Simi Council OKs Donation of City Parcel to YMCA : Recreation: The action will save the community group about $1.1 million in land costs. The present police station site is favored.

Continuing its pledge to support programs for youth and families, the Simi Valley City Council decided Monday to allow the local YMCA to build a $3.9-million facility on city-owned property.

A site has not yet been selected, but council members and YMCA directors agreed that the best land for the new building would be a lot on Cochran Street where the police headquarters now stands.

The police station will be vacated when construction of a new station at the Civic Center is completed in about three years.

The council’s vote saves the Simi Valley YMCA about $1.1 million, the estimated cost of purchasing land, said Jim King, the Y’s executive director. With the city’s commitment to provide the property, the YMCA will be able to begin raising the $3.9 million needed to build the new facility.

King estimates that fund-raising will take about two years. It would take seven years to complete the first phase of construction, which would include an indoor swimming pool and a separate hydrotherapy pool for the disabled. Construction of a gymnasium and a child-care center is planned in the second phase, and an outdoor track is planned in the third and final phase.

Monday night’s decision came just one week after the council voted to award a $2.5-million contract to build a new Boys & Girls Club near the Civic Center. Though many people view the two organizations as similar, King said, they serve different clientele.

The Simi Valley YMCA works with children who are the same age as those that go to the Boys & Girls Club, but the YMCA also has licensed day-care centers for younger children. It also has programs for both younger and senior adults.

“We’re different,” he said. “There won’t be any duplication in our activities.”

If the Cochran Street location does not work out, one of the alternative sites is on Avenida Simi next to the Civic Center. But King said that location is too close to the planned Boys & Girls Club.

“That might not be the wisest choice,” he said. “Having us all clustered in the same location might play into the perception that we serve the same population. I’m not saying it would be an impossible site, but it’s not perfect.”

King agreed with city leaders that the police station property was the best choice.

“We certainly like the police station site,” he said. “It is the perfect amount of acreage. It’s well located, and has high visibility. It seems to meet all our site requirements.”

There are still a few potential stumbling blocks to building there, said Mayor Greg Stratton.

“For one, I don’t know if there really is enough space for what they want to build,” he said. “The Y said they liked it because it’s available, but I’m not sure if there isn’t a better alternative.”

Another potential problem is a deed restriction on the property that requires the property to remain in “governmental use.”

“I don’t know what else we could do,” Councilwoman Sandi Webb said. “It’s too small for residential, and there are deed restrictions that don’t allow commercial development. I’m 100% behind them using the land.”