San Francisco grows ever more hostile to chain stores

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

A paint company and a landlord in San Francisco's Mission District thought they had a good deal when they signed the lease for a paint store to move into a former video rental shop earlier this year.

But the plan had a problem: The paint company, which owns the Glidden brand, is considered a chain store and therefore was not a popular choice. The Planning Commission stopped the move, even though the company wanted to occupy a vacant spot abandoned by bankrupt Hollywood Video, another chain.

The fight illustrates how San Francisco - a city that values homegrown companies and neighborhood character - is increasingly hostile to chain stores and restaurants, even if the businesses want to move into empty stores.

And although the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is expected to reconsider the paint store's request at its meeting today, the push to stop chain stores from opening in the city is unlikely to ease soon.

Supervisor Tom Ammiano is working on legislation to ban all chain stores from some stretches of Mission, Valencia and 24th streets in the Mission District and Cortland Avenue in Bernal Heights. Two smaller areas - in Hayes Valley and North Beach - already have outright bans on chain stores.

The city's restrictions on new chain stores have become increasingly tough over the past few years. In 2003, the Board of Supervisors approved a law requiring proposed coffeehouses and pharmacies to provide notice of their intent to open. That made it easier for opponents to request Planning Commission hearings and to argue against the stores.

In 2006, voters passed Proposition G, obligating the Planning Commission to hold public hearings on any proposed chain store and to decide whether it is appropriate based on the stores already in the area, architectural compatibility and other considerations.

Businesses fall under that law if they are retail sales establishments with 11 or more U.S. stores that maintain two or more standardized features, including decor, facade, color scheme, uniforms, signage or trademark.

Since 2006, seven of 12 chain store applications have been approved in San Francisco. The others were rejected or the applications were withdrawn.

This really is sickening.Instead of consumers deciding whether a business should prosper you've got politicians.The lack of competition means higher retail prices for consumers.San Francisco sure hates middle income and poor people:if they didn't there would be more places to shop.A disturbing tale from Blue America.