SIMI VALLEY : Police Headquarters Plan Clears Hurdle

A proposed Simi Valley police headquarters would not have a significant impact on the surrounding environment, according to a city study received Wednesday by the Planning Commission.

If approved by the City Council, the study will pave the way for a $10.9-million bond issue to help pay for the station, planned at Tapo Canyon Road and Alamo Street.

Approval of the study is not technically necessary for the issuance of bonds, said Assistant City Manager Don Penman, but it will help their sale.

“It provides a level of assurance to the bond purchasers that, environmentally, the project is sound,” he said.

The station, immediately southwest of City Hall, would contain up to 50,000 square feet of floor space and include underground parking for about 100 vehicles.

The current police station was badly damaged in the Northridge earthquake. Although the city repaired much of the damage, Planning Commissioner Michael Piper said the department still needs a new facility. “The station had pretty much outlived its usefulness years ago,” he said. “We patched it back together, but it’s time to move.”

The city’s initial study found the building site contains no protected plant or animal species. The project, the study indicated, would not have a significant negative impact on local traffic congestion or the level of noise in the neighborhood.

The city hopes to issue the bonds in August and take bids on construction of the project next spring, Penman said. If all goes well, the station could be finished in September, 1997, he said.