While SRJC awaits a shiny new Culinary Arts Center, the local businesses 50 feet away across the parking lot suffer from a drastically reduced customer count.
Screamin’ Yogurt has less than half as many customers per day and the owner of Michelle’s Salon has made $37 in a day, significantly less than her average of $250.
The problems stem from the safety fencing around the construction site. While construction crews installed utilities last year and repaired trenching, the fence blocks off Mendocino Avenue access to both businesses. Construction trucks are often parked in the parking lot in the morning, the sidewalk is blocked off and two-by-fours with nails in them lay outside the construction zone, said Ryan Rasmussen, owner of Screamin’ Yogurt. “I can’t tell you how many nails I’ve pulled out of my tires.”
Rasmussen isn’t angry with the construction, just unhappy with how those in charge of the project have handled it. He is excited about the building for the students and knows it will help his business when it is finished, if his business can survive it. “At the end of the day, those guys [in charge of the project] are making fat bank. At the end of the day, I can’t pay my bills,” Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen chose to open his business next to SRJC. He attended the school for two semesters before transferring to CalPoly. “I want a community of harmony,” he said. “I want to be good neighbors, but [SRJC] needs to be a good neighbor back.”
Everyone passes the blame back and forth, from SRJC to the property manager and owner, Rasmussen said. “The only people it affects is us. I don’t even advertise because I don’t want people to get discouraged because they can’t get in.”
Wright Construction created a sign directing traffic to side entrances on McConnell and Carr Avenues, but on Sept. 15 even that sign was obscured by the construction fence.
Last summer, the driveway from Mendocino Avenue was closed for six weeks, Screamin’ Yogurt’s busiest time of year. Rasmussen attended an informational meeting two years ago when the construction project started and was told the driveway would be closed for four to five days.
Michelle Thach, owner of Michelle’s Salon, said she has had no walk-in customers. She used to make between $200 and $300 a day. On Sept. 14, she made $37. With a rent of more than $1500, she can’t afford to pay her bills. She talked to SRJC Dean of Facilities Planning and Operations Tony Ichsan, but did not receive compensation. She went to the property manager asking for reimbursement and received an email saying the owner has spent $4,000 in legal fees seeking compensation from SRJC but was unsuccessful.
Jim Kallinger, property manager of Screamin’ Yogurt and Michelle’s Salon, fowarded questions to the property owner, who did not respond to The Oak Leaf.
Ichsan confirmed the claim and said SRJC’s lawyer decided the college was not legally liable to compensate the business owners.
Ichsan said SRJC is not involved with the lease between the building owner and property owner and thus is not responsible for compensating them for construction impacts. Also, the construction did not block all access, only the access on Mendocino Avenue, and therefore SRJC is not liable.
Despite no requirements for notice, “We made every effort to have meetings and notify the tenents” of both closures, Ichsan said. The college provided a police cadet for the duration of the closure of the Mendocino entrance to make sure customer parking is free of construction vehicles. The Mendocino entrance will be open on Oct. 3, Ichsan said.