About the food market

By Anne Seifert

With all residents working together and with help from the City, we may bring back a food market to our Seal Beach Village shopping center.

When Burnham bought the Leisure World Shopping Center (renamed Seal Beach Village) it sought to upgrade the center as well as the stores. The existing Seal Beach Market could not agree to the new rent terms and felt forced to close its doors. Resident protest was strong. Why can't the Seal Beach Market stay?

In a filled to capacity Clubhouse 2, Burnham representatives addressed our concerns. They would seek another market for the Center. I attended that meeting and suggested the Farmer's Market idea. (It was a band-aid solution, but one Burnham later implemented to address the immediate problem.)

When the Seal Beach Market closed, after January 2008, a group of residents appealed to the GRF Board of Directors to locate a market within our gates. From their petition drive, an overwhelming majority of residents (96%) wanted the market. But, the request was turned down by that Board upon legal advice about potential risks. Months later Burnham announced that Long's Drugs, now CVS, would become a new tenant, and they would be able to provide a small food section.

In the meantime some residents manage between the Pharmacy and Farmer's Market for marketing. Also, another option became available: free buses to Ralph's. But, have you ever tried these buses? How many bags can you carry? What about ice cream and frozen foods? Without a car, it's a struggle, but better than nothing-- and we are thankful to those trying to help. But the real solution to enhance our quality of life still rests with having a food market in `our own' neighborhood center.

Can this project be brought to the front burner again? George Early, GRF Director, is leading the charge again, assembling a volunteer committee to review the possibilities. Burnham still has contractual obligations with CVS which may make the going slow, but perhaps not impossible.

And what can the City of Seal Beach itself do? Most think nothing, but I think otherwise. Let's look at history again. When our City wants a business to locate here, what does it do? It grants a few favors-- often a monetary incentive or subsidy to encourage that business. Pinnacle Petroleum, Inc. received a sales credit from the City, and Amonix, Inc., a solar panel company, will get a 30% rebate (for sales & use tax over $25,000/quarter) from the City. Yes, a food market is literally small potatoes! But, maybe even our City would pitch in.

We--- interested residents, the newly formed GRF ad hoc committee, and myself, if elected to City Council--- could all work together to make it happen.