Dear Neighbors,


The Board of Supervisors has returned from August recess, and my team and I are hitting the ground running serving the communities of District 7.

This week, I have been meeting with neighbors about our revamped Street Teams led by the Department of Emergency Management, working to secure a short-term loan from Sacramento to keep our transit system afloat, and last but not least attending Back to School nights at SFUSD schools across the District. 

This month brings special celebration as we celebrate the 30th Hatch Day of the beloved Claude the Alligator at the California Academy of Sciences! I hope you can join me for a special Hatch Day Celebration this Sunday at 11:00 AM where we will lower a Fish Cake into Claude’s swamp!

I also want to acknowledge the ongoing conversations on the Mayor’s Family Zoning Plan that you may have heard about in your neighborhood. While I agree that the Westside needs to build more housing, I believe there is still work to be done to ensure that this progress includes tenants, small businesses, and affordable housing. You can read below about the legislative package that I have put forward to tackle these concerns. 

I will leave you with the wise words of a fortune cookie that I enjoyed earlier this week:

“When many give their share, the tipping point for progress is reached and hope grows” - Golden Gate Cookie Company

Sincerely,
Myrna Melgar

SMART Rezoning Package

This week, Supervisor Melgar shared the Build “SMART (Supporting Merchants, Affordability, Rentals, and Tenants)” package to address the challenges presented by the upcoming rezoning effort led by Mayor Lurie’s Office. While the “Family Zoning Plan” has the noble goal of creating more housing opportunities for families of all incomes in San Francisco, outstanding questions remain about the impact of these changes on existing tenants, small businesses, and affordability. Supervisor Melgar has extensive experience in affordable housing development and previously served as President of the Planning Commission. Her introduction of this package aims to ensure the “Family Zoning Plan” meets its desired goals while minimizing disruption to San Francisco’s communities.

See more here.

Street Safety Act

San Franciscans have multiple ways to get around:  we walk, we ride, we take transit, we drive and we deserve streets that protect us. However, our roads have changed with delivery trucks, autonomous vehicles, massive SUVs, and way too much distraction. We cannot rely on old tools to fix today’s problems. That’s why Supervisor Melgar introduced the San Francisco Street Safety Act — a real plan for citywide action. This resolution lays out clear responsibilities for SFMTA, SFPD, DPW, DPH, SFCTA, the Fire Department, and SFUSD. This legislation is about protecting people, refusing to accept traffic deaths as business as usual and it is about making San Francisco safe for everyone who calls it home. It recently passed the Land Use & Transportation Committee unanimously and is now headed to the Full Board for a vote next week.

Golden Gate Park - Botanical Garden Access Improvements Construction update

Please be advised that the Friend Gate (North Gate) of the Botanical Gardens is closed through mid-September for construction. Please use the Main Gate entrance at 9th Avenue. Since the last update in July, Phase 1 of the project is now complete and open to the public! Phase 1 involved pathway improvements in the southeast section of the gardens (Mesoamerican Cloud Forest), including paving work and installation of concrete ramps and metal handrails. Phase 2 has been happening concurrently and involves work at the Friend Gate (North Gate) and pathways west of the restroom, including the Andean Cloud Forest and Gondwana Circle. Our contractor is working hard to finish this work so the park can reopen the north entrance to the Garden by mid-September.
Please also be advised that the restrooms at Great Meadow are currently closed for remodeling. While the restrooms are closed, please use the portable toilets on the north side of Great Meadow or restrooms at the Friend Gate (North Gate).

On Aug 26, 2025, the Comcast crew successfully replaced a broken TV-Cable utility box located within a Lakeside neighborhood.
 

Mele Lau-Smith

In July, Supervisor Melgar honored Mele Lau-Smith who has retired from the San Francisco Unified School District as the Chief of Student, Family, and Community Support.  Mele was educated by the SF Unified School District and raised her four children here in San Francisco.  She dedicated her career to serve the best outcomes for the community’s youth. Mele started her career at the SF Department of Public Health launching programs to curb teen smoking and developing frameworks to address health inequities.  Mele has shown incredible courage and leadership during the pandemic, developing districtwide protocols and coordination across agencies. We have immense gratitude for Mele’s long-lasting impact and wish her the best in her next chapter.

Green Your Food Service

Join The de Young museum for a free, daylong celebration featuring talks with the artists, performances, music, dance and art demonstrations by contemporary Indigenous artists, all to celebrate the newly unveiled galleries. This celebration marks the opening of the reimagined Arts of Indigenous America galleries and the special exhibition Rose B. Simpson: LEXICON.   

SF Zoo’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean makes this 100-acre destination one of the few coastal zoos in the country. The location also means wear and tear from the saltwater and sea air, and a need to clear debris and weed overgrowth that requires constant attention! The zoo is seeking volunteers from the neighborhood and community to help  “renew the Zoo” as part of an overall beautification project. By picking weeds and clearing debris along our fence line on Sloat Boulevard, you will contribute greatly to making your Zoo cleaner. If you are interested in volunteering, please email RenewtheZoo@sfzoo.org to register. Gloves, debris cans and bottled water will be provided. You will also receive a complimentary ticket to visit us that day, or another of your choosing. Learn more.

Sunnyside Neighborhood Association is excited to bring the neighborhood garage sale back on September 27th 10AM to 2PM. They will be creating a map of participating garages and sharing it with SNA neighbors and beyond. It's free for SNA members to be listed on the map. For non-SNA members, there is a fee of $10/household. If you would like to be listed as a participating seller, please register here!
If you'd like to sign up for SNA membership ($20/year), please go to: sunnysideassociation.org

Join Saint Finn Bar for 10AM bilingual mass and festivities that follow including music, food, games and prizes. Entry is free.