Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "marshall school"

Historic Home Tour in Marshall School Neighborhood

2011-09-12T19:57:35Z

Sacramento Old City Association 36th Annual Home Tour
What: A tour of 8 historic buildings in the Marshall School neighborhood, and street fair at 27th and J Street.
When: Sunday, September 18, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM
Where: Marshall Park, 27th & J Street, Sacramento
How Much: $20 in advance, $25 day of event

On Sunday, September 18, the Sacramento Old City Association (SOCA) presents its 36th annual tour of historic homes in Sacramento’s central city. Each year, we offer an inside look into the beautiful and historic buildings that line Midtown and Downtown streets, and some of the newest infill development projects in the city. This year’s tour of the Marshall School neighborhood, in the northeastern quarter of the central city between F and J Street, features homes in the Queen Anne, Craftsman and Neoclassic styles. In addition to seven residential buildings, this year's tour includes a rare inside look at the Sacramento Eastern Star Temple, a National Register listed 1925 Romanesque Revival building.

The tour starts at Marshall Park, at the corner of 27th and J Street. A street fair at the park features local contractors, architects, builders and artisans specializing in historic home rehab and remodeling, local businesses, artists and crafters displaying their wares, local nonprofits, advocacy and local history organizations.

Local musicians Tender Cinders, Garage Jazz Architects, The Freebadge Serenaders, and Emile Dalkey will perform at the street fair in the center of Marshall Park, starting at 11:00 AM.

Those attending the tour will get an inside, guided tour through each building, provided by volunteer docents, including members of the Marshall School New Era Park Neighborhood Association, SOCA, and the Sacramento Art Deco Society. Tour participants can also show their tour wristband for a 15% discount in the restaurants of the nearby Sutter District. The tour costs $25 on the day of the event, or $20 in advance via www.brownpapertickets.com. The street fair is free and open to the public.

Started in 1975, the SOCA Home Tour was created to showcase historic homes in neglected central city neighborhoods. Members showed off their home-repair projects and shared techniques, tools and advice. As these neighborhoods became the Sacramento region’s favorite destination for culture and entertainment, the home tour has grown into a celebration of central city life, including art, culture, business, transportation and transit, entertainment, history, downtown living, and the irreplaceable beauty of Sacramento’s historic neighborhoods. The tour is also a fundraiser that helps SOCA carry out its mission to preserve and enhance a high quality of life for Central City residents, businesses, working people and visitors.

Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/187298
For more information about SOCA, visit http://www.sacoldcity.org

Sponsored in part by Midtown Monthly Magazine, The Sutter District restaurants, and Midtown Business Association

Disclosure: William Burg is a board member of the Sacramento Old City Association.

Save Sunny's Campaign Moves Forward Despite Roadblock

2011-08-31T19:10:27Z

Over the past several weeks, the Save Sunny's Market Campaign attempted to obtain a change in the law so that we could decide as a neighborhood whether or not new owners Josh and Monica Patel ought to possess an alcohol license. As the leader of this campaign, you might imagine that I became emotionally invested in the effort.

It is with regret that I found out yesterday that we will not be able to get the change in law that Sunny's Market needs. People just want government to work and as someone who has been in and around government, I hoped to be able to navigate around the some of the complexity. Unfortunately, the bureaucracy proved to be too large of a barrier.

So it is with even more regret I realized that the problem is not with government - the problem is with us. At nearly every step in this process, I had to follow-up two, three, or four times just to get the response, "We can't help you." Knowing that we were up against the clock, every day that passed when a phone call was not returned or an email not replied to became another day with a missed opportutnity to address the substance of the issue.

I get it: this is not the most urgent issue facing our state. But at the same time, it's also low-hanging fruit when someone who understands public policy and the legislative process can offer language in-hand, along with a willingness to work with those who might oppose any change. Last-minute, benign changes in the law happen all the time. For example, Sen. Juan Vargas "gutted and amended" SB 402 just last Friday which would:

...clean-up an outstanding issue pertaining to unresolved state issues involving four billboards in Imperial Country which were authorized and permitted by the county in 1994. By granting an exemption to the OAA [Outdoor Advertising Act], these billboards will help generate much needed revenue and commerce for the area. The intrinsic value of these billboards will translate into economic value to the impacted communities through increased commercial activity by marketing to the interstate traffic.

