The West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station at 780 N. San Vicente Blvd. might be re-located to make room for a mass transit facility.
City Council will consider a proposal Monday to have staff look for a potential new home for the station and research how much the move would cost.
The staff report suggests the new location “could operate as a greater community safety and services building, as opposed to just a Sheriff’s station.” City Council and the commissions have considered creating several non-law enforcement departments to deal with public safety over the past year, while reducing the budget and footprint of the Sheriff’s Department.
Loading ...“A new station is a wonderful idea,” said Lt. Bill Moulder with the Sheriff’s Department. “The current station we are in was built in 1980 and has seen better days. Being co-located with other city partners is also a great idea to facilitate coordination and a strong community safety partnership.”
The proposal hinges on what happens next with the “Northern Extension” of the Crenshaw/LAX light-rail line. If the Fairfax Avenue/San Vicente Boulevard hybrid alignment is selected as the route for the Northern Extension, a Metro station would be located at, or in the vicinity, of the San Vicente Blvd. and Santa Monica Blvd. intersection.
The report states:
As the city has been working with Metro there have been initial discussions about the potential for a transit-oriented public-private-joint-development project on the combined 10.6-acre Division 7 bus yard and Sheriff Station site. A transit-oriented joint development on the site would include a station for the Northern Extension that could include multiple access portals. Since a station would be located at the intersection, the city has had initial conversations with Metro about the potential for a transit-oriented joint development at the site. A potential development at the site could include a variety of land-uses and could also help to fund the construction of the station and/or a portion of the Northern Extension through a ground lease reflecting the potential residual land value, future property taxes dedicated to an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District, or other revenue generated from the new development.
The report continues:
Any transit-oriented joint-development on the site would need to include the replacement of the bus yard (likely under the new development) and allow for the continual operation of the current bus yard during construction. Due to the size of the bus yard it would not be feasible to relocate it either temporarily or permanently.
They floated this boat years ago with the idea of a couple of big towers that would house the Sheriff and a new, bigger city hall and it was shot down as being the boondoggle it was.
Instead of rewarding the Sheriff’s department with posh new digs why don’t we spend the money on a new Police department? Is the reason it takes 20 minutes for them to respond to an emergency call is that it takes them that long to find their way out of that awful, dilapidated 80’s era building?
I have an idea, how about OUT OF West Hollywood!!!
So, where exactly would you put the sheriff station? It has to be in a city or unincorporated county area that doesn’t have it’s own police force. City of LA and Beverly Hills are out. Closest would be Marina del Rey – quite far from West Hlwd.
Gosh, here is an excellent example of how important institutional memory is to any publication. Nobody seems to remember this coming up 8 or 9 years ago. The idea was to create an entertainment complex along Santa Monica boulevard along with housing above as well as an expanded bus terminal and a new sheriff station on the same lot by building up. At the time Henry Scott presented it as a plan that was already developed, when in actuality it was merely a proposed plan that went nowhere, as we see. Nonetheless, by overstating it originally, Henry Scott got everybody… Read more »
City Council and Commissions want to create committees. To handle the murders and rapes and armed robberies. What an utter joke. Of course they will be spending millions, With the politicians on the pay for play to get the right developers like those that put Lindsay Horvath in office. More corruption in WeHo.
Creating committees and subcommittees is the easy off ramp for the indecisive council members after which the city must fund infinite studies so that others prosper but the issue reappears unrecognizable or seldom fades into oblivion. CC members, please reread your job description.
The council members of this city are absolutely a disgrace. A total collection of incompetent busy bodies. The great thing about the zoom meetings is you see these clowns up close. Send two of them back to the Midwest and the other one backed Iran.
“City Council and the commissions have considered creating several non-law enforcement departments to deal with public safety over the past year, while reducing the budget and footprint of the Sheriff’s Department.” Reducing the budget of the Sheriff’s Department? Hello?! Crime is on the rise. Almost all cities that got caught up in the “defund the poice” crap are changing their tune because of the increase in crime. I can not beieve the council is still considering going down this road given that people are starting to demand they do MORE to fight the rise in crime and don’t feel as safe anymore… Read more »
Who pays for this? Follow the money.
Be part of the Beverly Hills police force. This is so ridiculous. You think this city was a little new york. It’s just a small suburb. Who wants a station at crescent heights in Santa monica. Except the developers and the city’s slime called the politicians who are pay for play. It’s bad enough with all this other slop like the Metro bus stop mega building… put it in Los Angeles.
It’s not IN Santa Monica, it’s ON Santa Monica & Crescent Heights at the vacant lot on the corner that the city purchased.
Crescent Heights and SMB. Maybe not enough of a footprint of space, but if the building was tall enough, and there was enough subterranean parking for vehicles, as well as a heli-pad on the roof, that space could work. The city has already purchased the lot, and has just been sitting on it for 7 friggin’ years. And it is right in the middle of the city. Regarding the survey, I advocate for more bike patrols, over foot patrols, as it could be difficult to pursue a suspect on foot, in some cases. They can also cover more area, in… Read more »
Go back to 2013 or so, the city wanted to explore the idea of building a new City Center complex which would encompass a new city hall and sheriff station on that property. The proposal was buried 200 pages deep in the annual budget proposal but the public outcry nixed that idea in its infancy.
A developer who was represented by Steve Afriat proposed building two 12 story towers at Santa Monica and San Vicente to house both the Sheriff’s Department and a greatly expanded City Hall. If in the future there is a subway station there, the Sheriff’s facility could be expanded without any land cost to the West Hollywood tax payers.
Not necessary. West Hollywood is just starting to build back from small business. Building mass transit will only disturb this – we all know what it did to the mid-Wlishire District.
Up-grade the Sheriff Department building, at San Vicente, don’t tear it down. West Hollywood city council and commissions are not capable of managing any project of such a scale. West Hollywood Park is all the proof needed there.
Santa Clarita just opened a new Sheriff’s Station. The total cost of the project, excluding the land, was over $68,000,000. The station has a 9-1-1 dispatch center, a heliport, a vehicle maintenance facility and fueling station and a communications tower. All of that infrastructure needs to be built into a new WeHo Station.
West Hollywood station already has those items. Every sheriff station is equipped as such except maybe a Heliport.
you are correct but we’d lose them if the council decides to get rid of the Sheriff and get our own PD which I vehemently oppose for a gazillion reasons!!
Wakey Wakey People of Weho …Don’t be fooled, Does Cohen still have first right ? https://wehoonline.com/2015/02/04/look-charles-cohens-plans-mta-lot-west-hollywood/ Its been a few years …ANY … new development there….if at all should bare 100% of the cost of relocating Bus and Sheriff Facilities. Not the citizens of Weho. Also considering the track record of cost over runs with the park Just imagine the potential financial disaster of Weho city staff managing a project of this size. Besides Landing a helicopter there to pick up and drop off the Sheriff or staff is not exactly the safest location is it ? Tip over a… Read more »