Closing would hurt neighborhood

Thousands of our neighbors rely on the Kroger at Northern Lights Shopping Center for groceries, produce, pharmacy and financial services, but that Kroger is slated to close at the end of the month. Without Kroger, this part of North Linden will be without ready access to a full-service grocery store and the fresh fruit, vegetables and other healthful whole foods that it sells.

Some of our mostvulnerable neighbors will be forced to choose between corner stores with their limited choices and higher prices or traveling miles to a full-service grocery. Those without reliable transportation will be forced to take the bus to buy weekly staples, juggling grocery bags and with children in tow. Senior citizens will be forced to travel farther for prescriptions, and many who rely on the financial services will end up paying more to cash their checks, pay their bills, or send money to relatives.

Proximity to grocery stores even affects property values. We’ve seen the results of living without a full service grocery store nearby in other parts of the county, and the results are predictably poor.

When Kroger announced with less than a month’s notice that it would be shutting the doors to a store it has operated for 60 years, the community was caught off-guard. Since then, city, county and township officials have met with community members and with leadership from Kroger. We want to support the neighborhood and are willing to work with Kroger to help it keep its doors open.

We’ve asked that Kroger at least delay the closing for the concerned partners to identify alternatives to fill the gap the closing will leave. Kroger has been a good neighbor and corporate citizen, and I hope that we can count on it to continue that tradition.

John O’Grady Franklin County commissioner