City Hall Will Relocate to Sheriff’s Station : Government: It was not the lowest of five bids submitted, but other factors weighed more heavily in the city’s search for interim office space.

The Malibu City Council on Monday chose the Malibu Sheriff’s Station as the new rented quarters for City Hall beginning this spring.

“It’s not a beautiful building,” Councilwoman Carolyn Van Horn said, but it may be what the city needs for an interim office.

A proposal from Los Angeles County to lease space at the sheriff’s station to the city won out over four other bids, including a proposal for expanded offices at the city’s present location in the Malibu Professional Park building at 23805 Stuart Ranch Road.

Councilman Jeff Kramer said the station was not the cheapest bid. It will cost an average of $101,144 yearly over a five-year period, which is nearly $4,000 a year more than the lowest bid for offices in the Point Dume Professional Center on Pacific Coast Highway.

But the sheriff’s station site was supported by the city’s Emergency Preparedness Task Force, the Civic Center Neighborhood Council and other community groups and is more in line with what people think is an appropriate location for City Hall, Kramer said.

The sheriff’s station at 23555 Civic Center Way is part of a county complex that also includes a Municipal Court and county library. It is situated in the Civic Center area, where much of the city’s commercial business is located.

The sheriff’s station became available after most of the station’s deputies and administrators were moved recently to the nearby Lost Hills Station. The city plans to move into its new headquarters by May 1, acting City Manager Mark Lorimer said Tuesday.

Lorimer said he hopes to have a five-year lease agreement with the county for the council’s final approval at its next meeting Jan. 25.

“There is no perfect building or perfect location,” Van Horn said in backing the sheriff’s station over the four other locations. But the sheriff’s station offers 4,500 square feet, with an additional 1,000 square feet of reception, hallway, restroom and storage space thrown in at no extra cost, she said.

The building also is equipped with an emergency generator and has additional space available if the city needs it for expansion, Van Horn said.

The council’s vote in favor of the sheriff’s station was 4-0, with Mayor Walter Keller abstaining.

“I agree the station has all these other marvelous temptations,” Keller said. But the station lies over an earthquake fault, which could make it difficult for the city to respond to emergencies following an earthquake, he said.

Van Horn countered, saying, “All of Malibu is in (earthquake) danger.”