By Poppy Gilman
As a Sunset resident, small business owner, mother and urban planner, I am deeply frustrated by the misleading rhetoric being used to justify a recall of Supervisor Joel Engardio.
I support Joel because I’ve experienced the kind of leader he is – inclusive, accessible, responsive, and above all, visionary. He genuinely listens, seeks collaboration and brings people together around shared goals for our neighborhood.
When I first mentioned starting a Noriega merchant group, Joel invited me to join the broader One Sunset group. That small but meaningful gesture made me feel seen and welcomed in a way that others hadn’t. He has a way of opening doors and ensuring that new voices have a seat at the table.
We don’t always agree, but Joel has always been transparent and respectful. He answers his own emails. He explains his decisions clearly. And he shows up in person. That kind of accessibility and honesty is rare in public office – and it has earned my trust.
Joel is also proactive and effective. While new to the Board of Supervisors, he’s used his experience in navigating City Hall to deliver real results for the Sunset. From launching new ways to engage residents to securing funding for neighborhood improvements, he has shown initiative and leadership every step of the way.
And I personally take offense to some of Albert Chow’s statements from his commentary last week and would like to rebut them.
Night Markets
Joel worked with community partners to bring the Sunset Night Markets to life. The markets were inspired by merchants wanting a nighttime event and Joel’s visits to Taipei to visit family with his husband. Joel rallied city departments, vendors and neighbors to turn the idea into a large-scale, joyful celebration of small business and community. Without Joel’s involvement, that simply wouldn’t have happened.
The night markets brought thousands of people to our neighborhood – many for the first time – and gave local businesses a major boost. The energy was vibrant and inclusive. The Sunset felt alive.
Although it’s unfortunate they won’t continue this year, I believe they can return stronger through community collaboration and with Joel helping lead the way.
Prop. K / Sunset Dunes
I’ve supported the Sunset Dunes park plan from the beginning. As a parent and urban planner, I believe in expanding access to open space, especially as our population grows.
I understand that some had concerns about traffic and access, and I wish the process and timeline had been more clearly defined. But it is simply false to say that Joel misled the public. His campaign website stated clearly that he supported the weekend pilot in the short term, and a permanent park in the future, once the southern extension of the Great Highway closed due to coastal erosion – something also mandated by the state.
And let’s not forget: Recalling Joel will not reopen the Upper Great Highway to cars. That’s not how city policy or governance works.
Prop. G / Algebra in Eighth Grade
The school district finally decided to bring Algebra back to eighth grade after parents spent nearly a decade trying to reverse the failed policy. It was Joel’s Prop. G that galvanized public attention and helped make that change politically impossible to ignore.
With 82% of voters saying “yes,” the ballot measure created undeniable pressure. Joel didn’t just raise awareness – he led while working with parent advocates. And that leadership made a difference.
Taraval
I attended the Taraval Night Market. It was incredible to see so many different parts of the community come out and enjoy the evening together.
As we wandered up the street, there were lines out the door at nearly every local business. It was a moment that showed the real potential of thoughtful public space activation. While the organizer could have coordinated more closely with local businesses and associations, I believe the foundation is there, and Joel is someone who can help it grow in a way that benefits the entire neighborhood.
Donations and Support
The truth is, Joel is supported by people of all means – residents, small business owners and everyday San Franciscans who share a common vision: a Sunset and a city that works.
They see in Joel what I see – a pragmatic, solutions-oriented leader who believes in collaboration, not gridlock. Someone who brings people together across differences to make real progress.
He works with the mayor. He works with his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors. And most importantly, he works with us – his constituents – to move the Sunset and San Francisco forward during this critical time of recovery.
That kind of bridge-building leadership is exactly what we need.
Joel Engardio is not perfect. No elected official is. But he is present, thoughtful and committed to a shared vision of the Sunset as a vibrant, inclusive and livable neighborhood.
This recall isn’t about accountability. It’s about division. And I reject it.
We may not all agree on every issue, and that’s OK. But let’s have these conversations in good faith, with facts, honesty and a shared commitment to the future of the Sunset. I welcome respectful dialogue, and I know Supervisor Engardio does too. That’s how real progress happens.
