Sunset Dunes park opens near San Francisco's Ocean Beach
A portion of the Great Highway, now closed to vehicles and called Sunset Dunes park, drew droves of visitors on Saturday.
New additions near Sloat Boulevard include a pump track for skateboarders and bikers, and a hand-tiled octopus sculpture.
A ribbon ceremony was held to commemorate the city's newest park.
SAN FRANCISCO - What was once the Great Highway has officially been designated a park, and it has a shiny new name, Sunset Dunes.
The controversial park was commemorated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday.
One of the new additions to the park is a pump track for skateboarders. Kids were enjoying the track with their rocker bikes on Saturday.
The backstory
Near the pump track is a new piece of art that has been years in the making, a large, tiled octopus sculpture.
"It took about six months to make….it went to Burning Man in 2016, and it launched my career as an artist," the creator, Peter Hazel told KTVU.
Hazel was born in San Francisco, and raised in Half Moon Bay. Though he lives in Nevada now, he says it's an honor to have his work highlighted at Sunset Dunes.
"We had like six kilns going every day with the volunteers. There's 250,000 handmade tiles. They are high-fired, so it'll last a lifetime," Hazel said. His work is inspired by the Spanish artist Antoni Gaudi, known as "The Mosaic Genius of Barcelona".
People out enjoying the gorgeous weather on Saturday say they are very excited to explore Ocean Beach without the worry of traffic.
It was shut down during the weekend, but now it's every day. It's a treat," San Francisco resident Michael Zimmerman told KTVU.
One group of brave souls also dove into the 50-degree water for a cold plug on Saturday at Ocean Beach, all in the name of health. Anthony Consilio was in that group, and he says he's excited for the new park. "Anytime cars go out of the equation, and people, and bikes, and grandmas, and grandpas come into the equation, something good has happened," Consilio told KTVU.
The other side
The new park did not come without controversy. The transition from a major roadway into a park was approved by voters in November and backed by District 4 City Supervisor Joel Engardio, who is now facing a recall movement.
Some opponents of the park say the closure of the roadway will cause severe traffic delays for many people who live in the Sunset and Richmond districts. Folks out at the park on Saturday say they are ready for the change.
"I think it's gonna take a little while 'til we figure out the traffic stuff…in the long term, it's such a benefit for the neighborhood, and I'm really excited about it," runner Ruth Selby told KTVU.
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