Lee Heidhues 9.28.2021
The written record shows there is no doubt Supervisor Connie Chan is personally responsible for killing the San Francisco Pacific Coast oasis Great Walkway.
Connie Chan artfully badgered City Hall officials to walk back the proposed two year study of the Great Walkway. The message is couched in the most anodyne bureaucratic language. Its message was clear.
Connie Chan’s goal was to ensure the Great Walkway received a City Hall burial. She was successful.
On August 16, 2021 Connie Chan was the lead recipient of a Memo from Jodie Medeiros, executive director, Walk San Francisco.
Ms. Medeiros wrote, “an incredibly popular 17-acre oceanside park and promenade was taken away from our City.”
Further, Ms. Medeiros wrote, “We are counting on the Board of Supervisors to right this wrong when the vote on the future of the Upper Great Highway is before you this fall. Whether you support a two-year pilot of a 24-7 Great Walkway will shape our city’s future and define your legacy as a city leader.”
Just over an hour later at 10:41PM Connie Chan wrote Jeffrey Tumlin, head of the SFMTA and Phil Ginsburg, head of the Rec and Park Department.
Her message was clear. “Is Jodie confirming that the pilot project that you will propose for SFMTA Board of Directors and Rec Park Commission approval is a Two-Year pilot to close Great Highway 24/7?”
The next day Connie Chan was the main recipient of an email from Sarah Jones, SFMTA Planning Director. It read in part, “Thank you for reaching out about next steps on the Great Highway. With the Mayor’s announcement about the Great Highway in early August RPD and SFMTA are revising our next steps and approach to a recommendation for use of the Great Highway post-pandemic.”
The four page email chain follows.
Your vote on the Great Walkway this fall
Artwork – Liz Heidhues
Lee's Perspective 