The Kent City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance that will prohibit owners of grocery, drug stores and pharmacies from having restrictive covenants that ban similar businesses from moving into their vacant buildings.

Bill Ellis, city chief economic development officer, told the council at its Oct. 21 Committee of the Whole meeting that the practice is pretty standard where a grocery store will shut down but not allow another grocery store to move in.

“When they vacate, they want to make sure there are not competitors,” Ellis said.

Ellis used as an example of the former Albertsons store that became a 24-Hour Fitness in Panther Lake, at the northeast corner of SE 208th Street and 108th Avenue SE. The store closed in 2012. The building became a fitness club in 2018. He said Albertson

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