The State Capitol is a bill factory that regularly churns out myriad inconsequential laws. However, what's often inconsequential for the state is important for a specific interest. And we sought to advocate on behalf of the interests of Sunny's Market, but only because their experience was the result of a fundamentally unfair provision in the law. Never once did an official provide constructive feedback on how they could help. Instead, the answer was always, "No." Yeah, pretty dehumanizing.

Where do we go from here?

As was always the goal, we want to tranform Sunny's Market into a vibrant anchor in our community. This was never about an alcohol license, per se. But without the license as a near-term possiblity, there will be substantially less capital available to invest in other improvements.

We need YOU. Especially those of you who were less than thrilled about the prospect of Sunny's acquiring a license. Over the coming weeks, we'll be discussing what we can do to improve Sunny's together. For example, many have suggested that they would like to see fresh fruits and vegetables sold. That's great, but we'll first need to figure out how to ensure there will be sufficient demand.

So please join us for a meeting next Wednesday, September 7 at 6:30 p.m. We'll be meeting inside of Sunny's Market which is located at 2800 G Street. If you can't make it, please sign up for our email list here to receive updates.

If you have any questions, send them over to info@savesunnys.com.

Disclosure: I live one-half block from Sunny's as a renter and have no financial conflict of interest. I just want the Patel family to succeed. I'm managing the campaign through pro bono services.

Save Sunny's Campaign is About Restoring Fairness, Local Control to State Law

2011-08-26T01:26:04Z

Anyone who's been following the Save Sunny's Market campaign, might wonder how we got to this point. In short, state law allows the negligent actions of a previous business owner to impact the potential success of a new owner. After researching the legislative history, the answer to why this is the case is somewhat mysterious.

The legislation in question is AB 1042 (Chapter 538, Statutes of 1996), authored by Assemblywoman Dede Alpert, and came about to "reduce the number of applications for liquor licenses by premises who have continually been denied a license and thus reducing the impact that these 'unwarranted' applications have on communities."

Specifically, residents of the Linda Vista community in San Diego claim to have spent over 575 hours and given up $11,570 in wages fighting entities who repeatedly applied for an alcohol license without addressing the issues initially causing the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to reject their applications. This is a seemingly legitimate grievance, right?

Well, at the time, ABC already had an existing regulation in place that denied a license to any premises that had its application denied or license revoked in the preceding 12-months. But it was still possible for an operator to reapply for a license annually, even if their application was denied year after year. And the Linda Vista community was tired of fighting the same battles, so they contacted Asm. Alpert to rectify the situation.

But here's where things get really interesting. The ABC regulation also had a provision that allowed the Department to waive this rule "when the reasons that caused the denial no longer exist." In other words, prior to AB 1042, ABC had the authority to approve a new owner's application at the same premises if a transfer of ownership occured within the 12-month period.

Somehow, though, that regulation ended up becoming codified in AB 1042 without the clause granting ABC the authority to consider scenarios whereby "the reasons that caused the denial no longer exist." Remember, all of these restrictions are on the site itself, regardless of who is the operator. In reaction, the California Grocers Association stated their opposition to the bill as follows:

AB 1042 focuses on the premises rather than the operator. It is the irresponsible operator, not the premises, that causes a license to be revoked. If the irresponsible operator manages to get his/her license revoked twice within a 36 month period, the premises would be ineligible for a license for two years, no matter who wished to operate at that location.

Similarly, committee consultant Jim Branham wrote in his analysis:

The longer waiting period may cause economic loss to the owner of the property. It may be preferable to allow the ABC the flexibility to continue to deal with these requests on a regulatory, not a statutory, basis.

(Editor's Note: Statutes are authored by the Legislature and, therefore, trump regulations which are promulgated by state agencies.)

Translation: the current dillema faced by the Patel family was completely foreseen. But it's also a testament to the manner in which decision-making has moved away from local communities.

