If you grew up in the Sacramento area, chances are you probably spent
family time at the Sunrise Drive-In movie theatre. For those who do
not know about this golden oldie, it is snuggled between a mini-strip
mall and a mortuary on Greenback Lane in Fair Oaks, near Sunrise
Mall. The marquee, lackluster and in dire need of repair, still
perches aloof and proud as a last stand of a bygone time.

The theatre has been falling apart for about the last decade. It is
desperately in need of restoration and clean-up. Its' appearance is
inviting to trespassers and vagrants who camp out and illegally
occupy the grounds. To this point, the City has dealt with the minor
nuisances caused by the trespassers and allowed the theatre to remain
unoccupied. However, the theatre's future looks grim, at the hands
of commerce. It is sitting on prime commercial real estate in the
busy retail sector of Fair Oaks. I have learned that the City of
Citrus Heights has plans to request an annexation to acquire the
theatre property from the theatre owner, Louis Pappas to redevelop it
into commercial property. It is on the County of Sacramento's
Planning Commission Agenda to review the request to revoke/modify the
owner's Use Permit. The county will discuss this matter before the
Board of Zoning Appeals on August 9, 2004. This does not give us
much time! Once the ball gets rolling, and if the City of Citrus
Heights gets their way, be assured that one of the last few original
American icons to go down in dust.

My husband and I have launched an effort to try to bring the theatre
back to its' former glory. We have written the owner, Louis Pappas,
to propose our idea to run classic and noir films from the theatre
spot and perhaps run car shows during the days. We believe that a
drive-in theatre should feature films that will glorify the silver
screen, not compete with the overly sensational movies of today's
mainstream. Running old time cinema will help restore the theatre's
nostalgic feel and we feel will be well received in the art and
entertainment-centric community we have here in Sacramento.


Here's how you can help:

1. Please send this message to friends and family in the
community. Getting the word out will raise interest in the theatre's
prosperity. If you wish to get involved, please write to
savethesunrise@y... Also, I've formed a Yahoo group
[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/savethesunrise] to aide in getting
communications out, and regular updates will be posted on the
progress of this effort. I invite you to join the group and
participate in discussions about the theatre's progress.

2. Write to the theatre owner, and let him know that you want to
see this theatre stay in our community. In a time like this,
sometimes a word of encouragement is all that is needed to get by.
Louis Pappas
P.O. Box 2126
Fair Oaks, CA 95628-2126

3. Write to the County of Sacramento, voicing your opinion and
feelings about the theatre. We just need to bide time, to allow more
time to get in contact with the owner and get him on board with the
possibility of a renovation. If he gets up to code, then the future
possibilities for the theatre are endless. Remember, the Planning
Commission meets on August 9th, to discuss the future plans for this
site.
Write to: Planning and Community Development
Attn: Manuel Mejia
County of Sacramento
700 H Street, Suite 1450
Sacramento, CA 95814


With all of your help, I see a bright future for the Sunrise Drive-
In. Thank you for taking the time to read this message and for your
willingness to get involved. Even little efforts count in big
ways!!!
--- End forwarded message ---