County Tentatively Agrees to Sell Former Malibu Sheriff’s Station Space to Santa Monica Community College District

• Board of Supervisors Gives Nod for Negotiations to Proceed

BY BILL KOENEKER

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recently gave the green light to selling the old sheriff’s station, which is a portion of the county-owned Malibu Civic Center complex, to the Santa Monica Community College District.
Malibu city and college officials had approached the county on behalf of the Joint Powers Authority that was formed between Malibu and the Santa Monica Community College District. The joint powers is interested in obtaining a fee interest in a portion of the Civic Center property that includes the former sheriff’s station to build an educational facility.
County officials maintain that any sale would have to take into consideration the ongoing county uses at the civic center complex, including parking and the needs of various other county departments housed at the complex.
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who made a motion to authorize the chief executive officer of the board to begin discussions with city college and JPA authorities about a direct sale, indicated the proposal offers a “unique opportunity for the county to join with other public agencies to expand educational opportunities in the Malibu area.”
Yaroslavsky’s motion also calls for an evaluation of any operational cost implications related to the subdivision of the civic center and requires a report back to the board within 45 days.
Supervisor Antonovich said he was concerned about losing a high value property, especially if the sheriff concluded he needed back the former station.
Yaroslavsky said the sale of the county property would not be to a private developer.
“It’s a sale of a property to the City of Malibu and to the Santa Monica Malibu Community College District for a community college campus on that property. This is something that we are working very closely on with the City of Malibu. It has community support and the framework of it has the support of my office,” he added.
Yaroslavsky went on to say that one of the aspects of the negotiations between the parties is that if the property ceased to be in public use it would revert back to the county.
“We have no use for it. I know the sheriff would like to have a substation in Malibu. But they don’t need the substation in Malibu,” added Yaroslavsky.
The complex comprises about 9.2 acres and consists of two buildings that together include 85,260 square feet. The main building houses the courthouse, public library, and public works office space. The second building is the site of the former sheriff’s station and is a free-standing building. The sheriff’s station was decommissioned in 1991.
There is a separate utility building that contains heating and cooling equipment and serves both the main building and the former station. The property includes a maintenance/utility yard, a communication tower and FAA-approved heliport and employee and public parking, according to county records.
The civic center was constructed in 1963 and while the main building is in generally good condition, according to county officials, the former station is vacant and has become hazardous as a result of flooding caused by a plumbing malfunction.
The municipality maintained its city hall in the station for several years before it was moved to its current location.