Sunset Won’t Become Miami

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s housing and upzoning plan is getting a lot of attention. The SF Planning Commission will consider it this month, and the SF Board of Supervisors will vote on it later this fall.

It’s important to debunk some misinformation about the plan. Ocean Beach is not going to become Miami Beach. The upzoning plan being considered does not touch the streets adjacent to the coast. The height limit along 48th, 47th and 46th avenues (and most of the Sunset) will remain the same as it always has been. I negotiated with the mayor’s staff to ensure there were no changes to existing heights on the streets adjacent to the coast.

For further protection, our city charter forbids housing development on park land. This is good news for Sunset Dunes. The former section of the Upper Great Highway between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard is now legally park land under the jurisdiction of the SF Recreation and Park Department. That means it is protected from any oceanfront housing. A third level of protection is that any changes near the coast require state Coastal Commission approval.

Fireworks

Many residents – and dogs – have been traumatized by the sounds of illegal fireworks in the Outer Sunset. This is a serious public safety issue, and my office has collaborated with San Francisco’s park rangers and the police department to bolster enforcement efforts. With Sunset Dunes designated as a park, we can use park rangers to patrol the area.

Park rangers will be doing more overnight patrols of Sunset Dunes, and you can contact them 24/7 to report fireworks: 415-242-6390.

If you see people setting up fireworks on city streets, call the police non-emergency at 415- 553-0123. If there is an emergency (damage, debris, etc.), call the police at 911.

If you find fireworks debris, please file a report with 311 and contact my office with the ticket number.

The National Park Service and U.S. Park Police have jurisdiction of the beach itself. I have asked these three agencies (U.S. Park Police, SFPD and park rangers) to work together. By coordinating their efforts, the aim is to ensure all places where fireworks happen are covered with law enforcement.

Sunset Dunes Survey

Rec. and Park is gathering community input to guide interim improvements and long-term planning for Sunset Dunes. Input from community members is key to the planning and maintenance of the space to ensure it’s welcoming for everyone in the community. Take the survey here: sfrecpark.org/1555/Sunset-Dunes.

Rec. and Park has implemented a protocol to keep pedestrians at Sunset Dunes safe. They created a “park zone” on the west side, where bikes and scooters are prohibited (except for young children on bikes). The east side is a “multi-use zone” for cyclists and runners. All users in the “multi-use zone” must yield to pedestrians. Remember, Sunset Dunes is a park and not a cyclist speedway.

Impact of Sunset Dunes

SFGate reported local businesses are seeing increases in sales and customers since Sunset Dunes opened. Meanwhile, Sunset Dunes has become one of the most visited parks in San Francisco.

A San Francisco Chronicle analysis and a new SFMTA study both reported minimal traffic impact. Thankfully, fears of gridlock never materialized. I’m taking traffic hot spots seriously and working with SFMTA to continue to address concerns.

For example, a new traffic light at Lincoln Way and 41st Avenue replaced a four-way stop sign for better traffic flow. SFMTA monitored the new light, and data showed a left turn light was needed to help cars exit Chain of Lakes onto Lincoln. SFMTA installed the left turn light in time for back-to-school traffic.

This is part of a series of improvements to increase traffic flow on the west side. Chain of Lakes has always been a bottleneck during rush hour, which is why SFMTA made it easier to go around Golden Gate Park and give drivers a better option to get between the Sunset and Richmond neighborhoods. The intersection at Lincoln and Great Highway was reconfigured with dual left and right turn lanes with a traffic signal for more flow. This allows more cars to travel around Golden Gate Park with ease as an alternative to cutting through the park.

Traffic Survey

Outer Sunset Neighbors, a community non-profit, is conducting a survey for residents to share their traffic safety concerns. The information will be used to create a safe streets working group led by volunteers. The working group is open to anyone who lives in the Sunset. The group will analyze survey results and present ideas to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety for SFMTA to consider. If you wish to join the working group, add your name at the end of the survey. Or just take the survey to provide your input: sunsetneighbors.org/streets.

Sunset Foodie Tour

There’s a lot of amazing food in the Sunset. Watch my foodie tour episodes where I talk to chefs and taste some of the best cuisines found in our neighborhoods. The owner of Noriega Cafe reported a noticeable increase in business after their episode appeared. New customers mentioned the foodie tour video and ordered dishes featured in it.

Please support our local businesses. You can watch all the episodes of the foodie tour on my website: engardio.com/blog/sunset-foodie-tour1.

Foodie Tour Episodes

• Guilin Noodles, 901 Taraval St. at 19th Avenue.

• Noriega Cafe, 1245 Noriega St. at 20th Avenue.

• Sawaii Ramen, 2240 Irving St. at 24th Avenue.

• Smokin Ds, 2181 Irving St. at 23rd Avenue.

• SoHoMei, 1240 Noriega St. at 20th Avenue.

• Sunset Supermarket, 2801 Vicente St. at 39th Avenue.

• Szechuan Cuisine, 1920 Irving St. at 20th Avenue.

• Sunset Supermarket, 2801 Vicente St. at 39th Avenue.

• Saiwaii Ramen, 2240 Irving St. at 24th Avenue.

• Bei Fang Style Restaurant, 2218 Irving St. at 23rd Avenue.

• Kingdom of Dumpling, 1713 Taraval St. at 27th Avenue.

• Win’s Restaurant, 3040 Taraval St. at 40th Avenue.

Joel Engardio is the District 4 representative on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He can be reached at engardio.com/contact.