Photo courtesy of K. Johnson.
Photo courtesy of K. Johnson.

This community opinion was written by resident K. Johnson. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent BenitoLink or other affiliated contributors. BenitoLink invites all community members to share their ideas and opinions. By registering as a BenitoLink user in the top right corner of our home page and agreeing to follow our Terms of Use, you can write counter opinions or share your insights on current issues.

 

I moved and got married in Hollister in 2012. I have lived here for 9 years now. I loved how it was reminiscent of where I grew up where you could see the mountains and enjoy the laid back country vibe.

Fast forward 2017 or 2018, the big lot next to the place we are renting had bulldozers and big trucks hauling all the dirt they needed to remove. I honestly didnt think that it would be such a big problem for me and my family. We suffer and still suffer from the constant dust and debris floating year in, year out,

My allergies have gone haywire and now I am permanently on allergy medication. I did not say anything about it.

They work six days a week starting their engines at 7 a.m., and we hear all the Godawful noise of trucks backing up and all the other heavy equipment. I did not say anything.

Then they erected a wood retaining wall because they weren’t planning to erect it until I had to take my dog out in my backyard and my dog ran toward the field because they did not even put up a temporary mesh.

My husband slipped on a plastic sheet they left on the ground, and my husband landed at the Hazel Hawkins ER. I couldn’t deal with it anymore.

I contacted the mayor for help because when we complained to the construction people, they didn’t take us seriously.

So fast forward, the wood retaining wall continued to to be made of wood for my neighbors on the left, ourselves and the neighbors on the right. All the rest on the row of houses down had concrete retaining walls.

On Oct. 25, that big rain downpour happened. Water from the side of the construction started coming in fast to our property through a hole. They elevated the ground on their side and our side was now lower so our backyard was soaked and muddy. I was honestly livid.

They caused so much inconvenience that I had enough. I contacted the mayor and the city planning people.

I was told they were gonna fix it and that they would help with the clean up and repair the wall so that water never goes through. I have yet to see if they actually will live up to the promise.

The construction is behind the fire station.

The house they built is so close to our backyard that we can see each other across the fence. Well, not my problem. I will continue to use my back yard as I see fit.

I’m just putting this information out there. We need to hold these construction companies and city planning people accountable.