By Ken Striplin
City Manager
The City of Santa Clarita continues to rank among the safest cities in California and across the nation thanks to the dedication and tireless work of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, as well as the vigilance of our residents. By working together and investing in resources and operations, the City and Sheriff’s Station have seen the crime rate in Santa Clarita drop to all-time lows over the past few years.
Part of this investment has been in a new facility for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station to replace the current one on Valencia Boulevard that has been in use since the early 1970s. Through a partnership between the City, Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, much progress has been made on a new facility located on Golden Valley Road between Centre Pointe Parkway and Robert C. Lee Parkway.
The new Sheriff’s Station does more than just provide additional space for deputies and staff to work. It is also centrally located in the Santa Clarita Valley, allowing for enhanced service throughout the City. As we move into the final stages of construction, I am pleased to report that the station remains on track to be completed and turned over to the county in the second quarter of this year.
When you drive past the construction site, you will notice that finishing touches are now being put on the station buildings. Already complete are exterior site improvements along Golden Valley Road, as well as site landscaping and parking lot paving.
In the final weeks of construction, crews will be finalizing a number of interior and infrastructure items to get the facility operational. Currently in progress are electrical work in the main station and vehicle maintenance building, as well as the installation of all mechanical systems.
Utility connections to the site are also being made this month, and teams are continuing work on the station’s helipad and site drainage system. In terms of the aesthetics, the contractor is working on finish materials and painting building interiors, while also completing exterior building veneers.
We look forward to completing this project, which has been a long time coming and was also a major piece in the Santa Clarita 2020 strategic plan. When it opens, the 46,552 square-foot Sheriff’s Station will include a Type I detention facility, a 4,165 square-foot vehicle maintenance building, a communications tower and a helipad. It will also feature two civic art pieces, which will consist of windows that will be clearly visible from the exterior of the building, as well as a mural located in the station’s lobby.
More information will continue to be shared about the progress being made at the Sheriff’s Station in the coming weeks. To stay up-to-date on all capital improvement projects in Santa Clarita, please visit the City’s website at santa-clarita.com/CIP.
Ken Striplin can be reached at [email protected]. The views expressed in his column are those of the City and do not necessarily reflect those of The Signal.
