CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to land use and zoning; prohibiting negative use restrictions that limit a property's use as a grocery store or pharmacy; adding a new Section 23.42.140 to the Seattle Municipal Code; amending Sections 23.90.004 and 23.90.018 of the Seattle Municipal Code; declaring an emergency; and establishing an immediate effective date; all by a 3/4 vote of the City Council.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The City finds and declares:
A. Grocery stores and pharmacies provide essential goods and services necessary for the public health and safety of the people of Seattle.
B. Grocery stores and pharmacies operate with thin profit margins and face numerous impediments to remaining open, including but not limited to the rising cost of goods and labor, tariffs, theft, and increasing competition with online shopping.
C. Multiple grocery stores in the City have recently closed or announced closures, including a Whole Foods Market on Capitol Hill and a Fred Meyer in the Lake City neighborhood.
D. Multiple pharmacies in the City have closed or have been announced for closure in the past year, including a Rite Aid in Wedgwood and a Bartell Drugs in University Village.
E. The closing of a single grocery store or pharmacy increases the risk that convenient access to essential goods and services may no longer be available or become more difficult for hundreds of people.
F. Lack of a grocery store or pharmacy located in close proximity to someone's work, school, or home increases their risk of food insecurity and creates a barrier to acquiring needed medications.
G. The City's Comprehensive Plan includes goals and policies which establish convenient access to grocery stores and pharmacies as a matter of public policy for the City, including but not limited to Policy GS 1.14, which directs the City to "s...
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