Carey School expansion plans move ahead

With concerns about parking and traffic congestion in the neighborhoods near the school — which is situated between Alameda de las Pulgas and Junipero Serra High School just south of West 20th Avenue — Etheridge was among the commissioners who advocated for the school to be required to secure an off-site parking agreement at least two years in length. Though the school currently has a yearlong agreement with the owners of the office complex at 1900 Alameda de las Pulgas to accommodate staff and overflow parking during school events, commissioners expressed an interest in the school securing a longer arrangement to ensure parking impacts on the surrounding neighborhood are mitigated.

Though he acknowledged plans for the office complex remained unclear, Etheridge noted its low occupancy rate in recent months made him concerned its parking lot may not be available long into the future.

“It seems like a pretty big contingency, there could be development plans for that property,” said Etheridge, according to a video of the meeting. “I have concerns about the availability of parking in that spot.”

Having lived on 22nd Avenue for more than 40 years, Jennie Klenow, acknowledged the benefits of the school expansion but attested to the traffic congestion near the school in the mornings and afternoons as well as the challenges with parking in the neighborhood during pickups and dropoffs. Klenow added the issues with traffic congestion are compounded by the congestion generated by nearby Serra High School at 451 W. 20th Ave.

“The two schools together have an impact on our community,” she said. “For the future, I think it would be nice if we didn’t have to have more trouble for us.”

Lyon explained the school has since 2012 successfully renegotiated a parking agreement with the owner of the office complex, which has set a policy of renegotiating 12-month arrangements 30 days before the current agreement is set to expire. Though Commissioner John Ebneter voiced concerns about the burden a two-year parking agreement minimum might be for the school, commissioners ultimately opted to amend a condition of approval to require the school to obtain an off-site parking agreement lasting at least two years.

Acknowledging the school has a plan for coordinating carpools and staggering pickups and dropoffs, Commissioner Ellen Mallory advocated for commissioners to require the school to notify the nearby neighborhoods of its schedule and also to coordinate with Serra High School’s calendar. Though she noted a traffic study concluded the school expansion wouldn’t result in a noticeable increase in traffic congestion, Mallory emphasized the fact that the current traffic congestion is already challenging for neighborhood residents.

“It’s still a difficult traffic situation, it hasn’t gone away,” she said. “I agree with the comment that was made earlier that to coordinate with Serra a little more fully and to communicate with the neighborhood should be an ongoing thing.”

Commissioners also opted to amend a condition of approval for the project so the school would be required to provide notices of changes to its calendar to residents within 500 feet of the school.

Though Etheridge acknowledged the quality of the school, he emphasized the commission’s role in ensuring residents are protected from negative impacts stemming from the school use, adding he didn’t think the plans included sufficient changes to mitigate them.

“It’s an excellent school there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “I don’t believe that there is a benefit to the community of increasing the enrollment.”

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