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Engardio’s Ouster Sends a Clear Message: Listen to Voters, Not Lobbyists
Supervisor Joel Engardio’s recall wasn’t just about the Great Highway; it was about who our elected leaders represent.
The highway closure was the first salvo in a broader YIMBY lobbyist and tech billionaire agenda to force high-rises and redevelopment across San Francisco, starting with the Western and Northern portions of San Francisco.
Voters saw it for what it was: an utter disregard and betrayal by their elected officials in favor of the interests of big-money donors.
That same disregard now comes from Mayor Daniel Lurie. His reckless upzoning plan marches forward despite thousands of emails from residents and opposition from a broad coalition of organizations.
The plan incentives speculative towers along commercial corridors, built for the next wave of AI workers, not affordable homes for families, seniors, service workers, or local merchants.
We want to remind everyone, including Mayor Lurie, the Planning Department, and the State oversight body (HCD), that in 2023, four and six-plex legislation was signed into law. That legislation created the capacity for 400,000 units. Add the 70,000 units in the pipeline, and San Francisco has ten times more than the 36,000 net units required by the state.
Meanwhile, the State Department of Finance projects only 17,000 new residents by 2050 and there are 40,000 vacant units sitting empty. Lurie's upzoning scheme is unnecessary, excessive, and counterproductive to achieving real affordability in San Francisco.
Politically, it's a losing strategy. San Franciscans aren’t fooled. The Engardio recall proved that when constituents are ignored, they organize, push back, and win.
City Hall should take note: Engardio is a cautionary tale.
The Wiener Playbook: Senator Wiener started this west side redevelopment process with SB 951, an attempt to strip San Francisco’s coastline from Coastal Commission oversight. Closing the Great Highway is part of the same effort. Beware, another version of SB 951 will be introduced next year by Senator Wiener.
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