COSTA MESA

Overcrowded offices, undersized work stations, deteriorating infrastructure and lack of storage space have prompted the growing Police Department to ask the City Council for more than $12 million to expand and renovate the 32-year-old police station. To accommodate growth, rooms have been partitioned and a former garage has been turned into the main property storage room. But the lack of space is creating practical concerns, with boxes of property and records being stored throughout the building. Some worry that this poses potential liability and confidentiality issues. One of the options preferred by police administrators is adding a second level at the northeast corner of the station and expanding to the east. The $12-million renovation cost is less than the projected minimum of $19.5 million it would take to start from scratch at another location, officials said.