Yes, there are some residents who don't want Sunny's to sell alcohol. However, the vast majority of us do and we don't even have the opportunity to collectively decide the matter as a neighborhood because lawmakers decided that they know better than we do.

I realize most folks might have a hard time setting aside the issue of Sunny's acquiring a license from the fundamental unfairness in the law, but those really are two different things. In any application for an alcohol license, a transparent, public process exists for residents to voice their concerns and ABC must consider those concerns in determining whether or not to grant the license.

But AB 1042 took away our ability to even have that conversation in the first place.

Disclosure: I live one-half block from Sunny's as a renter and have no financial conflict of interest. I just want the Patel family to succeed. I'm managing the campaign through pro bono services.

Practical Solution to Save Sunny's Market within Sight

2011-08-23T17:11:35Z

Thanks to the support of so many Marshall School/New Era Park (MSNEP) residents, the Save Sunny's Market campaign was able to deliver eleven pages of petition signatures to the offices of Assemblymember Roger Dickinson and Senator Darrell Steinberg yesterday. The 165 signatures demonstrate broad-based neighborhood support for the new operators of Sunny’s Market to acquire a beer and wine license.

If you are just hearing about this issue for the first time, Josh and Monica Patel – the new owners of Sunny’s, are at risk of closing their doors due to the negligent actions of the previous owner who violated the law several times by selling alcoholic beverages to underage decoys.

Under current law, if there are multiple violations within a specific timeframe, not only is an operator’s license revoked, but the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control must impose a one-year cooling off period on the site itself, even if there is a transfer of ownership.

Upon acquiring the business, the new owners were unaware that the actions of the previous owner would impact their ability to successfully run a small business. This unfairness led to the formation of a grassroots campaign to save Sunny’s Market.

The campaign is asking lawmakers to approve a minor change in the law that would keep the mandatory one-year cooling off period in place, but also allow this provision to be overridden if a new owner acquires the business and a majority of nearby residents sign a petition in support of the new operator’s intent to acquire a license.

Existing law does not provide a way around the mandatory one-year cooling off period, even if a responsible owner takes over the business and neighbors support the new operator possessing a license. Midtown residents in support of the campaign are asking Asm. Dickinson and Sen. Steinberg to author the necessary changes in law to shift accountability from the state down to residents at the local level. Government works best when decisions can be made at a level that is closest to the people.

Because September 2 is the last day bills can be amended, the campaign is urging residents to contact their lawmakers. This goal, however, is completely within reach. We just need to show how much we support exists for the Patel family.

While the MSNEP Neighborhood Association recognizes that existing law was enacted to protect residents in a neighborhood where bad actors willfully violate the spirit and intent of the law, we also believe that it should not be so unduly burdensome that it restricts the ability of good stewards like Josh and Monica to successfully run a small business through the responsible sale of alcohol - particularly when there is demonstrated public support.

What You Can Do

1. Read the Fact Sheet

2. Contact our local legislators and tell them you support Sunny's Market:

Assemblymember Roger Dickinson

(916) 319-2009 // assemblymember.dickinson@asm.ca.gov

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg

(916) 651-4006 // senator.steinberg@senate.ca.gov

3. Stop by Sunny's and make a small purchase so that they can get throught this rough period.

Also, don't forget to "like" the campaign on Facebook:

facebook.com/SaveSunnys

Disclosure: I live one-half block from Sunny's as a renter and have no financial conflict of interest. I just want the Patel family to succeed. I'm managing the campaign through pro bono services.

Midtown Residents Launch Campaign to Save Sunny's Market

2011-08-18T00:04:52Z

This week, members of the Marshall School/New Era Park Neighborhood Association helped launch a campaign to save Sunny's Market. A corner store at 28th and G Streets, Sunny's was acquired four months ago by new owners Josh and Monica Patel.

Because of mutiple alcohol sales violations by the previous owner, a one-year moratorium on a new license has been placed on the site, notwithstanding the change in ownership. At a time when Midtown residents have sought to further restrict the availability of alcohol in the central city, it's ironic that neighbors of Sunny's have come together in support of the Patels acquiring a license. However, options appear limited at the moment because the restriction is the result of a trigger in state law.

