SCVNews.com | Supes vote Tuesday to move Hart Park to city

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will vote on Tuesday, August 6 at its regularly scheduled weekly board meeting in downtown Los Angeles on a motion to finalize the transfer of William S. Hart Regional Park to the City of Santa Clarita.

The county proposal, led by 5th Ward Councilwoman Kathryn Barger, calls for the initial acquisition to cost the city $200,000.

The process of transferring Hart Park to the City began on November 23, 2021, at the regular meeting of the Santa Clarita City Council, when the council approved a decision to send a letter to the County of Los Angeles requesting that the County consider transferring ownership of William S. Hart Regional Park to the City of Santa Clarita.

On July 12, 2022, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to begin negotiations with the City of Santa Clarita to transfer ownership of William S. Hart Park and William S. Hart Museum to the City.

A team of approximately 20 city staff members was appointed to conduct a review of the park acquisition, including gathering information on future financial obligations, details on deed restrictions, and an outline of the process and timeline for completing the transfer of ownership.

After a team of city staff presented an analysis of the Hart Park relocation, the Santa Clarita City Council unanimously approved the application to transfer Hart Park to the city on June 13, 2023 by a 5-0 vote. City staff estimated at the time that it could take 18 to 24 months to complete the steps to fully implement the relocation and begin city operations of the park.

Final approval for the transfer of Hart Park was approved at the Santa Clarita City Council meeting held July 9.

Hart Park is the last county park located within the city limits of Santa Clarita.

The county agenda item also states that the county will file a motion with the probate court to amend the terms of the will of William S. Hart, which transferred the property and contents of the Hart Mansion into trust for the people of Los Angeles County “to appoint the city as the new trustee of the trust estate, trust collections and trust fund and to remove the county as trustee and authorize the transfer of the trust capital to the city.”

The final transfer of Hart Park will be contingent on probate court approval.

The property that houses the Heritage Junction Santa Clarita History Center is included in the county’s application, as is the property that previously housed the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center. The Senior Center property will now be used to offer arts and veterans programs.

Read the agenda item from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting below:

Relocation of William S. Hart Park to the City of Santa Clarita

Recommendation made by Supervisor Barger: Determine that certain real property (the Trust Property) and the park property surrounding William S. Hart Park (Hart Park) in the fee title (the Development Property) are local in character, pursuant to Government Code Section 25550.5; determine that the Trust Property and the Development Property to be conveyed to the City of Santa Clarita (City) for use by the City as a public park are tax-exempt surplus land pursuant to Government Code Section 54221(f)(1)(D) and are therefore not subject to the surplus land disposition requirements of the California Surplus Land Law; determine that the proposed transfer of the Trust Property, Development Property, personal property (Trust Collection), related trust collection items, and the Trust Fund to the City is not a project or is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act; and take the following actions:

Direct the General Manager or Director of Parks and Recreation to send a copy of the Surplus Land Act exemption determination to the California Department of Housing and Community Development at least 30 days prior to the transfer, in accordance with Section 400(e) of the Surplus Land Act Guidelines;

To approve the free transfer of the County’s rights, title, and interest in the Trust Properties, Extension Properties, Trust Collection, and Related Trust Collection Items to the City pursuant to Government Code Section 25550.5;

Direct the Board of Governors of the Natural History Museum (NHM) to retire the Trust Collection and related Trust Collection items, pursuant to sections 5120 et seq. of the Public Resources Code and any applicable authorities, including, without limitation, the NHM’s retirement policy, subject to the approval of the probate court and execution of a transfer agreement;

To approve and authorize the County Solicitor to take any appropriate actions, including filing a petition in the probate court, nominating the City as the new trustee of the Trust Estate, the Trust Collection and the Trust Fund, and removing the County as trustee and authorizing the transfer of the trust capital to the City;

