This web site exists to provide community feedback on Safeway’s proposed redevelopment of their Solano Avenue store in Albany, CA, and to help provide Safeway the encouragement it needs to build a store suitable for our community.

What we’re not opposed to

We are not opposed to a new, modern grocery store that will provide an enhanced shopping experience for the community and increased revenue for Safeway corporation.

What we cannot support

Primary store parking and delivery access on residential streets

Primary parking access as well as access for the large semi trucks that are required to supply a store of this size is currently located in the front of the store on Solano Avenue.  Safeway’s current proposal involves relocating access points for both of these services to mid way down Curtis and Neilson Streets.  This will introduce significant traffic to these residential streets as shoppers attempt to access this new, larger store from both Solano and Marin Avenues.

Inadequate parking

Standard parking ratios for suburban destination retail are 3.5 to 4 spaces per 1000 square feet; grocery stores are often higher with as many as five (5) spaces per 1000.  Albany currently requires one parking spot per 400 square feet of retail space, which equates to 2.2 parking slots per 1000 square feet.  Safeway is requesting a variance from this already low parking ratio.  Customers unable to locate parking in the store lot will spill over onto neighborhood streets, exacerbating parking difficulties for neighbors and creating additional traffic.  Nearby Solano businesses will also suffer as the chronic parking shortage may drive away customers.

A store that is excessively large or out of character for our community

Safeway’s proposal involves more than doubling the size of their store from 25,577 square feet to 55,896 square feet.  A store of this size is unnecessarily large for the needs of the Albany community and creates several major problems.

Albany’s arterials are already pushing maximum capacity:  Solano and Marin, Albany’s two main arterials, are already pushing their maximum capacity.  More than doubling the size of the store means many more customers, most of who will have to commute it via Solano and Marin.  These streets which already suffer from congestion problems many times during the day will have these problems exacerbated.  Neighbors on the city blocks between Solano and Marin already experience difficulty attempting to merge onto or cross these major arterials; adding additional traffic will increase this feeling of being “trapped.”

Specialty stores are designed to cannibalize neighboring businesses:  Safeway has indicated that a major factor driving such a large store is the desire to place a large number of specialty “sub-stores” such as a bakery and flower shop.  Much of these new additions will simply poach business from nearby establishments, without providing additional benefit to the community.

A size out of character with the neighborhood:  The current design is of such excessive size that it will be out of character with the surrounding small town, main street feel that makes Solano Avenue so special.  Safeway’s design will be two stories as it fronts Solano, and because of the land grade will rise to three stories in the rear of the lot.  While it is true that Solano has some two story businesses, most of these are fairly “shallow” in keeping with the main street feel.  The bulky big-box format Safeway is proposing will negatively alter Solano Avenue.