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San Francisco Chronicle
15-06-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Vandals target the park at S.F.'s Upper Great Highway again. Here's the latest damage
A community piano beloved by visitors to San Francisco's Sunset Dunes has been destroyed amid a spate of vandalism targeting community property at the recently opened park, advocates said. An Outer Sunset resident who went to play the instrument, known colloquially as the 'wave piano' due to its proximity to the ocean, found that almost none of the keys worked early Saturday, said Lucas Lux, president of the volunteer nonprofit Friends of Sunset Dunes. Lux was also the campaign manager for Proposition K, the measure voters approved in November 2024 that closed the Upper Great Highway to cars and opened the park. All the evidence points to someone 'very intentionally' damaging the piano, ripping off the felted hammers controlling all but 10 of its keys, political communications consultant Catie Stewart told the Chronicle. Piano maintenance experts have since confirmed the instrument is damaged beyond repair. 'It's such a thing that brought joy,' Stewart said. 'I don't know why anyone would ever do that.' This is the latest in a series of acts of vandalism targeting Sunset Dunes since the 2-mile, 50-acre park opened in April, months after San Franciscans created it by voting to close a section of the Great Highway to cars. The measure has been highly controversial, and the supervisor who championed it, Joel Engardio, will face a recall election in September driven by groups opposed to the Upper Great Highway's closure. The vandalism, Lux said, has largely occurred in two separate waves. The first occurred right after the Upper Great Highway closed on March 14, with murals and asphalt marred by graffiti, and the second began shortly after Engardio's recall qualified in late May. On Thursday, just two days before the wave piano was found destroyed, park visitors discovered heavy damage to the nearby 'Ocean Calling' exhibit — a public art installation consisting of a phone booth that visitors can use to make symbolic phone calls to deceased loved ones. Someone had ripped the phone from its cord, tossed dirt and rocks into the booth and damaged its wooden frame, according to photos and videos taken shortly after the discovery. While park rangers have not identified the perpetrators of the vandalism or definitively linked the acts, Lux and others suspect they are linked to the Upper Great Highway closure controversy. He said that while he understands that members of the community are split on their views about closure, they have plenty of ways to express that discontent without harming public artworks that bring joy and comfort to park-goers. However, he added, 'most of the community regardless of their opinion treats the parks with respect.' Phil Ginsburg, general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, echoed Lux's sentiment. 'It's abhorrent that someone would try to destroy these sources of joy, connection, and healing," he said in a statement. 'But you can't break the spirit of a park, of public art, or of the people who cherish them.' Soon after the piano was found destroyed, community members spent Saturday afternoon visiting and helping 'Ocean Calling' artists Jamae Tasker and Sarah McCarthy Grimm as they restored their installation. By Sunday morning, the piece had been fully repaired, Tasker posted on Instagram. While the wave piano is irreparable, Lux said his group is looking for a new one to replace it. 'In the current world we live in, there are a lot of pianos that need homes. We'll have a wave piano back in place soon,' he said. Future pianos will have locks on their top guards to prevent similar acts of vandalism. In the meantime, a second community piano at the park, this one intersecting with Judah Street, is still operable.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Public park site of former Great Highway hit again by graffiti vandals
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco Recreation and Parks said more spray-painted messages were discovered Sunday morning at the site of the former Upper Great Highway — now being revitalized into an oceanfront public park. Why was San Francisco City Hall lit red last week? Officials said the graffiti messages included language opposing the site of the soon-to-be opened park, including 'gentriffy (sic)' and 'Your (sic) bringing trouble….' Officials said the San Franciso Police Department and park rangers responded to the incident. Rangers are increasing their patrols in the area. In November, San Franciscans voted to ban cars for a two-mile radius of the Great Highway and transform it into a public park. On March 15, one day after the highway was permanently closed to car traffic between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard, a mural by local artist Emily Fromm at the Judah Street bathroom location was 'heavy vandalized.' 'It's painful to see something meant to uplift the community and celebrate our history be treated with disrespect,' the muralist said in a news release following the incident. Friends of Ocean Beach Park said the recent act of vandalism was removed by Sunday evening thanks to its volunteers and Rec and Parks painters. 'Destructive behavior by a few won't get in the way of our work to make the coast enjoyable and accessible by all,' says Friends of Ocean Beach Park President Lucas Lux. 'There are countless constructive ways to engage in conversations about our city's future, but spray-painting public spaces isn't one of them,' added San Francisco Recreation and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg. 'We're focused on creating something beautiful for everyone, and that work will continue.' Friends of Ocean Beach Park said despite the incidents, approximately 4,000 people still head to the area each weekend. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Great Highway in San Francisco officially closed to vehicular traffic
SAN FRANCISCO - A controversial park on San Francisco's west side took another step closer to being a reality. Park rangers closed the gate to traffic on the Great Highway on Friday morning and park supporters hope they don't open again. At 5 a.m. Friday morning, San Francisco park rangers closed the gate to the Great Highway for what may be the last time. Voters in November approved Proposition K, aimed at transforming two miles of the Great Highway into a park. With the closure of the gates, that park is one step closer to reality. "It's something that's going to take a lot of work to get to the future park that we all dream of," said park supporter, Lucas Lux. "But, today is day one, and we should be proud of that." Opponents to the park say they've filed a lawsuit aimed at blocking it, saying park supporters overstepped the authority of the state to determine how roads are used, and say the park plans don't address environmental concerns. Plaintiff Matt Boschetto said today's closure won't stop efforts to block the park. "It's certainly long from over," said Boschetto. "Again, I think we have a great case, and hopefully we see it through court and get justice served there." By midday Friday afternoon, work was already underway on Lincoln and the Great Highway, where SFMTA crews were busy re-striping the road and installing signs saying the Great Highway was closed. The Recreation and Parks Department said plans are underway to begin work to open the park next month. "Rec and Parks will be adding seating, recreation areas," said Tamara Barak Aparton from the Recreation and Parks Department. "Signage. All the things that parks need." On the first day of the closure, pedestrians began walking up and down the highway. Paul Greer said he enjoyed his stroll and is looking forward to the park officially opening. "It's a safe place to take your family," said Greer. "I'm thrilled about it. I can't wait to enjoy it for many more hours to take the kids out. I have a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old and I think it's going to be great for the community." Stephen Gorski lives across the street from the proposed park, and is among those calling for the recall of District Supervisor Joel Engardio over his support of it. He said the park will push more traffic into the neighborhood, and is out of step with what people on the west side want. "People on the other side of town don't realize the impact here," said Gorski. "How would you like it if we just decided to close a major thoroughfare? Like Lombard, say 'no, no, we're just going to close this now, figure it out.' It's the same thing. If they can do it here, they can do it anywhere." For now, lawsuit withstanding, the Rec and Parks department is looking to have a ribbon cutting for the park in mid-April.
