It’s pretty much official: One of Santa Rosa’s last indie movie theaters, Summerfield Cinemas across from Howarth Park on the east side of the city, is being replaced by a new outpost of the Planet Fitness gym chain, according to the Press Democrat. “The decision dealt a blow to a growing chorus of cinema buffs and community members who have joined in support of Summerfield Cinemas,” the paper reports.
Neighbors on nearby streets were notified a few months ago about the potential takeover, and started pushing back. They even held a protest outside the theater on Wednesday, braving this crazy heat to fight for arthouse cinema. But by the next day, Santa Rosa’s city “zoning administrator” had reportedly approved the gym-conversion permit.
The Press Democrat reports:
The approval marked another sign of the end of an era for the theater, operated for the past 14 years under the business umbrella of the Tocchini family.
“We put all our love and care into that space since 2010 and before that,” said Dan Tocchini. “It’s sad. No question about that.”
Reached Thursday afternoon, Tocchini was informed by a reporter the conversion had been approved. He had already been put on notice by the new owners of the Lakeside Shopping Center that a decision was imminent.
Tocchini said he’d yet to receive formal notice requiring the theater to close and he planned to continue operating “until we have to leave.”
More from the PD:
The Summerfield theater in its current form dates back to the 1980s, but some cinema buffs can remember watching movies there as early as the late 1960s.
About 30 people, including the theater’s manager and other cinema staffers, rallied outside Summerfield on Wednesday to drum up support ahead of the hearing. The group launched an online petition in early June that had been signed by more than 1,300 people and even purportedly reached famed Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino, who wrote that he saw the 1994 comedy “Clerks” there during a trip to the area.
Stefan said he wasn’t surprised the permit was approved but he hoped the growing opposition would make the new property owners reconsider their plans. He vowed to keep the campaign going and indicated that members are considering appealing Thursday’s decision and thinking of other ways to keep pressure on the owners.
“If the community is overwhelmingly against it, it could be putting this Planet Fitness organization into a very negative light if they choose to demolish this beloved landmark,” he said.
