AGOURA HILLS, CALABASAS : Land for Regional Gym to Be Appraised

The county is expected to postpone a decision on whether to donate land for a regional gymnasium for Agoura Hills and Calabasas until the land is appraised.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors was scheduled to vote today on the matter, but is likely instead to grant a continuance until Sept. 13, said Joel Bellman, press deputy to Supervisor Ed Edelman.

Edelman wants the county to give the cities 3.7 acres near the Los Angeles County sheriff’s station at Lost Hills for a gymnasium that would be shared by residents of both cities. Free land would make the project more affordable to both cities.

“This is a win-win deal for everybody,” said Bellman. “This is basically a leftover parcel of county land that we really don’t need anymore, and there is not enough value to make it worth selling.”

But Supervisor Gloria Molina has been hesitant to support the idea, fearing the county might be giving away valuable real estate in a time of budget cuts.

“We don’t necessarily think (the land donation) is a bad idea, but we would like to see what the land is worth,” said Robert Alaniz, Molina’s press deputy. “At this point in time we’re just asking the question.”

The parcel, along with a parcel on which the sheriff’s station now sits--about 12 acres in all--was appraised at about $9 million in 1989, said Joan Ouderkirk, chief deputy director of the county’s Internal Services Department, which is doing the appraisal.

She said that some of the land in the 3.7-acre parcel, which is next to the sheriff’s heliport, is steep and has been deemed unsuitable for building.

Audrey Brown, Agoura Hills’ community services director, said both cities are awaiting the supervisors’ decision on the land before moving ahead. She said there are no formal plans for the project.