Poppy Gilman is a Sunset resident, small business owner, mother and urban planner.
Categories: Commentary
Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon 
If you truly believe that then more power to ya. The rest of the 80% of the west side don’t. When he ran for D7 he made this statement. He is being funded by YIMBY money and is NOT a grass roots movement. The recall is a GRASS ROOTS movement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LfmWhjxsQY
LikeLiked by 1 person
Conversations in Good Faith? You mean, like the countless townhalls and community forums held on Prop K, Sunny Dunes Park, and how we all as a community worked together to make sure that there would be a safe, well built, inclusive Skate Park as a SPECIAL FEATURE of Sunny Dunny Park?
Oops that your delusional world, not mine. The fact of the record is EVEN Engardio’s office staff didn’t know of his intention to sneak in Prop K until the minute before the deadline. This is to say NOTHING of the ad-hoc “design” decisions of this haphazard, improvised park. I dare suggest that the Skate Park idea was a bit of a middle finger to D4 on the part of Park & Rec, but that’s obviously presumptive and speculative on my part. There certainly was not even ONE community forum regarding any of this. (Update: There is one PENDING from Park & Rec.)
Speaking of Good Faith Dialogue, I’ll make one offer to you RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW.
Objectively, even SF Standard yields the fact that traffic has worsened throughout D4 and affecting neighboring districts and even municipalities. (SF Standard of course has refused to acknowledge that which you too deny–Joel stabbed D4 in the back.) Will you admit, that at least their cited traffic survey shows serious negative consequences of an ill planned shutdown of the GHW? That 20k daily users of GHW have had to have been diverted elsewhere, such as 19th, Sunset, and even the side streets?
Will you admit this much?
And furthermore, WILL JOEL ENGARDIO admit this much?
IF Joel Engardio will admit this much, I WILL DONATE $100 to his campaign.
This is my good faith offer and it stands until his recall, 9/16.
Frank Cheung
Lifelong San Franciscan and former D4 Resident
LikeLiked by 1 person
I cannot imagine that anybody ever claimed would be absolutely zero impact on traffic whatsoever. That was never something anyone promised. If your standard is “did one traffic-related metric of any kind increase even a little bit anywhere on the westside or in nearby municipalities?” Then sure, everyone will acknowledge that this change had some impact.
Everyone in this case includes Joel Engarido. His own website has a post from last October (https://engardio.com/blog/great-highway-future) that said “The study determined there would be an additional travel time of 3 minutes to use Sunset Boulevard instead of the Great Highway between Lincoln and Sloat.” If you want to people to “admit” that, then everyone including Engardio said just that before anybody even voted.
But there are two things to keep in mind:
– Great Highway south of Sloat was closing no matter what, as was planned over a decade ago (and voters rejected the measure to try to stop that from happening in 2022). More than 80% of Great Highway drivers were going to/from the Peninsula. All of them would have been “diverted elsewhere” with or without Prop K because the road would no longer go to the Peninsula. The city did work in advance to prepare for that change to keep traffic moving along new routes. This was going to have significant impacts on traffic with or without Prop K.
– There was no traffic apocalypse. The Chronicle’s study shows a worst-case impact of 4 minutes for one route during morning rush hour, less at other times and for other routes. Chain of Lakes is slower by a couple mph at rush hour according to the Chronicle study, which is indeed an impact, but going around the park on GH north of Lincoln is traffic-free and often faster in my experience.
Is that a difference? Of course. And we should have a civil conversation about it and how to address it. But it’s my personal experience, the experience of friends I’ve talked to, and the data provided by the Chronicle that traffic has not changed significantly and is about as expected: some things are a little better, some things are a little worse, and others mostly the same, but we’re talking about a couple minutes here and there. There hasn’t been any sort of neighborhood destroying chaos. Our streets aren’t gridlocked. Rush hour speeds are largely within a couple percentage points of what they were before according to the Chronicle.
The trade-off is that we get a coastal park that quickly became one of the city’s most visited and a lot of people are enjoying. Some people think that trade-off is worth it and others disagree. That disagreement is fine and healthy in a democracy. What it’s not is a reason for rage, recalls, and the sheer vitriol that some people keep pumping out.
