Community frustrated by school construction: South San Francisco residents raise concerns to officials, builders

The meeting, which featured occasional moments of tension and flared tempers, granted the community an opportunity to speak directly with school officials, who some residents complained have been inaccessible in the past.

In the face of the criticism before them, school officials and representatives from USS Cal Builders, the company hired to coordinate the construction, tried to assure residents their frustrations did not fall on deaf ears.

“We see, we hear your issues,” said Patrick Lucy, a member of the South San Francisco School District Board of Trustees, to the crowd assembled in the elementary school’s multi-purpose room.

But that message may have not resonated with all the frustrated members of the community, who periodically shouted to interrupt a presentation by district Assistant Superintendent Michael Krause.

Conflict between officials and the crowd came to a head when Krause directed police to escort a resident out of the meeting for what he perceived as a rude interjection during his slide presentation summarizing answers of frequently asked questions regarding the construction process.

District Superintendent Shawnterra Moore quickly intervened and encouraged Krause to back down off his demand, to which he adhered, under the agreement no further interruptions would be tolerated.

Residents held the feet of not only school officials to the fire, but builders as well, expressing frustrations regarding how heavy construction has spread dirt and grime throughout the neighborhood, and also potentially damaged nearby homes and streets.

Mark Schwery, a neighborhood resident, claimed he has seen a steady stream of large trucks hauling loads of uncovered dirt from the construction, which he alleged coated nearby homes in a layer of dirt.

Rudy Sultan, a project manager with USS Cal Builders, said all truck drivers have been instructed to cover any loads of dirt shipped from the school, which should reduce the amount of dust spread throughout the neighborhood.

But in an effort to appease those who remain frustrated, Sultan said he will offer home exterior cleaning vouchers to those who live nearby once the construction is done.

“If I have to send a cleaning crew out to your house, I’ll do that,” said Sultan.

Krause said he and Moore also distributed vouchers for car washes to homeowners throughout the neighborhood, but some who received the free cleaning passes claimed they were not redeemable at the gas station where they were purchased from in San Bruno.

Furthering the concerns of nearby residents are drivers who disobey the rules of the road when dropping off students at the school, snarling traffic throughout the neighborhood.

Krause said the city does not have jurisdiction to control traffic flow on city streets, but crossing guards have been hired to try to maintain the safety of students.

Lt. John Kallas of the South San Francisco Police Department encouraged concerned residents who witness reckless driving in front of the school to call law enforcement immediately.

He said police have focused on traffic regulation, but there are not enough officers to have one constantly posted in front of the campus.

“We are out here as much as we can be, but probably not as much as people would like,” Kallas said.

Scott Wald, who lives directly adjacent to the school, said he believes the best effort of school and city officials, as well as builders, has missed the mark in an attempt to improve the quality of life for residents near the school.

“It has not been effective to date,” he said.

Wald has threatened a lawsuit against the school district for damage his home has suffered, which he attributes to the constant heavy construction at the campus.

School building at Buri Buri Elementary School, which is expected to finish in the summer or fall of 2016, is financed under Measure J, the district’s $162 million bond approved by voters in 2010.

The Citizens Bond Oversight Committee, a group of community members charged with analyzing the way the tax money is being spent, has questioned whether there is enough money left in district coffers to finish the rest of the construction.

The concerns were raised in the wake of an independent audit which found district officials had overspent the bond fund by roughly $11 million, causing officials to backfill the void with money from the district general fund.

Despite the variety of issues which have plagued the bond generally, and the project at Buri Buri Elementary School specifically, Sultan encouraged neighborhood residents to maintain their patience with the construction process as best they can.

“We appreciate your concerns, but we have to work together,” he said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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