explained the building code permits mezzanines up to 50% of the floor area (with sprinklers) while the planning code limits mezzanines to one‑third of a floor footprint, a discrepancy that can cause projects to be treated as taller buildings in planning review and delay construction.
Why it matters: The grocery measures target persistent neighborhood retail vacancies and aim to expand access to affordable food and pharmacy services through a mix of taxation, incentives and public investment. The code alignment aims to remove regulatory ambiguity that can slow housing and mixed‑use projects.
What’s next: Mahmoud said the food measures will be prepared for the November ballot; the mezzanine ordinance will proceed through the planning and legislative process.