I’m a lifelong San Franciscan and current D4 resident, though I don’t really know why that should give me more say than anyone else.
As an aside, I don’t see how a skate park is a “middle finger” to the neighborhood. The westside had a skate park that closed a couple years ago to build housing for public school teachers. Now it has a new one. It seems well-used whenever I walk past it, so why is that a bad thing?
LikeLike
Julie. Does honesty matter?
Supervisor Joel Engardio was elected on promises he hasn’t kept. He bypassed the community and silenced Sunset residents. As a public servant paid by taxpayers, his job is to listen and represent District 4, but he hasn’t done that.
There was no town hall or public input before he submitted the permanent plan for the Great Highway. He knew the community wanted to maintain the compromise, yet he moved forward with a permanent closure without informing the public. When residents found out through the news, he responded by saying the entire city should decide, ignoring the fact that each district has its own representative, and his responsibility is to serve Sunset.
Meanwhile, his followers falsely claimed the compromise would remain until its original expiration date of 12/31/2025, while Supervisor Engardio and his lobbyists pushed for a permanent closure behind the scenes. That misled voters, again.
Even now, instead of addressing concerns, Supervisor Engardio refers to District 4 voters as “boogeymen,” “bullies,” and “haters.” That’s not leadership.
Julie, welcome to the Sunset. I hope you moved in with respect for the community that built this neighborhood, rather than to push your own agenda. The Sunset is surrounded by parks and a beach. The Great Highway is not just recreational space, it’s a critical access route for many working-class commuters, including those from nearby cities. The current lack of traffic is temporary, largely because construction on 19th Avenue was delayed from June to August, creating a false sense of calm. And it’s the summer, school is out.
The recall isn’t just about traffic or closure. It’s about accountability, honesty, transparency, and fair representation. Supervisor Engardio was elected to serve the Sunset and he has failed in that duty. He didn’t listen, he wasn’t honest, and he undermined public trust.
That’s why I’m voting Yes on A, to recall Supervisor Engardio. Anyone with common sense should.
LikeLike
I’m not sure why you’re welcoming me to my neighborhood or lecturing me on respect for my community. It’s pretty offensive that you would assume I’m a disrespectful newcomer just because we happen to disagree on this particular matter. I respect your views on this issue, and I think it’s only fair to ask that you respect mine and not imply I lack “common sense.”
LikeLike
The Beach always existed, the path for walk/biking always existed.
You sold out to developers and liars. The majority of us did not.
LikeLike
it’s been a year now since the night market. There’s absolutely no possible reason the precise CASH revenue by local businesses has not been published. We get these numbers consistently from all the major events that take place in the city from Dental Conventions to Fleet Week to Super Bowl. Let’s see some numbers. The most likely reason it’s not being continued is that the revenues don’t justify the costs to the city.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Did you work with Supervisor Engardio to create a new merchant association, even though the Sunset already has several established ones? If so, why?
LikeLiked by 1 person
And there is this…
Dear Supervisor Engardio,
We, the Outer Sunset Merchants Association, are writing to express our concern regarding the recent Taraval Night Market on the Great Highway this past Saturday and the lack of transparency to local businesses.
While the event appeared to be aimed at fostering community spirit, many local merchants were unaware of it until seeing news coverage the night before. We are concerned about setting a precedent for this lack of outreach in future ongoing public events in the Outer Sunset and we want to signal to you that we want a seat at this table.
In light of ongoing discussions surrounding Prop K and the Great Highway Project, regardless of differing perspectives, it is essential that local stakeholders are actively included in early planning for events like this. Involving local businesses strengthens community ties and enhances the experience for everyone. A core value of our merchants association is to be part of conversations that impact commerce in the Outer Sunset, particularly for events involving the Great Highway. It is urgent that a proper and shared protocol be established to ensure local businesses are included in such events.
As many businesses are still recovering from the impacts of COVID-19 and the L Taraval Project, it is crucial that events in our area actively contribute to that recovery. We seek clarity on who gets to host events and the decision-making process involved. We’ve heard concerns from various stakeholders regarding commerce on the Great Highway, and we would like to better understand the discussions that have taken place regarding how best to support local businesses. The handling of past events has been inadequate, and we cannot allow this to continue.
