San Francisco’s $20 Million Battle: Voters Set to Demolish Coastal Park They Just Created

San Francisco voters will decide in November whether to tear down a brand-new oceanfront park they approved just two years ago—at a staggering cost of up to $20 million to taxpayers.

The city’s Department of Elections confirmed Thursday that a ballot measure to demolish Sunset Dunes Park and reopen the upper Great Highway to vehicle traffic has qualified for the November ballot. This marks the fourth consecutive election cycle that San Franciscans will battle over the fate of this two-mile stretch of former coastal roadway.

It’s government dysfunction at its finest.

A Park Built on Voter Mandate—Now Targeted for Destruction

Sunset Dunes Park opened in April 2025 after voters approved its creation through Proposition K in 2024. The oceanfront attraction features picnic areas, hammocks, fitness equipment, skate and bike amenities, and Pacific viewing areas along what was once the upper Great Highway.

The new ballot measure would reverse that decision entirely—requiring the city to dismantle every park feature, eliminate weekday access when roughly 60% of visits occur, and restore vehicle traffic to the former roadway.

City agencies, including the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, estimate demolition costs at more than $14 million. Opponents argue the real price tag could hit $20 million once all related work is complete.

That’s $20 million San Francisco doesn’t have—money that could address the city’s homelessness crisis, repair crumbling infrastructure, or tackle its massive public safety challenges.

Six Years of Political Warfare and Wasted Resources

The Great Highway controversy began during the COVID-19 pandemic when the roadway was temporarily closed to regular traffic. What should have been a straightforward emergency measure has devolved into a six-year political circus that has consumed millions in campaign spending and countless hours of government resources.

In 2022, voters approved Proposition I, making the closure permanent. But west-side residents remained furious, arguing the decision created traffic nightmares and eliminated crucial parking without adequate community input.

Last September, those residents successfully recalled Supervisor Joel Engardio, who championed the Sunset Dunes transformation. The recall fight alone featured $1.1 million in total spending, following another $1 million battle over Proposition K.

That’s $2.1 million spent fighting over a park—before accounting for the potential $20 million to tear it down.

Mayor Lurie’s Embarrassing Political Fumble

Mayor Daniel Lurie quickly found himself trapped in this coastal quagmire after his appointed successor to Engardio’s seat spectacularly imploded.

Beya Alcaraz lasted barely a week as Sunset supervisor before media outlets discovered she had paid employees under the table at her former pet store while allowing scores of mice to die amid rodent feces.

It was an embarrassing unforced error that highlighted the dysfunction plaguing city leadership.

On his second attempt, Lurie appointed Alan Wong, who reportedly supports the new ballot measure to demolish the park. The mayor’s office declined to comment for this story—a telling silence that suggests political calculation over principled leadership.

The Real Issue: San Francisco Can’t Make a Decision and Stick With It

This isn’t really about parks versus cars. It’s about a city government that cannot make coherent decisions and honor the will of voters.

San Francisco residents have now voted twice—in 2022 and 2024—to transform the Great Highway into public space. Those weren’t close calls made in low-turnout special elections. These were clear mandates delivered in major election cycles.

Yet here we are again, forcing voters back to the ballot box to relitigate the same question while threatening to waste $20 million demolishing what they just built.

“Demolishing one of the city’s most used parks isn’t just an awful idea, it’s a boondoggle that would cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars with no upside,” said Lucas Lux, president of Friends of Sunset Dunes.

He’s right—though “boondoggle” is putting it mildly.

Traffic Concerns Don’t Justify This Waste

Supporters of reopening the Great Highway argue the park hasn’t generated sufficient weekday usage and traffic impacts persist in surrounding neighborhoods.

“Now that people have more understanding of what kind of happened [with Prop. K] and have seen the results of what Sunset Dunes has produced—which is not much—I think people are feeling differently,” said Jamie Hughes, a spokesperson for the reopening effort.

But spending $20 million to address traffic flow in one San Francisco neighborhood is fiscal insanity when the entire city faces existential challenges with homelessness, drug addiction, retail flight, and public safety.

Supervisor Stephen Sherrill nailed it: “Spending nearly $20 million we don’t have is irresponsible. Let’s stay focused on clean and safe streets, and on addressing the massive housing crisis in our city.”

The new measure would still ban cars from Friday evenings through Monday mornings—meaning the roadway would remain closed during peak recreational hours anyway. This compromise satisfies no one while maximizing taxpayer expense.

Progressive Politics Meets Reality

State Senator Scott Wiener and a majority of the Board of Supervisors support preserving Sunset Dunes—which isn’t surprising given San Francisco’s progressive political culture that prioritizes climate adaptation and car-free spaces.

Supervisor Myrna Melgar framed opposition to the demolition effort in characteristic terms: “The voters of San Francisco already voted to allow San Franciscans to adapt to climate change in a positive and joyful way that is to the benefit of all. This cynical and expensive attempt to destroy a beautiful park will fail.”

But this isn’t about climate change or joy—it’s about whether San Francisco can function as a coherent city government that makes decisions based on fiscal reality and voter mandates rather than endless political warfare.

The Bottom Line

San Francisco faces a choice in November: Honor the will of voters expressed in two previous elections, or waste $20 million tearing down a functional park to restore a roadway that will remain closed on weekends anyway.

It shouldn’t be a difficult decision.

The city’s progressive leadership loves to lecture America about climate change, inequality, and democratic values. Yet they can’t maintain basic governance functions or respect their own voters’ decisions without relitigating them every two years.

This is what happens when political dysfunction becomes normalized—when special interests and aggrieved constituencies can force endless do-overs until they get the result they want, regardless of cost or previous voter mandates.

San Francisco voters should reject this wasteful measure decisively. Not because the park is perfect, but because cities must be able to make decisions and move forward rather than spinning in expensive circles.

The rest of California—and America—is watching. And what they’re seeing isn’t encouraging.