Board rejects yearlong extension for Golden Gate Park observation wheel

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 6–5 on March 16 to reject a resolution that would have retroactively approved a one‑year extension of an observation wheel (SkyWheel) on the Golden Gate Park concourse.

Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer Chan, one of the resolution’s sponsors, framed the measure as a limited, one‑year extension tied to the park’s 150th anniversary and said she was seeking “a year extension, which ends on 03/15/2022” to honor the original proposal. Chan said she expected the wheel to operate only briefly in 2020 because of the pandemic and that an additional short term would be reasonable while departments and the Historic Preservation Commission addressed concerns about lighting, generators and other impacts.

The measure prompted a lengthy debate about the San Francisco Charter and the scope of board review for structures in Golden Gate Park. Deputy City Attorney Anne Pearson told the board that charter Section 4.113 does not define terms…