San Francisco‘s bruising battle over an iconic coastal roadway has already spawned a citywide poll measure, a supervisor’s recall and thousands and thousands of {dollars} of political warfare — now it’s headed for spherical 4.
Town’s Division of Elections confirmed Thursday {that a} poll measure in search of to tear aside Sundown Dunes Park and reopen the higher Nice Freeway to automobile site visitors has certified for the November poll, teeing up yet one more bitter showdown over the previous Ocean Seaside roadway, which runs subsequent to the Pacific Ocean alongside the western fringe of San Francisco.
The measure would reverse Proposition Okay, a 2024 voter-approved transformation of the freeway into Sundown Dunes, a two-mile oceanfront park that opened in April 2025 and options picnic areas, hammocks, health tools, skate and bike facilities, and seating overlooking the Pacific.
Opponents wasted no time blasting the brand new proposal as an costly and pointless try and undo what voters have already determined.
“Demolishing one of many metropolis’s most used parks isn’t simply an terrible concept, it’s a boondoggle that may value taxpayers tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars} with no upside,” Lucas Lux, president of Buddies of Sundown Dunes, advised The Submit.
Lux mentioned the measure would require the town to dismantle each park characteristic, eradicate weekday entry to the park — when supporters say roughly 60% of visits happen — and erase what advocates describe as one among San Francisco’s most profitable new public areas.
“Knowledge has debunked any remaining site visitors considerations,” Lux mentioned, “and native companies are flourishing because of the park, which this measure would destroy.”
An evaluation by metropolis companies, together with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Company, estimates it might value greater than $14 million to dismantle Sundown Dunes and restore the roadway. Opponents have argued the last word price ticket might strategy $20 million as soon as demolition and associated work are full.
Over the past six years, the Nice Freeway has grow to be one among San Francisco’s most politically combative points because the roadway was first closed to common site visitors in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as a brief emergency measure has developed right into a years-long debate over transportation, recreation, local weather adaptation and neighborhood high quality of life.
In 2022, voters in the end permitted Prop. I, making the closure everlasting — together with John. F Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park — and paving the way in which for Sundown Dunes Park in a subsequent vote. However the controversy hardly ended there.
Final September, livid west-side residents efficiently recalled Joel Engardio, a metropolis and county supervisor who led the poll measure to create Sundown Dunes. They argued that Engardio failed to assemble neighborhood enter because the Nice Freeway served as a key site visitors hall, resulting in longer commutes and fewer neighborhood parking. That battle featured $1.1 million in whole spending on each side, following a $1 million battle on Prop. Okay.
Mayor Daniel Lurie, whose camp declined remark, rapidly discovered himself mired within the mess after his appointed successor, Beya Alcaraz, lasted slightly greater than every week as a Sundown supervisor.
The San Francisco Normal and different media retailers quickly discovered Alcaraz had paid her former pet retailer staff below the desk whereas permitting scores of mice to die because the store was littered in rodent feces.
On a second try, Lurie appointed Alan Wong, who’s reportedly supporting the brand new poll measure.
Now, in spite of everything that, voters will likely be requested to revisit the battle as soon as once more.
Supporters of preserving Sundown Dunes embody state Sen. Scott Wiener, a majority of the Board of Supervisors and neighborhood organizations.
“The voters of San Francisco already voted to permit San Franciscans to adapt to local weather change in a optimistic and joyful manner that’s to the advantage of all,” Supervisor Myrna Melgar mentioned in a press release.
“This cynical and costly try and destroy a stupendous park will fail.”
Supervisor Stephen Sherrill argued the town has extra urgent priorities.
“Spending practically $20 million we don’t have is irresponsible,” Sherrill mentioned in a press release. “Let’s keep targeted on clear and protected streets, and on addressing the huge housing disaster in our metropolis.”
Supporters of the poll measure counter that partially reopening the higher Nice Freeway to automobiles would restore a key transportation hall, bettering neighborhood site visitors circulation and reversing a misguided experiment.
Jamie Hughes, a spokesperson for the trouble to reopen the Nice Freeway, advised the Submit that he enjoys Sundown Dunes — however it’s not getting sufficient use past the weekends, and site visitors impacts haven’t receded. He added that new measure would nonetheless ban automobiles from Fridays at 6 pm to Mondays at 4 am.
“Now that folks have extra understanding of what sort of occurred [with Prop. K] and have seen the outcomes of what Sundown Dunes has produced — which isn’t a lot — I feel persons are feeling in a different way and there has simply been extra sentiment to vote on this,” Hughes mentioned.