To authorize the Directors of Parks and Recreation and the Museum of Natural History to enter into a transfer agreement with the City to transfer, by a quitclaim deed, title to the development lots, including the Senior Center and Heritage Junction properties, to the City; to transfer all grant obligations for the Trust Property and the Expansion Properties to the City, including entering into an acquisition agreement with the Regional Parks and Open Space District and the State of California; to transfer ownership and responsibility for various animals and livestock in the parks to the City without obligation or guarantee by the County; to lease back a portion of the Expansion Property for use by the County as a training ground for up to five years without additional payment, provided that the City may terminate the lease on 180 days’ notice, provided that financing, permits, and a contractor willing to begin work are secured; and to transfer the Trust Collection and Related Items in the Trust Collection;

Subject to appropriate transfer agreements and upon approval by the probate court, authorize the Chief Executive Officer and the Directors of Parks and Recreation and the Museum of Natural History to execute appropriate waivers and any other documents necessary to complete the transfer of ownership of the trust property, trust collections, trust fund, extension properties, related trust collection items, and livestock to the City;

The transfer of the trust property shall be subject to the City’s compliance with the provisions of the Will of William S. Hart and the County’s standard restrictions on transfers of public parks, including that the City shall operate and maintain the property as a public park in perpetuity, that the property shall be for the benefit and use of all residents of the County, and that there shall be no discrimination or preference, gratuity, advantage, bonus or other benefit granted to residents of the City that is not also equally granted to residents of the County, and that the County may enforce these terms in several ways, including by changing the ownership of the property in favor of the County;

The transfer of the Senior Center property is subject to the following restrictions: the property will be for the benefit and use of all residents of the county, and there will be no discrimination or preferences, gratuities, benefits, bonuses or other advantages granted to residents of the city that are not equally granted to residents of the county; the Senior Center property will be maintained as a public community and recreational facility and for arts and veterans programs; the county may enforce these conditions in several ways, including by changing the ownership of the property in favor of the county;

The transfer of the remaining Extension Properties shall be subject to the County’s standard restrictions on the transfer of public parks, including the obligation that the City operate and maintain the property as a public park in perpetuity and the obligation to provide for the benefits and use of the property by all residents of the County, and the obligation to ensure that there is no discrimination, preference, gratuity, advantage, bonus or other benefit granted to residents of the City that is not equally granted to residents of the County;

To authorize the Chief Executive Officer and the Directors of Parks and Recreation and the Museum of Natural History to enter into, amend, and terminate a grant agreement with the City for actual expenses incurred, currently estimated at $200,000, with respect to the costs of the County (including the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Office of the Chief Executive Officer, and NHM) associated with the relocation of Hart Park, the Trust collections, related Trust collection items, and Trust funds;

Authorize the General Manager and the Directors of Parks and Recreation and the Natural History Museum to sign any other documents necessary to complete the transfer and any changes;

Approve an adjustment to the allocation of funds in the operating budget of the Parks and Recreation Department to increase the allocation for services and supplies, currently estimated at $200,000 to cover actual costs incurred in connection with the relocation of Hart Park, the Trust collections and the Trust funds, fully offset by revenue from the City’s contribution;

Directing the General Manager to work with the Director of Parks and Recreation to reassign 14.0 existing budget positions and related management positions previously assigned to Hart Park in the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) operating budget, including 1.0 Regional Park Superintendent II, 1.0 Recreation Services Supervisor, 1.0 Park Animal Caretaker, 4.0 Groundskeeper I, 1.0 Groundskeeper II, 1.0 Senior Groundskeeper, 1.0 Caretaker, 1.0 Senior Typist, 1.0 Permanent Recreation Services Leader, 1.0 Permanent Recreation Services Leader, and 2.0 Permanent Park Assistant, to support Natural Areas Operations, which have significant unmet needs for similar positions, in order to address critical and long-standing gaps in DPR’s management of nature reserves, nature centers, natural areas and San Dimas Raptor Rescue, for the service and benefit of residents in all supervisory districts; Authorize the Auditor-Controller and the Director of Parks and Recreation to transfer responsibility for the trust funds to the City upon approval of the probate court and issuance of a final statement of receipts and disbursements; and

To authorize the General Manager to grant a transmission easement to the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency for the purpose of operating and maintaining pipelines within the expansion site.

Related