But residents are supporting Josh and Monica because they recognize the difficulty for these types of small businesses to be profitable without the ability to sell products with a profit margin comparable to alcoholic beverages. More importantly, Josh has gone out of his way to be a good steward of the neighborhood. He's a fellow neighbor and we want to help him.

If the community can't help Josh turn his business around, he may have to shut his doors. As awareness of the situation grows, we'll begin to collaborate around options to help him and his family be successful and invite you to join us.

Check out the video and be inspired by Josh's story:

To get involved and stay updated check out:

SaveSunnys.com

facebook.com/SaveSunnys

Disclosure: I live one-half block from Sunny's and have no financial interest in his success. Although I'm managing the campaign, all services are pro bono.

Entrepreneurs drop 'fight bar,' look to expand restaurant

2011-07-30T00:11:40Z

The owners of a contested bar with a mixed martial arts fighting concept withdrew their application earlier this month, but neighboring residents are still concerned that new plans for the Midtown space will be the same operation by another name.

The MMA Fight Bar concept was planned by the owners of Luck’s BBQ, which at 2502 J St. is next door to the vacant space the fight bar would have taken.

The application for an alcohol license for Fight Bar was withdrawn by owners in mid-July, and the Alcoholic Beverage Control office confirmed Friday that no new application has been filed yet.

“They’ve decided to change their format there,” said Midtown Business Association Executive Director Rob Kerth. “They’ve decided to expand Luck’s BBQ.”

Kerth said trying to shoehorn another restaurant into the space is difficult, and the new idea should allow the space to be put into use much sooner.

As a restaurant, Kerth said he thinks it’s great to see new investment and improvement in the Midtown area.

“The more we have to offer, the more we expect people will enjoy coming here and living here,” he said.

Kerth added that the fight bar theme wasn’t likely to appeal to nearby residents.

“If something shows up with the name ‘Fight Bar,’ it’s not starting out setting a great impression with neighborhood leaders,” he said. “They’ve decided to rethink that concept.”

City Councilman Steve Cohn said the owners did some outreach efforts in the community that weren’t well-received.

“It seemed this concept was going to be pretty problematic right across from a senior housing complex, so they decided to hold back on that idea,” he said.

A manager at Luck’s BBQ confirmed Wednesday that the owners would be expanding Luck’s BBQ in lieu of building the fight bar, but he did not return phone calls later in the week.

Nearby residents said Friday that they are still waiting to see what the expansion will bring.

In the past, the same group of neighbors has been influential with other nearby establishements, including G.V. Hurley’s and BarWest Burgers & Wings.

Dale Kooyman, a local resident, said that he is waiting to see which type of liquor license – if any – the business applies for.

Restaurant alcohol licenses are easier to get, but bar/nightclub licenses are more expensive and must be justified, he said, adding that he doesn’t want to see the owners apply for a restaurant license only to stay open until 1:30 or 2 a.m. and operate as a bar.

“We’ll see if it’s a better outcome,” he said. “We’ll see if they’re just changing the name or changing the operation. If you’ve got 15 or 20 screens showing fights, then it’s still a fight bar, even if you call it a restaurant.”

Kooyman added that the name is immaterial.

“We don’t want a business operation that fosters MMA/martial arts,” he said. “They’re in Chicago and various places, and the bouncers can’t control the fights.”

Karen Jacques, another area resident, said she is concerned that alcohol mixed with a fight-themed bar will cause spillover troubles in the nearby residential areas, where many patrons would likely park their vehicles.

“It seems like the more we become a regional destination that is known primarily for bars, the more there is spillover,” she said.

She added that bouncers and security at bars cannot control problems that might occur on nearby streets, and with reduced police and code enforcement staff, she is concerned.

“I’m still concerned about what may go in there,” she said.

Cohn acknowledged that there may still be concerns among local residents as the restaurant expansion goes forward, but he expects they can be worked through.

