When Kroger shuttered its Lake City Fred Meyer this month, the neighborhood became a food desert without a full-service grocery store. Five other Kroger-owned stores have recently closed in Redmond, Everett, Kent, Tacoma and Mill Creek. Paired with the steady death of Seattle stores over the last few years, the closures sparked worry among government officials, unions and community members alike, that these food deserts could spread.
On Tuesday, the Seattle City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that declares a public health emergency, temporarily banning grocery and pharmacy chains from enforcing anti-competition covenants that could keep people from accessing fresh food. These “negative use restrictions” allow companies to block their rivals from moving onto their former lots. The ordinance will expire in one year, unless council extends it or terminates it early.
This legislation, proposed by Mayor Bruce Harrell on October 1, came after challenger Katie Wilson’s campaign pitch in partnership with UFCW 3000 to explore publicly funded grocery stores—government-run stores that provide greater food accessibility. Harrell’s legislation moved through at breakneck speed, less than one week before Election Day. Wilson is leading the race by four points, according to polling conducted by The Stranger and DHM Research…