August 4, 2005

Caution: hard hat area

Construction woes besiege residents on Vera Cruz Drive

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

The residents on Vera Cruz Drive are decidedly under whelmed with the construction across the street at Guadalupe Elementary School.

Residents on Vera Cruz Drive are besieged with construction woes that began this summer. Project completion is for mid-January 2006.

Not only is there dust and noise from the workers and trucks, neighbors are frustrated by communications with the Union School District addressing their concerns.

Under the moniker of the Guadalupe Neighborhood Representatives, more than a dozen homeowners have attended meetings and contacted the city, the school district, builder and even the Division of State Architecture requesting and submitting alternative plans for the construction of the parking lot and safety issues.

“There are deep trenches, gates left unsecured and dust flying all over,” said a resident who preferred not to be identified. “There have been health problems because of this, including asthma. I’m using an inhaler four to six times a day. The kids are sneezing and have headaches. Is anyone accountable? No. There is no real regard for the neighbors.”

Other problems mentioned was an alarm going off due to asbestos abatement. One time, kids entered through the unlocked gates and set off firecrackers. And, equipment has been left outside the gated site. The San Jose Police Department has been summoned by neighbors many times due to the problems.

There are high voltage lines hanging above trenches. And the traffic from the construction crews driving trucks and tractors to the site is a safety concern for local residents. They are also worried about the traffic that will ensue after the project is completed estimated to be mid January 2006.

Then there is the aesthetic issue. A California oak tree has been removed. Another tree bought and planted by the local Boy Scouts Troop as a memorial to Jake Eby, the Almaden boy who was run over by a car, is badly in need of water. The field in back of the construction site has also been left unwatered and is dying. Neighbors want to know why and when these issues will be resolved.

“We’re tolerating it,” said Bud Amaral as another semi-truck pulled into the school lot. “Our chief complaint is the noise, dirt and all the extra traffic.”

“The dust is horrible,” said Marie Amaral. “When they water it to keep the dust down there’s just one man with a small garden hose. We’re worried about the property values going down. There used to be a nice green lawn, soon it will be a parking lot.”

In a letter dated July 20 to Nan Wojcik of the Union School District, the Guadalupe Neigh-borhood Representa-tives reiterated their concerns. Their 11-point correspondence questioned if the classroom portables would be removed and the type of air conditioning units planned to be installed on the roofs.

Construction site at Guadalupe Elementary School. Photos by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

The residents had previously submitted an alternate plan for the parking lot that was disapproved. They would like that idea to be reconsidered. Their plan would result in two less parking spaces than the proposed 10 to 12 reported by the district. Other issues were the California Oak that was removed replacement, the care of the Jake Eby memorial tree, more frequent watering of the dust, security issues, the grassy area to the south side of the school not being watered and traffic safety now and after the project is finished.

Lights are left on by Guadalupe’s media center.

In the letter, the Guadalupe Neighborhood Representatives also requested a policy to do a “Community Impact Study” early in the planning stage of any major building project to address issues that may arise in another neighborhood in the future. As this goes to press, they have yet to receive a response.

Union School District has an expanding student body at Guadalupe Elementary School. Ten to 12 more parking spaces were approved. The area that is under construction was once the kindergartner play area. Neighbors say they never received the flier that the school district sent out regarding the initial plans. They have attended meetings and sent letters but to no avail.

“We are aware of the neighbors concerns and we are on top of it,” said Union School District superintendent Phil Quon. “The work crew is watering three times a day and the gates are secure. Our goal is to be good neighbors.”
Quon states the district has listened to the community and that all the issues are being addressed. The schools built decades ago had small parking lots as most children walked to school. He envisions a better facility with upgraded classes and a better school for the children of the neighborhood. Quon also stated that it is fiscally impossible to change the plans.

“It is all up to the school district,” said one disgruntled resident. “They do whatever they please.”