Supervisor Recall Begins

The drive to remove from office District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio has begun.

The SF Department of Elections approved a petition on Jan. 21 to recall Engardio, submitted by a group called Our Neighborhood, Our Future. That started a 120-day period to get just less than 10,000 signatures to qualify for a special election later this year.

A kickoff event for the recall was held Feb. 1 at the United Irish Cultural Center.

The recall petition claims Engardio worked against the best interests of his constituency by submitting a citywide ballot measure in secrecy, needlessly creating a dangerous environment for westside residents.

Sunset Surprise

The recall stems from November’s citywide vote on Proposition K, legislation Engardio sponsored to permanently close the Upper Great Highway (UGH) to private vehicles.

Prop. K was submitted to the SF Board of Supervisors on June 18, the last possible day to submit legislation for the November ballot.

Engardio worked on the plan for at least three months prior to the June deadline without notifying District 4 residents of the radical district-changing plan. He did not alert representatives of neighborhood organizations, business associations or non-profits. He writes a monthly column for the Sunset Beacon newspaper but never chose to mention the UGH’s potential closure. He ran for supervisor two years ago saying he valued open government.

“We deserve a City Hall that is transparent, free from corruption, fiscally responsible and embraces innovation,” Engardio wrote in the voters’ pamphlet for the November, 2022 election.

Engardio barely defeated incumbent District 4 Supervisor Gordon Mar to win his seat.

During that election he also voiced support for the current “compromise plan” at the UGH, which allows vehicle use from Monday to Friday, at noon. On Saturdays and Sundays, vehicles are not allowed on the roadway. The compromise plan is no longer possible with the passage of Prop. K.

Local groups opposed to Prop. K include the Planning Association for the Richmond (PAR), Chinese American Democratic Club, Greater Geary Boulevard Merchants and Property Owners Association, People of Parkside Sunset (POPS), Irving Street Merchants Association and the Richmond and Sunset branches of the Chinatown Merchants Association.

It is hard to fathom why Engardio would pull such a stunt, but it is no secret the Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY) movement and real estate interests support Prop. K, presumably to increase housing density at Ocean Beach.

One YIMBY supporter, Jeremy Stoppelman, donated $350,000 to the effort to close the UGH.

Another YIMBY disciple, state Sen. Scott Weiner, also supported Prop. K to close the UGH.

At the California Legislature, Weiner sponsored bills to subvert local planning oversight and to allow construction to exceed a city’s legal height limits if certain conditions are met. Last year, Weiner also tried to remove the California Coastal Commission’s oversight of Ocean Beach, a terrible idea that failed.

In the fight to keep the Upper Great Highway open for everyone, Engardio’s sneaky-secrecy concerning Prop. K put local residents who opposed the UGH closure at a huge disadvantage, especially when it came to fundraising. Proponents of closing the UGH spent more than three times as much money as their counterparts. As well, Engardio’s last-minute actions foreclosed on the option to keep the current compromise at the UGH, an option that many local residents favor.

The election shows westside residents overwhelmingly voted, by 65% to 70% or more, to keep the UGH open. But, eastside residents, who were promised a grand oceanside park, voted in large numbers to close the roadway. The short window for action and the lack of money for outreach hurt those who opposed Engardio’s secret cabal. (District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who was barely re-elected, also sponsored Prop. K.)

There should have never been a citywide vote on an important transportation issue that almost exclusively negatively affects westside residents.

Public Safety Peril

Proponents of the recall claim the closure of the UGH will harm public safety. Of course it will.

The plan is to detour 14,000-20,000 vehicles a day onto Lincoln Way and Sunset Boulevard (as well as 19th Avenue), roadways that are already identified as “high-risk” traffic arteries. Of course, thousands of vehicles will choose instead to use surface roads throughout the west side to reach their destinations.

Prop. K was passed despite the fact that major traffic studies were not conducted beforehand.

The closure of the UGH hurts many residents, including parents trying to get their kids to school and sporting events, veterans who need medical care at the V.A. Hospital and locals going to the SF Zoo. It will slow emergency response times for ambulances and firefighters, as well as slow emergency rescue operations conducted by the fire department’s cliff and surf rescue specialists, located in the Outer Richmond.

Engardio’s Prop. K also:

• Promises a grand Oceanside park despite there being no plans or money to create one.

• Closes a major evacuation route in case of fire, earthquake or other major disaster.

• Increases air pollution and works against the City’s effort to combat climate change.

•  Creates angered divisiveness among westside residents, especially on the internet.

• Kills any potential compromise between stakeholders as to how the UGH is shared by everyone.

• Restricts the ability of westside residents to move freely, efficiently and via the most climate-friendly way.

Engardio earned some good will as a rookie legislator, especially with the creation of night markets and his support for algebra in the eighth grade, but with the introduction of Prop. K, he demonstrated a lack of judgment, lack of ethics and lack of common sense.

District 4 voters elected Engardio to work for the district’s best interests, but how can you do that if you keep your constituents in the dark and don’t seek feedback?

In politics, the coin of the realm is trust – trust that your elected official will do what’s best for you and your neighbors. Engardio violated the trust-faith bond.

No matter how Engardio rationalizes his actions regarding Prop. K, or touts his other accomplishments in office, the bond has been broken. Engardio cannot be trusted, so he should be recalled.

Recall Petition Information

If Engardio is recalled, SF Mayor Daniel Lurie would choose a successor to fill the remainder of the term, which ends in early January 2027.

For more information about the recall, go to recallengardio.com. To request a petition or ask a question, email team@recallengardio.com.

Paul Kozakiewicz is a former publisher and current editor of the Richmond Review and Sunset Beacon newspapers.