“I think certainly if all parties are willing to talk to each other, there’ll be ways to work out the restaurant expansion,” he said.

He added that he doesn’t know any timeline for the expansion permit to be filed, but he expects it to be sooner than later.

“I did get the impression it was not going to be a long time,” he said. “Probably in the next couple of weeks.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Rebirth of Marshall School in Midtown

2011-05-10T19:14:41Z

“Well you roll on roads over fresh green grass. For your lorry loads pumping petrol gas. And you make them long, and you make them tough. But they just go on and on, and it seems that you can’t get off…

Well you’ve cracked the sky, scrapers fill the air. But will you keep on building higher til there’s no more room up there? …

I know we’ve come a long way, Were changing day to day, But tell me, where do the children play?”

Cat Stevens

In the rush to make Sacramento a big city we seem to concentrate on the expanding bars, restaurants, basketball arena, high rises, and other superficial aspects of a big city. We forget that key components to a successful revitalized city are the children and good schools.

A major step to bringing good schools back to downtown occurred last Saturday at Old Marshall School at 28th and G Streets. The California Montessori Project, Capitol Campus, a public charter grade school, had a ceremonial march of over 250 students, parents and neighbors from their old leased space at Pioneer Congregational Church at 28th and L Streets to their new home at Historic Marshall School at 28th and G Streets.

Marshall School, built in 1903 and designed by Rudolph Harold, a locally prominent architect who designed City Hall, was used as a grade school until 1976. In the 1960s and 70s, the great exodus of families from the central city led to the conversion of Marshall School into an adult school. Gradually, as pioneer restoration people began to return to the central city in the 1980s with their families, changing attitudes about living in Midtown, Metro Square and other housing developments began to set the foundation for bringing the school back to Midtown.

On August 17, Old Marshall Adult School will be reborn again into a quality grade school, renamed to California Montessori Project, Capitol Campus at Historic Marshall. This historic moment is brought into perspective if we consider that the establishment of a public grade school in the central city is the first in 70 years.

Let’s take this opportunity in the economic recession to reestablish our priorities and make sure we make room for children in our city’s growth. If we ignore this critical element we will fail.

Editor's note: This article was temporarily removed and reposted again. All reposted articles appear at the top of the story feed.

Burgers and wings spot to take Aura's spot on J Street

2011-05-07T00:40:25Z

BarWest Burgers & Wings will be taking the place of Aura on J Street in Midtown, and in addition to food, it is bringing a sense of cooperation with a local neighborhood association that has filed complaints for previous bars in that area, including the now-closed GV Hurley’s.

The opening day is tentatively set for mid-July. Co-owners Trevor Shults and Todd Zancaner are teaming up with local restaurateur Randy Paragary, for whom Shults worked in numerous positions – most recently in marketing.

Shults said he has always been a fan of the block that contains Centro Cocina Mexicana, Red Lotus and Harlow’s, so moving into the two-level spot at 2724 J St. was a “no-brainer.”

“It will be affordable, sit-down dining,” he said. A burger with a 3-ounce patty – similar in size to In-N-Out Burger’s patties – will start at $3.95, and a double will be $6.

Five sandwiches, five salads and a vegetable burger round out the menu, which is still being finalized.

Thirty types of wings will also be on offer, and one of the highlights of the 4,300-square-foot space is its second floor, which Shults said can be rented out for banquets, business meetings, birthday parties or any number of occasions.

He said it will accommodate 30 people in a sit-down configuration or 70 standing.

One essential aspect of opening a restaurant on the 2700 block of J Street is working with local residents.

“In Midtown, the only way you’re going to survive is if the neighborhood association supports you,” he said.

The Marshall School/New Era Park Neighborhood Association has a long history of battling with businesses on the block, with concerns of rowdiness and noise levels, according to board co-chair Mark Hefling.

“It’s been an issue adding restaurants to that block in the past,” Hefling said.

Former co-chair George Raya said loud parties as well as the noise of all the bars emptying into the street on Friday and Saturday nights has been a problem.

But both Raya and Hefling said the cooperation between the association and BarWest has been very positive.

