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Residents and neighborhood groups warn Great Highway closure, alley parking could hinder evacuations and fire access
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Summary
Public commenters at the Feb. 26 Fire Commission meeting urged the city to reconsider permanently closing a section of the Great Highway and to address parking in Lucky Alley, saying both pose public‑safety and evacuation concerns near Ocean Beach and in the Marina/Cow Hollow neighborhoods.
Public commenters on Feb. 26 told the San Francisco Fire Commission that plans to close a section of the Great Highway and opposition to no‑parking rules in Lucky Alley could reduce evacuation options and impair fire access.
Eileen Bogan, speaking on behalf of the Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods, said the stretch of the Great Highway between Skyline and Sloat — adjacent to the Oceanside Treatment Facility and an erosion hot spot — was originally slated for permanent closure under a managed‑retreat concept in the city’s Ocean Beach master plan. She noted the city later obtained Coastal Commission approval for a seawall and said that change in strategy undercuts the rationale for permanently removing the roadway. “With the seawall, there is no longer any justification for permanently closing the [Great Highway between Skyline and Sloat],” Bogan said, asking whether recreation infrastructure had been prioritized over public safety and mass‑evacuation capacity.
An in‑person commenter who previously petitioned on behalf of Lucky Alley residents urged the commission to provide a formal letter or other assistance after the Municipal Transportation Agency directed the residents to the fire department for a safety letter. The commenter said residents and owners in Lucky Alley depend on front‑door parking and that, after one incident last year when a fire truck could not get through because of parked cars, public‑safety risks remain unresolved. The speaker said they had returned materials from a prior petition and asked for follow‑up from the department.
Patricia Lloyd, who identified herself as head of PADS 22 Neighborhood Merchants Association and of Marina/Cow Hollow Neighbors and Merchants, urged the department to improve response and meeting coordination, saying neighborhood groups sometimes cannot schedule staff for meetings at short notice and have encountered inconsistent phone guidance when requesting services.
The commission took no immediate formal action on the public comments during the meeting. Commission members acknowledged the remarks; Chief Dean Crispin later told attendees the department is lobbying to relocate piping in the Sunset so streets can function as fire breaks and said staff are working with community groups on hydrant and water‑supply improvements in affected neighborhoods.
Why it matters: Closures of arterial streets in coastal erosion zones and localized parking decisions in narrow alleys can materially affect evacuation routes and emergency vehicle access. Public commenters asked the commission for clearer documentation and follow‑up to ensure public‑safety priorities are reflected in planning decisions.
What’s next: Commenters said they will continue to press elected officials and agencies for coordination; the department said it is engaged in interagency conversations about water supply improvements in the Sunset and is willing to follow up with neighborhood groups that requested meetings.
