Whole Foods in the Castro? Maybe not.

The old S&C Ford dealership at Dolores & Market has been sitting empty for years, pining to become a snazzy new Whole Foods market with condos above it. But if the City Planning Department has its way, the market would have to charge for parking in order to limit the number of cars waiting to get in to the 60-spot parking lot off Dolores. Trader Joe’s gave up on its quest to open a store a few blocks up because of this requirement. The Church & Market Safeway, meanwhile, has no such requirement.

My question to City Planning: have you seen the lines of cars waiting to park at Rainbow Grocery lately? Or Trader Joe’s on Masonic? Or Whole Foods on Franklin? (I guess that’s three questions.) My point is that a lot of people drive to buy groceries and will continue to do so, despite the city’s policy of “transit first.” I hope that both sides can continue to work on this issue so the S&C Ford location will be put to better use than the slow deterioration of a building in a prime location.