Proposition G, which would have reverted the two-mile stretch of oceanfront to a weekday road, was trailing by 117 votes in the Richmond and 277 in the Sunset as of Sunday, with about 98% of ballots counted. Citywide, the measure lost by a 34-66 margin, a 32-point swing from 2024 when a similar proposal failed 45-55. Support for the park grew 14 percentage points in both Westside neighborhoods.

The turnaround was driven in part by residents who had initially doubted the park's viability. Brandon Martin, an Outer Sunset resident near Sloat Boulevard, opposed the 2024 measure over traffic concerns and skepticism that a park would materialize. "I was concerned nothing would really happen with it," Martin said. "If it's just a two-mile long stretch of sand slowly building up over a roadway, is that really a usable park?"

But the installation of a skate park near Sloat Boulevard last June changed his mind. "Having a place where the kids can just bail out of the house, go a couple blocks and be at a skate park is amazing," he said. Though he misses riding his motorcycle on the scenic highway, he added, "it's well worth it."

The park's advocates credited quick action by city officials and community investment. Lucas Lux, president of the nonprofit Friends of Sunset Dunes, praised former Recreation and Parks director Phil Ginsburg for opening the park swiftly in 2025, which "helped us make the park show the glamor of what it can be." The nonprofit also funded and built the Shipwreck Cove playground, which opened in September after the city said it couldn't afford it.

Joshi Marshall, another Outer Sunset resident who was skeptical in 2024, now walks the park "religiously" with his wife and says local businesses are benefiting. "Local businesses thrive," he said, noting nearby cafes are "kind of bumping" on weekends.

The No on G campaign raised over $821,000, about five times as much as proponents, with most coming from two tech executives. Yes on G field director Otto Pippenger attributed the loss to being outspent, saying it was "about extremely well-funded campaigns' ability to motivate a low-information segment of the electorate." The Yes campaign had pushed a "compromise" message of weekday car access, while opponents kept their message simple: "It's a park closure."

For park supporters, the victory marks the third time in four years voters have weighed in on the issue. "This is it. We no longer have to spend so much energy and time fighting for the park to exist at all," said Eliza Panike, the No on G campaign's field director. Former Sunset Supervisor Joel Engardio, who was recalled for supporting the park, said, "What a turnaround. I was just two years ahead of my time."