It is unacceptable that three bars were included while many local businesses offering similar services were neither notified nor invited, resulting in a lack of benefit for them. This issue extends to food vendors and local artisans as well.This oversight harms our local community and undermines confidence in the process.
We need strong support for our local businesses, particularly during peak weekend times, as they are essential for the survival of these local merchants and jobs for our employees. Local businesses must have a seat at the table to ensure our livelihoods are not negatively impacted.
Specifically, we request more information on:
We believe if there are to be events, there’s to be an intentional focus on strengthening the existing local economy first. We request a meeting with local stakeholders to discuss these issues at your earliest convenience.
This is time sensitive and we look forward to your response.
Best regards,
Outer Sunset Merchants Association Leadership Team – 09.26.2024
Kathryn Grantham, Saskia Mauro, Buffy Maguire, Jeana Loraine, Matt Lopez
LikeLike
Joel sponsored demo of United Irish Cultural Center. New slate+ glass building includes pools,parking (46 cars),mezzanine below 6 stories.No hydrant upgrade. No known inspections of buildings on same block.Same lawyer as 2700 Sloat.Joel tried to sneak in 50 story building with demo of IrishCC. Peskin caught him.Neither building could be built safely.Water is~21′ down.SF gov stated at the last appeal at California Coastal Commission that the 800 person venue would not have impact on traffic if Great Highway is closed. Who the crook?
LikeLike
“This recall isn’t about accountability. It’s about division. And I reject it”
I take offense to this statement, Poppy. Before Joel ever became part of D4 (he was formally D7) the Sunset was 100% UNITED. We may not have agreed on all things, but we stood together and listened to each other. Joel led the “us vs. them” charge and continues to do so daily by called the Sunset residence “bullies, haters and the boogie man”. Have you EVER heard a politician speak this way about those he was trusted to support? I am a lifelong Sunset Resident, was actively involved for years with my homeowner’s association and worked closely with Norman Yee, Fiona Ma, Kathy Tang, Carmen Chu. All of them valued us and listened to us. Joel should take a page from their book. Joel is just BAD for the Sunset.
LikeLike
I’ve been involved in this Algebra I debacle since 2013. My son was the last who had Algebra I in 8th until last year. My daughter was the second under the delayed mandate.
i submitted multiple public data requests until I finally received the data to show the district was lying about its success.
SFUSD is remarkably resistant to pressure from parents and politicians.
The March 2023 lawsuit coupled with the public data exposing the lies is what finally moved the needle.
In February 2024 the district returned Algebra I to 8th. The vote for Prop G was in March. If Prop G lost or passed it didn’t matter. Algebra I was already back for the fall of 2024.
This insistence by Supervisor Engardio that he played a role is akin to driving up to the finish line. Getting out and elbowing everyone out to run over the line screaming “I won”.
This was a ten year fight involving multiple players. Supervisor Engardio should not be taking any credit for this
LikeLike
Joel is about party/event-planning, and self-promotion, such as claiming credit for outcomes attained by others.
LikeLike
It’s interesting that YIMBY Chris Larson, CEO of Ripple Labs, gave Engardio $100,000 to try and stop the ballot measure, and now another $100,000 to Engardio to vote against the recall. It seems to according to Ted Anderson, Digital Editor for the San Francisco Business Times, that Ripple Labs gave $4.9 million to Trump for his inauguration!?! Why is Larson giving all this money to Engardio? Because of night markets and algebra? Politics, developers and money.
LikeLike
Let the one who started 3 recalls be recalled.
LikeLike
None of the subjective qualities that you mention are relevant if the person is unethical at heart, of which the UGH closure is but a big symptom. Joel pro-actively betrayed the interests of his constituents on a significant issue directly affecting the district, and will likely do again on future issues facing the district. If you betray your constituents on core issues, it doesn’t matter how nice, innovative, or skillful you are or how many fun night markets you plan. District 4 doesn’t need a party-planner, but an ethical representative we can trust.
LikeLike