In going through the process of obtaining a liquor license, BarWest owners were encouraged by the Alcoholic Beverage Commission to cooperate with the neighbors, Hefling said.

Several concessions were made to get the neighbors on board – including agreeing not to apply for an entertainment permit through the city and bolting down tables on the ground floor so they cannot be cleared for a dance space, as was previously done when Aura occupied the building.

An eviction notice dated March 21 was on the front door of Aura last month, and The Sacramento Press was unable to reach the former owners or property management.

After contacting more than 70 area neighbors, Hefling said the association has not heard any opposition.

Hefling said the neighborhood association is representing two disparate groups – residents who have been in the area for 25 years or more and relatively new residents who moved to Midtown after the transformation of the area over the past decade.

To that end, he said, the association is trying to find a happy medium between those who want a quiet central city atmosphere and those who like having bars and restaurants – many of whom work in those bars and restaurants.

Hefling said the owners of BarWest have been easy to work with, and he believes they are honest people who will continue to work with the association.

When the restaurant opens, Shults said it will be open until midnight on weekdays, with a 2 a.m. closing time on Saturday and Sunday morning for the late-night crowds Friday and Saturday.

There will be 15 TVs on the walls, and BarWest will be carrying all the DirecTV packages so patrons can watch sports, but he said it won’t be a sports bar.

The décor will be casual, and there will be signature cocktails, but he didn’t have details on them yet.

“We’re really in the design phase right now,” he said. “We’re really just excited to offer a great burger, great wings, a great atmosphere and 14 beers on tap.”

A website and Facebook page will be created in the future. Check back in the conversation below for information as it becomes available.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

School moving from old Marshall School to Thomas Jefferson Elementary

2009-11-05T03:04:47Z

It was confirmed last week California Montessori Project's Capitol Campus will move from the Marshall School to Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in the College Glen neighborhood.

Since August, CMP leased the Marshall School building from the Sacramento City Unified School District, which also oversees its charter. Next Thursday and Friday, the school will be closed for the move and will resume at the new campus on Nov. 16.

SCUSD superintendent Jonathan Raymond met with CMP board members, students and parents Tuesday night at the campus' new location. After stating reasons for the move, he answered questions from parents.

"The old Marshall School, although a very beautiful facility and by all appearances structurally sound, does not comply with two very important requirements," Raymond said. "No. 1, the Field Act, (which) simply relates to the ability of a building to withstand a seismic event; the other important component is this building does not meet state building codes - it is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act."

He stated that charter schools are required by Prop 39, which passed in 2005, to comply with either one of these codes, and the Marshall School does not. Raymond also took responsibility for the error, and said he looks forward to helping CMP move to the Jefferson campus, which is Field Act and ADA compliant.

"We're going to do it expeditiously, with (the) least disruption to the children and to the families of California Montessori Project, first and foremost," Raymond said to the crowd of nearly 200 gathered in the multi-purpose/lunch room.

This includes providing bus transportation to the new school site throughout the remainder of the school year. Details on the bus routes will be given in the next week, Raymond said.

Thomas Jefferson Elementary School closed at the end of the 2008-09 school year after suffering from low enrollment and loss of revenue. Although CMP Capitol Campus' enrollment is also low, in the low 200s, moving to this location is an opportunity for the school to expand and use the facility the way it should be used, Raymond said.

The school also has a new rooftop ventilation system with furnaces and thermostats added last year, said Mellissa Truitt, SCUSD Associate Superintendent of Capital Asset Management Services.

Some parents said they were still upset about leaving the downtown location so quickly in the middle of a school year. They were notified in late October about a possible move.

"The move is disappointing because we lived in the (Marshall) neighborhood," said Rachelle Barbour, parent of a first-grade student at CMP. "If it wasn't for the liability reasons [if a seismic event did occur, the district and the CMP board would be liable for any injury], it wouldn't have happened so fast."

However, Barbour said she felt "reassured" that the superintendent met with parents and will use the buses provided by the school district. She also noted that there are too few schools in the grid, and said she would like for another school to open in the downtown area.

Darrin Greer, another parent of a first-grade student, thought that the meeting was informative and answered questions.

