A SAN FRANCISCO Superior Court judge on Monday rejected a legal challenge to Proposition K, the 2024 voter-approved initiative to close parts of the Great Highway on the western end of the city to vehicles.
The ruling was hailed by supporters of the law, but Supervisor Alan Wong, whose District 4 includes some of the western neighborhoods, repeated his pledge to support another ballot measure to decide the fate of the highway, which has become a park called Sunset Dunes.
The lawsuit was filed by opponents to the Sunset Dunes project, which jettisoned vehicle traffic to create the 2-mile, 50-acre park stretching from Sloat Boulevard to Lincoln Way.
The lawsuit, Boschetto v. the City and County of San Francisco, was brought by former supervisor candidate Matt Boschetto and sought to undo the voter-approved Proposition K.
The plaintiffs argued that the measure was invalid because such road closures allegedly could not be dictated by voters and violated state vehicle code. Judge Jeffrey Ross disagreed and declared the initiative lawful.
The contentious swath of land and its disputed use led to the recall last fall of former District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio, who led support for Proposition K.
Before voters took to the polls to oust him, Engardio made sure to mention that recalling him wouldn’t reverse Proposition K or the transformation of the Great Highway into a permanent oceanfront park.
“If they recall me today, they will not have a say in my replacement,” he said in an interview in August. “Recalling me won’t change anything about the Great Highway or Sunset Dunes.”
On Monday, he released a statement about the judge’s decision.
“It’s time to consider Sunset Dunes settled,” said Engardio. “Too many people have seen how the park is good for the environment, local businesses, and the physical and mental health of every visitor. Future generations will see this as a silly controversy because the park’s benefits far outweigh the fears of traffic jams that never happened. The coast belongs to everyone and it won’t be long before a majority everywhere will embrace the wonderful and magical Sunset Dunes.”
New ballot push brewing
Wong, who was appointed to Engardio’s seat in late November representing the Sunset and Parkside neighborhoods, said Monday that he opposed Proposition K and would consider another ballot initiative.
Wong last month said he would support another ballot measure to undo Proposition K and restore a “compromise” that previously had the Great Highway open to cars on weekdays and turned it into a park for pedestrians and bicyclists on the weekends.
“If this decision holds, then the only way to reopen the Great Highway for vehicles on weekdays is for another ballot measure,” said Wong. “I voted No on Proposition K and supported the compromise, but I began my term wanting to hear from all Sunset District residents. After listening to organizations and individuals across the political spectrum in the Sunset District, it’s clear to me that my values align with a majority of District 4. I’m prepared to support a ballot initiative to reopen the Great Highway and restore the original compromise.”
Lucas Lux, president of Friends of Sunset Dunes, called those opposed to Proposition K “anti-park zealots” and cheered the judge’s decision.
“Now that they’ve lost two lawsuits and two elections, we invite them to accept the will of San Franciscans and work with us to make the most of our collective coastal park,” Lux said in a statement Monday.