Legislation Wants Frisco to be Wal-Free

SAN FRANCISCO-The Land Use Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will vote next week on legislation that would ban large retailers like Wal-Mart by prohibiting stores larger than 120,000 sf from locating anywhere but Downtown and selling significant amounts of nontaxable items such as groceries. The ordinance, which aims to protect smaller retailers, has been headed for the committee since November. If the legislation is approved by the Land Use Committee, it moves on to a vote of the full board. Nearby cities such as Oakland and Martinez already have approved similar legislation. Contra Costa County voters recently voted in favor of Wal-Mart by rejecting a measure that would have prohibited such development. Wal-Mart says it intends to open 40 of its 200,000-sf “super centers” in California over the next four years. The first one opened earlier this month near Palm Springs, in La Quinta. Plans for Northern California include stores near Stockton, Turlock, Redding, Gilroy, Chico, Lodi and Yuba City.