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In a surprise last-minute reversal, Synapse School is backing off its proposed expansion in North Fair Oaks after months of community opposition over traffic, parking and noise.
The private TK-8 school, which operates at 3375 Edison Way, announced Tuesday, June 9, that it was pulling its application for a San Mateo County use permit amendment. The proposal would have allowed Synapse to convert vacant office space it leases inside the nearby SportsHouse recreational center into six classrooms.
The county Planning Commission was scheduled to take up the application for final review Wednesday, June 10.
“It really is a pause,” Synapse Head of School Jim Eagen said in a brief interview with the Pulse. “We heard the feedback. It was clear in the meetings. We want to reflect what we heard. The mission of our school is creating positive change. We don’t want to be a negative in the community. We want to always be a positive.”
The school said in a news release that it was stepping back because of concerns raised by neighbors and school families about parking, traffic and noise enforcement in the area, many of which Synapse said stem from SportsHouse.
School leadership decided it is “best to go an independent route that allows us to work directly with our neighbors on a collaborative solution that enables us to continue to be a part of this community while slowly growing our student population,” Eagen also said. “We share their concerns about the very real infrastructure and county governance issues that predate our operations here over the last decade and plan to be a part of the solution.”
Following an internal review by the school board, the release added, “it was determined that the considerable time and resources put into the application with the county were no longer productive.”
Synapse’s application had been paired with SportsHouse’s recreational use permit renewal. In its release, the school said SportsHouse hosts tournaments that “can and do cause traffic, parking and noise disruptions” for nearby residents.
North Fair Oaks resident and project opponent Agustin Espino said he hopes the school’s decision leads to a more meaningful dialogue with neighbors.
“I hope we as a community can express our concerns,” Espino said, “and they can really listen to and take what we say into consideration. I am happy” about the school’s decision to not go ahead with the project at this point.
Eagen acknowledged that he did not fully realize the level of the community’s concerns about the project as the school was going through the planning process over the years.
“I was surprised, to be honest,” Eagen told the Pulse.
Still, he said he believes the school and residents share many of the same concerns about traffic, parking and enforcement.
“I believe wholeheartedly we’re on the same page,” he said.
Eagen said he has already started reaching out to community leaders to discuss next steps.
According to county staff reports, Synapse was seeking to establish a second campus totaling 9,260 square feet on the eastern portion of SportsHouse. The project would have included 5,500 square feet of classroom space, accommodating up to 140 students and 15 staff members.
Public meetings over the past few months revealed a contentious split in the community over the project.
Many residents expressed concern that the project would exacerbate traffic, parking and other issues in their already-congested neighborhood, which is largely working class and predominantly Latino. In February, the North Fair Oaks Community Council voted 4-2 to recommend that the county deny Synapse’s request for a permit to expand.
The council’s vote was advisory, with the county having final say since the project was in unincorporated territory surrounded by Menlo Park, Redwood City and Atherton.
In a subsequent meeting, a number of Synapse families showed up — many of whom indicated they live in North Fair Oaks — and backed their school. They asserted that their school provides exceptional education and is a strong community asset.
