From: James Freed
Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2026 10:19 AM
To: City Council <[email protected]>
Cc: Jane Riley <[email protected]>
Subject: Say No to Grocery Outlet
To the Sebastopol City Council and Sebastopol Planning Commission RE: Grocery Outlet moving into the old Rite Aid location
Dear Mayor, Members of the City Council, and Planning Commission Members, I’m a 23-year resident of Sebastopol, and I’m writing to urge you all not to allow Grocery Outlet to locate a new store at the former Rite Aid location. Sebastopol has a General Plan that is supposed to support local businesses over national chain stores. There are already seven grocery stores within three miles of downtown Sebastopol. Adding an eighth downtown will take business away from the others.
Adding another national chain to that location will also detract from Sebastopol’s smalltown character and create even more traffic congestion in an already overburdened area.
Sebastopol’s General Plan requires the city to support existing local businesses, avoid creating an oversupply of similar stores, and protect Sebastopol’s unique West County character. Approving Grocery Outlet’s move into our city goes against all of those principles.
Please protect Sebastopol and follow the General Plan. Do not allow Grocery Outlet to add a store in Sebastopol.
Sincerely,
James Freed