Sunset Dunes: San Francisco's Controversial New Park Officially Opens

Chis Callarman walked his dog, Wendy, along the Great Highway on Saturday, the same as he has for the last five years.

“We started a lot in the pandemic when they shut it down,” he said. “It’s nice to have the whole run of the place.”

Callarman was one of the few Sunset District residents who voted in favor of 2024’s Proposition K, a citywide measure that permanently closed a section of the Great Highway to motor vehicles, which the city first started doing in April 2020 during the COVID pandemic, when social distancing measures were in place.

District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio supported the closure, much to the ire of many in his district, and is now subject to a recall election in San Francisco.

“Some of the neighbors are definitely against it and some are for it,” Callerman said, “so I kind of just stay neutral around the neighbors.”

Saturday was the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 50-acre, 2-mile park along the former Upper Great Highway from Lincoln Way down the city’s alphabetized Sunset streets to Sloat Boulevard, making it accessible by Muni’s N-Judah and L-Taraval lines, along with several bus routes.

Earlier this week, the Recreation and Parks Commission officially dubbed the new park Sunset Dunes, a reflection of the neighborhood the park sits in, as well as the sandy dunes that often have swept over the four-lane divided road.

At its official opening Saturday, Engardio addressed the thousands of people who gathered for the opening.

“This space connects people to something bigger than themselves, the power of the ocean, the beauty of the sunset, a space where a child can learn to ride a bike and dream, a space where a senior can roll in a wheelchair and remember a space for every facet of life to celebrate, mourn, heal and reflect,” he said.

But Engardio also addressed the controversy surrounding the park, comparing it to early sentiments about the Golden Gate Bridge.

“‘Too ugly,’ people said. That it looked like an upside down rat trap. Imagine the social media posts if they had Nextdoor in 1937,” Engardio said as the crowd laughed.

As Engardio spoke, a small protest that started at the Irish Cultural Center revved the engines of their motorcycles and honked their car horns and held signs supporting Engardio’s recall.

Some of those who want the highway to remain open to vehicle traffic — arguing it makes surrounding neighborhoods less congested and more safe — are encouraging residents to sign the petition to recall Engardio.

One of the protestors was Jen Dougherty, who lives on Lincoln Avenue, and said the negative effects of the highway’s closure are constant.

“We have bumper-to-bumper traffic on the block with exhaust coming in our windows, music, noise, [we] can’t get in and out of our driveways without having to wait,” she said.

Stephen Gorski said he once supported Engardio but now backs his recall because he said Engardio told his constituents that he initially supported continuing the pilot program that started in late 2022 that closed the road to vehicles on holidays and weekends, but left it open to commuters during the week.

Gorski said that “compromise” was working, but Engardio supported Prop. K, which left people like Gorski feeling betrayed.

“He lied to us,” Gorski said. “That’s what everyone’s mad about.”

Graffiti along the new park has specifically called out Engardio since the roadway officially closed on March 14. Three days before, opponents filed a legal challenge, alleging that the issue shouldn’t have gone before voters, but rather the Board of Supervisors.

The Recreation and Parks department is planning on installing more amenities along the park, including murals, sculptures, fitness equipment, a bike pump track, a skate space, and more.

Phil Ginsburg, general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, said at Saturday’s ceremony that Sunset Dunes “represents the largest pedestrianization conversion project in California history.”

“It is a milestone in San Francisco’s legacy of reimagining public space for people, for connecting the city with the coast and for prioritizing nature and play,” Ginsburg said. “It’s deeply rooted in our values.”

The city plans to use a $1 million grant from the California Coastal Conservancy to study issues surrounding the new park, such as traffic, ecology and sea level rise.

In the meantime, San Francisco residents like Dean Criscitiello will continue to enjoy the space. On Saturday, his 4-year-old son, Ozy, weaved around the roads on his blue Strider balance bike.

“When someone makes a decision to maybe make the world a little bit better or worse, take a chance, man. It’s no big deal,” he said. “They could always flip it back around if it doesn’t work, but I think it’s gonna work fine.”