HOUSING
The pace of new housing development in the Sunset District is notoriously slow, a factor that contributes to San Francisco’s housing crisis. Do you have plans to change this, and how?
Mar says building more affordable housing in the district is a top priority. He touts the imminent groundbreaking of Shirley Chisholm Village, a long-delayed project that will eventually provide affordable housing to city educators. Mar also highlights his recent efforts to convince concerned neighbors of the merits of a new affordable-housing project at 2550 Irving Street, and his success in helping to reach a scaled-back compromise: The project will now create 80 new units, down from the original 98. Mar says he supports expanding lower-income housing on the west side of his district, and intends, in his second term, to focus on a new effort to engage local youth and families in helping the district meet its new housing goals.
Engardio says he also supports more housing construction on the district’s west side because it will help more lower-income families stay in San Francisco. He believes residents who push back against housing production — sometimes derided as NIMBYs — need to receive clearer explanations about how new projects will actually benefit them in the long run. For instance, he says, more housing production means cheaper housing for seniors to purchase later in life, when they may downsize. Engardio also says it’s “reasonable” to build denser housing and more small apartment buildings “sprinkled throughout the west side,” as long as the area remains mostly single-family homes.
SCHOOLS
Even though the Board of Supervisors has no jurisdiction over SFUSD, what do you plan to do to help support students and families in your district?
Mar says he moved to the Sunset District about 16 years ago so his daughter could attend neighborhood schools. He and his staff engage regularly with local school leaders, he says, adding that he has obtained grants to fund science, technology and arts education programs. Mar also touts his role in co-sponsoring Proposition G on the November ballot, which would offer grants to SFUSD.
Engardio highlights his leadership role in the successful effort to recall three school board members earlier this year. “They were doing the opposite of what parents wanted,” he says, specifically noting their focus during the pandemic on renaming certain schools and not, in his view, sufficiently prioritizing the return to in-person instruction. Engardio also lambasts Mar for not supporting the recall effort.
TRANSPORTATION
With fewer people in your district now commuting downtown for work, how do you plan to ensure the availability of reliable public transportation?
Mar says he has looked closely into an on-demand bus system that would allow residents to use a phone app to summon a public bus — much like people now do with ride-hailing services. Mar also touts his role in pushing through the first half of an effort to make the L-Taraval train line safer for transit riders, a project that he says has been delivered on time and on budget. He says his next goal is to prompt the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to “fast-track” improvements to the N-Judah line, the busiest train line in San Francisco.
Engardio thinks transit in District 4 is in vast need of improvement, citing constituents who frequently call the L-Taraval train the “L-Terrible.” He says the construction process to improve the L-Taraval line was “a mess.” As supervisor, he says he would be an “advocate and a champion” to ensure the SFMTA approaches projects in ways that don’t hurt small businesses. He thinks “proactiveness, the championing of issues,” has been lacking in transportation projects in recent years.
CAR-FREE JFK
Do you support a car-free Great Highway, and a car-free JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park?
Mar says he supports Proposition J on this election’s ballot, which would make JFK Drive car free. The city, he says, must create “safe and vital” recreational spaces for neighborhoods to enjoy. As for the Great Highway, Mar points to compromise legislation he introduced that would allow car use during the week and recreational use on weekends. He does not support Proposition I, which would restore full car access for the Great Highway and bar recreational use, while costing $80 million to combat beach erosion.
Engardio believes “families love the park on the weekend.” He believes JFK Drive should be a place with “the least amount of cars possible,” because a park is a central place for kids and families to safely play. He says the “disastrous” management of the underground parking garage in Golden Gate Park needs to be taken over by city government, a change proposed in Proposition N, which is also on the ballot this election.
PUBLIC SAFETY
What are District 4’s public safety needs, and how do you plan to address them?
Mar says his “five-point community safety plan” for the Sunset District is helping to prevent crime in the area by funding unarmed community ambassadors who patrol neighborhoods and who help escort seniors. The program also distributes free Amazon Ring doorbell cameras to residents, an effort which has since been introduced citywide. Those programs have also been key in combating the rise in anti-Asian violence in his district, Mar says.
Engardio says he is proud to have played a role in the recall of former District Attorney Chesa Boudin, and critiques his opponent for not supporting the effort to do so. He also touts his experience as director of the nonprofit Stop Crime SF, which has sounded the alarm on anti-Asian hate. Engardio points to the police department’s severe staffing shortage, and says it’s an opportunity to hire new recruits who are reform-minded. But he says the city should do more to offer incentives like bonus pay to retain officers.
Key Supporters
For Gordon Mar
- Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
- Phil Ting, state assemblymember
- Rose Pak Democratic Club
- San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee
For Joel Engardio
- Scott Wiener, state senator
- Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club
- Edwin M. Lee Asian Pacific Democratic Club
- United Democratic Club
