Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Vote Delayed on Shopping Center Near Santa Clarita

Responding to concerns raised by Santa Clarita officials, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors delayed voting Thursday on a proposed shopping center to consider the need for additional sheriff’s deputies there.

The board is scheduled to vote June 9 on the Valencia Marketplace project just west of the city of Santa Clarita between McBean Parkway and Pico Canyon Road. The project, which would be larger than Santa Clarita’s 1 1/2-year-old regional mall, would be an open-air center anchored by large discount stores and supplemented by more than 35 smaller retail shops.

Santa Clarita Councilwoman Jan Heidt told supervisors Thursday that 10 additional sheriff’s deputies would be required to patrol the center, mainly because it would contain several ATMs and would be easily accessible from the Golden State Freeway. An environmental report on the project states the sheriff’s station two miles away would be adequate.

“You should certainly require the developer to pay for the deputies,” Heidt said.

The board has ordered developers to pay similar fees before, said Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who represents the area. For instance, the developer of a large factory outlet center planned near Gorman agreed last year to pay part the cost of a sheriff’s patrol as a condition of the project’s approval, Antonovich said.

The delay will give county planners the chance to prepare a report on the issue and to help settle another dispute over the future configuration of roads in the area.