Dozens of Piedmont residents told the City Council on Sept. 15 that they want Piedmont Play School (PPS) to remain at 401 Hampton, the building community members and donors helped fund in 1999.

Speakers said the city has indicated the school may be required to leave the building in 2026, and they asked the council to reconsider that timeline or to open a public process to seek a solution.

Piedmont resident and long‑time PTO volunteer Samantha Nobles Block said her family has lived in Piedmont for more than 17 years and that PPS “is deeply important and meaningful to me and my family.” She summarized the situation for the council and asked them “to please reconsider the decision to evict Piedmont Play School from 401 Hampton.”

Michelle Ritchie, director and teacher at Piedmont Play School, told the council she has worked at the school since February 2013 and that the Piedmont Recreation Department has historically shared space with PPS. “I really believe that there's room for both of us in this sweet cottage at Hampton Field,” Ritchie said.

Former PPS board presidents and parents described PPS as a 75‑year community institution with a public‑private history: speakers said community members and the city partnered to build the 401 Hampton facility in 1999 and that the original agreement envisioned long‑term use by the school. Sandy Chen Feder, a former PPS president, said families and local architects donated time and expertise and framed the original arrangement as an enduring community partnership. “The spirit of that original agreement was that PPS would have use of the building in perpetuity at no rent,” she said.

Other parents described rapid local support after a notice circulated over the preceding weekend; Block said that a letter sent to alumni Sunday drew about 130 family signatures by Monday midday and that additional offers of help continued to arrive during the meeting.

Several speakers asked the council to make the matter public rather than resolving it entirely in closed session and suggested creating a task force including the Recreation Department, the school district, city staff and community members to find a “win‑win future for 401 Hampton.” Lisa Wilhelmi, a current PPS parent, and Nairobi Kim, an online speaker and parent, described PPS as a place where children and families have built friendships and community ties.

The council did not take a vote or make a public decision on the PPS building use during the meeting. Mayor Betsy Smigel Anderson closed the public forum and moved to the evening’s proclamation agenda item. Multiple speakers explicitly requested that the council move the discussion into a public agenda item or convene stakeholders for a possible task force; the council gave no immediate direction on forming a task force during the meeting.

The public forum closed without council action; several speakers asked the city to engage the public and explore options to keep PPS operating at 401 Hampton beyond the stated 2026 exit date.

Ending: The council heard about the issue from parents, former board leaders and staff but did not vote or direct staff to a specific next step at the Sept. 15 meeting. Speakers asked the council to reopen public discussion and explore options before the 2026 timeline.