Santa Venetia residents win former school property with lone bid

San Rafael City Schools has accepted a $6 million bid from Santa Venetia residents to buy a 9.76-acre surplus property and turn it into a community center, park and nature preserve.

Trustees unanimously voted Tuesday in favor of the bid from Pazala Inc., a nonprofit organization that raised the minimum offer for the former MacPhail School campus at 1565 Vendola Drive.

“I am pleased that a thoughtful and transparent process led to an outcome where the San Rafael community benefits on multiple levels,” said Carolina Martin, president of the San Rafael Board of Education. “The sale of this longheld district asset reflects responsible stewardship and provides important resources for needed school facility improvements.”

The bid was the only one the district received by the Jan. 23 deadline, officials said.

Christina West, executive director of Pazala, said the group is “overjoyed” at the opportunity to buy the property “and transform it into an environmentally and socially responsible community hub.”

Robin-Leigh Kessler, co-founder of another group, Santa Venetia Commons, said she is “thrilled at this amazing outcome for the Santa Venetia community.”

“Now the real work begins in its transformation into a community center, parkland and cultural and recreational destination,” Kessler said. “This journey is a symbol of what can happen when communities have a shared vision, a passion for change and work together to get things done.”

Linda Levey, treasurer for the Santa Venetia Neighborhood Association, said the bid award was “a culmination of all our hard work over the years.”

“We couldn’t be more excited,” she said.

West said the residents will immediately begin the first phase of improvements. They include a “park with nature trail, community gardens and a picnic and food truck area with solar shade structures,” she said.

“For phase two, we look forward to partnering with the nonprofit Santa Venetia Community Center to build a community center on the property,” West said.

The neighbors also plan to incorporate affordable housing for musicians and a cafe, she said.

The MacPhail School was one of several that closed in the 1970s because of declining enrollment. It was declared as surplus in 1979, then leased out until the 1990s.

In 1993, the campus was declared as surplus again and sold. The buyer defaulted on loan payments in 2002. In 2004, a court ruled the purchase agreement void and ownership reverted back to the district. The site was declared as surplus again in 2007.

In March 2024, the district reaffirmed the site as surplus. Then it began a priority bidding process, offering MacPhail and other surplus properties only to nonprofits or public entities.

Despite having at least two parties interested in the MacPhail property, the district announced in September it was unable to reach a deal through the priority bidding process. The district said it would open up the process to the general real estate market, with a $6 million minimum bid required.

The residents’ fears they would be outbid by a housing developer proved to be unwarranted.

“The most important part of this plan is that it was put together by neighbors,” trustee Jason Lau said at the board meeting. “They will guide its future.”