In a highly attended meeting last month, residents of a traffic-ridden area surrounded by Redwood City, Atherton and Menlo Park expressed frustration that a private school could expand in their neighborhood, adding 155 more students and staff across the street from its existing campus. They say they already bear the brunt of development that cities with smaller underserved populations would not accept. They detailed how calls to the local sheriff’s office over safety concerns — visitors blocking their driveways, parking on curbs or in “no parking” areas, and creating late-night noise — are not taken seriously.

San Mateo County, which governs North Fair Oaks, is set to make a decision on March 19 on whether Synapse School can build a 9,260-square-foot second campus at 3375 Edison Way. It’s a project the local community council is advising against. 

At the end of February, neighbors in the unincorporated area of roughly 13,000 people that spans about 1.2 square miles packed a community meeting. Attendees noted that the county and the sheriff’s office have done little about complaints of unsafe conditions caused by Synapse School and SportsHouse, the indoor recreation center where the new K-8 campus is proposed. They cited issues with SportsHouse in particular. The rec center at 3151 Edison Way is open until 10 p.m. seven days a week.

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North Fair Oaks residents did feel heard by their community council, which voted 4-2 on Feb. 26 to recommend that the county deny the permit for Synapse to grow. They say there is not enough parking between the two facilities’ parking lots already. 

One resident described SportsHouse as a “terrible, terrible” neighbor during the meeting. The school has an established relationship with SportsHouse, which began leasing out space to the school for recreational use during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Synapse Head of School Jim Eagan. SportsHouse is owned by the........

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