Re: Proposed eight-story judicial building.
My wife, Councilwoman Patsy Ayala, and I recently attended a hearing concerning the proposed eight-story judicial building. To my dismay, the process has been fundamentally flawed from the start. The public hearing, which the state claimed to offer to the city, was evidently not properly communicated, as the city learned of the project only through The Signal!
The sheer inefficiency demonstrated by the project management is staggering. The project manager, Kim Bobic, explained they have spent three years simply determining a site. Any private company would demand results within six months, yet here we are. After reviewing over 30 locations, they selected one site in Valencia and used a color-coded ranking system for the rest, with “red dots” indicating sites deemed unsuitable, often for being “too residential.”
When I pointed out that the selected Valencia site is also highly residential, the manager’s justification was dismissive: “Well, Stevenson Ranch is more residential.” This evasion suggests a profound lack of respect for the city’s established residential character.
The manager’s unfamiliarity with our area became glaringly apparent when I suggested a site closer to the Pitchess Detention Center — a major regional landmark. Her reply: “What is Pitchess center?” Only after her staff informed her of the detention center did she pivot, citing that the land near there is used by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department for overflow parking. If a three-year site selection process fails to identify local landmarks and potential government partnerships, the process itself is broken.
The traffic issue was similarly brushed aside. I noted that court visits are stressful enough without requiring citizens to navigate complex, already-congested traffic. Her categorical response was she drove the streets and it “takes just five minutes to go through the city,” a statement that shows she is clearly unfamiliar with Santa Clarita’s traffic patterns.
Furthermore, when challenged on the city’s ordinances against tall buildings, the manager simply stated that the state is not required to comply with municipal or city codes. This illustrates the state’s belief that they can override local governance and community planning.
Perhaps the most telling moment was her final challenge to me: “If this is not the right parcel, find me another.” It should not be the public’s responsibility to do the manager’s job, especially after a three-year, multi-million-dollar site selection process.
The overarching message here is clear: The state of California has shown no genuine interest in understanding or learning about Santa Clarita. They are steamrolling a process without regard for local impact, residential character, or community input.
We need our elected representatives to intervene. I urge all residents to reach out to our state Sen. Suzette Valladares and Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, and demand they elevate our unified voice against this bureaucratic overreach in Sacramento. Our city deserves a process that is transparent, efficient and respects our community’s needs.
Julio del Rio
Canyon Country
