Did you know if you tried to open a Trader Joe's, Grocery Outlet, or soon even a Mollie Stone's in San Francisco - you can't? That's because SF has a rule that formula retail chain stores that have more than 11 stores (worldwide!) can not open in commercial districts without a conditional use permit. With grocery stores and pharmacies closing across our city, these permits can delay opening new stores by 6-9 months - delaying much needed affordable food in our neighborhoods. So today I announced legislation to fix it. Going forward, any parcel already designated as a formula retail chain can convert to a grocery store or pharmacy without an additional conditional use permit. This will save them months on opening. For any new grocery store that opens, we will also allow them to include a bank, pharmacy, or restaurant without the need for another conditional use permit. As grocery stores consolidate and get smaller, this will help them occupy larger spaces while also bring more needed services to neighborhoods in need. And lastly, we will add grocery stores and pharmacies to the city's priority processing list. Importantly, this legislation isn't going to change the character of your neighborhood. It only regulates parcels that are already designated for formula retail chains. Because amidst an affordability crisis restricting access to food and medicine, we need to make it easier to open needed services. Not bury them in red tape. Thank you Supervisors Sherrill and Melgar for your early cosponsorship of our legislation. We will introduce it at the Board of Supervisors in the weeks ahead, and expect it to pass before the end of the year.