The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is slated to begin the process of transferring control of William S. Hart Park to the city of Santa Clarita.

Added to the supervisors’ July 12 consent calendar, the agenda item would instruct the L.A. County Parks director to initiate negotiations for the proposed transfer. The County Parks Department would oversee the transfer of the entire park, the personal property associated with the park, and the trust fund for the park.

The proposal also instructs the director of the Natural History Museum and the president of the museum foundation to initiate negotiations with the city for the Hart Collection and Museum. The Hart Mansion is a component of the Natural History Museum system.

All three departments would have 90 days to report back to the board in writing on the outcome of the negotiations.

The County Parks director would also report back on a relocation of the department’s offices and operations currently at Hart Park.

The recommendation was submitted as a motion by 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger.

According to her motion, the park is approximately 128.46 acres of historic ranch with a little over 27 acres added later. The entirety of the park is within Santa Clarita city limits. The City Council expressed interest in taking ownership of the park during a council meeting last November.

Both Hart Park and the Hart Collection were established by William S. Hart in 1946. In his will, Hart also created a charitable trust fund managed by the county for the benefit of the park. Legal challenges to the will determined that county holds the park, collection and funds in trust for the public, Barger’s motion states.

In the past, the county has traditionally supported cities to provide programming to parks within municipal boundaries, according to the motion. In some cases, the county as transferred portions of county-owned parks within incorporated cities to enable them to operate the parks as part of their municipal services.

The proposed transfer would require changing the trustee for the park, collection and trust fund from the county to the city, which would require the approval of the probate court, according to the motion.