"The superintendent was open and it helps (that) the district is committed to transportation," he said. "Moving is difficult to do in the middle of the year."

Greer said it would be interesting to see how many people will stay at CMP and how many will leave, but he expects most will stay for at least the rest of this year. He also wanted to know if any other schools in the SCUSD have ADA or Field Act compliance issues.

"This was the only one," Raymond said in an interview after the meeting. "We want to see it thrive. We want to provide whatever support we can to ensure that they do, it's important for the community."

He also said that creating downtown-area schools is a priority.

"We have people living and moving in there, and we need to provide school facilities for those children too and those families," Raymond said. "I've told the community and others in the neighborhood that's something I want to work toward."

Parents split over possible Montessori school move

2009-10-28T04:56:49Z

A five-hour board meeting on the fate of California Montessori Project's Capitol Campus ended around 10:45 p.m. Monday night with a resolution: If an assessment says the Marshall School building in which the school resides is not compliant with state building codes, the school must move "expeditiously."

If the assessment, which has still not been made public, says the building does meet minimum state codes, the board will reconvene to decide if the school will move or not.

Nearly 100 people - parents, elementary school students and the California Montessori Project's nine board members, superintendent and a legal advisor - filled a multipurpose room at the Marshall School in Midtown to see if the school would need to move. They voiced a range of concerns, asked questions and offered suggestions to the board and its director.

The public charter grade school opened at its current location, 2700 G St., on Aug. 17, after eight years of being located in the Pioneer Congregational Church, 2700 L St.

California Montessori Project leases the Marshall School building from the Sacramento City Unified School District, which also oversees its charter.

Last week, parents received a letter from CMP superintendent Gary Bowman saying new SCUSD superintendent Jonathan Raymond had recently performed a study, deeming the building unsafe.

"I don't think (previous) staff did a thorough job, and that was something that I uncovered when I started," Raymond said to KCRA 3 last Tuesday. "(Students) were already in there, and we started to ask questions (like) 'Why were they in before we did a thorough review?'"

California public schools are required to pass strict earthquake standards designated in the 1933 Field Act, but since the Marshall School was built in 1903, it does not meet them.

"We know we don't have Field Act compliance, (because) we predated the Act by a number of years," said Bowman.

As a charter school, however, CMP only needs to meet minimum building requirements and not the Field Act. Their previous location, Pioneer Congregational Church, was not Field Act-compliant.

Bowman told those gathered Monday night that Raymond told him last week, "it's not your mistake, it's the city's mistake." He also said Raymond told him that "we will do everything we can to make it whole," and that he wants to meet again next Tuesday.

A CMP facilities team proposed Jefferson Elementary School, in the College Glen neighborhood, as the best fit for the school to lease. Several parents praised Jefferson's newer facilities, which include a larger grassy area for children to play, a more modern kitchen and a multipurpose room with a stage.

"In terms of the move itself, SCUSD is going to bring in packers, movers, they're going to go full tilt to support this move," Bowman added.

However, others felt skeptical of SCUSD's motives, shocked and betrayed at the sudden news.

"We felt that the building was safe enough," said Cécile Downs, the parent of a kindergartner and a second grader. "To my knowledge the school still has not received any written instructions to move."

Many parents voiced their concern that moving would disrupt students' education and take parent volunteer hours. Others alleged that the district wanted to rent out the Marshall School, which Bowman denied.

A number of parents demanded transportation to the new school it moves. Some said they would not be able to transport their children because it takes too long.

"This building is over a century old, and I don't believe there have been any problems related to earthquakes in this building," said Rich, a parent of a first grader who did not give his last name. "There is far more risk to our children driving on the freeway for two hours a day to get to a new location."

The Sacramento Press contacted SCUSD's public relations office manager Maria Lopez and asked if the Marshall School building violates any codes. She said the code is not the issue.

"Our superintendent said that no students should be in any structures not compliant with the Field Act," Lopez said. "There's a little bit of a grey area on whether independent charters (should) go into non-Field Act-compliant structures. Some think that they can, some think that they cannot."