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Committee advances resolution to rename Phelan Avenue to Frida Kahlo Way after heated public debate
Summary
After a lengthy public-comment period with residents divided, the Land Use Committee voted without objection to forward Supervisor Norman Yee’s resolution to rename Phelan Avenue (between Flood and Ocean) as Frida Kahlo Way, citing James D. Phelan’s racist policies and City College ties to Kahlo/Rivera mural work.
The Land Use and Transportation Committee voted June 11 to forward to the full Board of Supervisors a resolution authored by Supervisor Norman Yee to rename Phelan Avenue (between Flood Avenue and Ocean Avenue) to Frida Kahlo Way.
Yee framed the proposal as an effort to correct an historical honor that conflicts with San Francisco's values of inclusion. Yee and supporters pointed to statements and legislative history tying James D. Phelan (mayor and later U.S. senator) to the Chinese Exclusion Act era and other exclusionary policies, arguing that the city should not reverence that legacy in a prominent street name.
Jeremy Spitz of Public Works described the outreach and logistics: city departments and property owners were contacted, Public Works received objections from 7 of 23 fronting property owners (less than 50%), and public safety agencies raised no objections; MTA would post dual signage (Frida Kahlo Way prominent, Phelan shown smaller) for five years before permanent signs are installed. Spitz said the department recommends moving forward.
The public comment period was long and sharply divided. Some residents who live on the street said the renaming process was rushed or unfair, cited potential inconvenience and cost to residents for address changes, and noted that the street name historically honors the elder James Phelan (they urged keeping local history and called for more outreach). Other speakers'including City College faculty, students, and community activists'said renaming the street would recognize a woman of color, align the neighborhood with the college's Diego Rivera mural and the institution's student body, and remove veneration of a figure associated with nativist and racist policies. City College representatives said students, faculty, and trustees supported the change.
Committee members acknowledged the inconvenience to residents but framed the vote as a civic-symbol decision. Supervisor Jane Kim, among others, added her name as a cosponsor and said renaming public places is an opportunity to reflect current civic values without erasing history from museums and teaching.
What happens next: The committee forwarded the resolution with a positive recommendation to the full Board of Supervisors; the item will return to the board for a final vote and administrative steps (signage, departmental notifications) if adopted.
