The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is poised to approve a motion on the consent Calendar to finalize the transfer of William S. Hart Regional Park to the city of Santa Clarita. The vote will be held at the regular weekly public board meeting held in downtown Los Angeles.

The county motion, authored by Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, estimates that the initial takeover will cost the city $200,000.

The process to transfer Hart Park to the city begin At the Nov. 23, 2021, regular meeting of the Santa Clarita City Council when the council approved an action to send a letter to the County of Los Angeles requesting the county’s consideration to transfer ownership of the 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 in order to transfer ownership of William S. Hart Park and the William S. Hart Museum to the city.

A team of approximately 20 city staff was formed to complete an analysis for acquiring the park including information on future financial obligations, details on deed restrictions and an outline of the process and timeline to complete the transfer.

After the team of city staff submitted its analysis of the Hart Park transfer, a unanimous 5-0 vote of the Santa Clarita City Council on June 13, 2023 approved the motion to transfer Hart Park to the city. City staff estimated at that time that it could take anywhere from 18 to 24 months to complete steps to fully execute the transfer and begin city operation of the park.

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

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

The county agenda item also stipulates that the county file a petition in probate court to amend the terms of William S. Hart’s will that left the property and contents of the Hart Mansion in trust to the people of Los Angeles County “to nominate the City as the new trustee for the Trust Property, Trust Collection and Trust Fund and to remove the county as a trustee and authorize the transfer of the trust corpus to the City.”

Final transfer of Hart Park will be contingent upon the approval of the probate court.

The property where the Santa Clarita History Center’s Heritage Junction is located is included in the county motion as well as property previously occupied the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center. The Senior Center property will now be used to offer programs in the arts and for veterans.

Read the L.A. County Board of Supervisor’s agenda item below:

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

Recommendation as submitted by Supervisor Barger: Find that the certain real property (Trust Property) and park property surrounding William S. Hart Park (Hart Park) in the fee title (Expansion Properties) are local in character, pursuant to Government Code Section 25550.5; find that the Trust Property and Expansion Properties proposed to be conveyed to the City of Santa Clarita (City) for use by the City as a public park is exempt surplus land, pursuant to Government Code Section 54221(f)(1)(D) and, therefore, not subject to the requirements for the disposition of surplus land, pursuant to the California Surplus Land Act; find that the proposed transfer of the Trust Property, Expansion Properties, personal property (Trust Collection), Associated Trust Collection Items, and 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 Chief Executive Officer, or the Director of Parks and Recreation, to submit 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, pursuant to Section 400(e) of the Surplus Land Act Guidelines;

Approve the gratis transfer of the County’s right, title, and interest in the Trust Property, Expansion Properties, Trust Collection, and Associated Trust Collection Items to the City, pursuant to Government Code Section 25550.5;

Direct the Natural History Museum (NHM) Board of Governors to deaccession the Trust Collection and Associated Trust Collection Items, pursuant to Public Resources Code Sections 5120 et seq. and any relevant authorities including, without limitation, NHM deaccession policies, contingent upon probate court approval and a transfer agreement execution;

Approve and authorize County Counsel to take all appropriate actions, including filing a petition in probate court, to nominate the City as the new trustee for the Trust Property, Trust Collection, and Trust Fund and to remove the County as a trustee and authorize the transfer of the trust corpus to the City;

Authorize the Directors of Parks and Recreation and the Natural History Museum, to execute a transfer agreement with the City to transfer, by quitclaim deed, fee title of the Expansion Parcels, including the Senior Center and Heritage Junction property to the City; assign any grant responsibilities on the Trust Property and Expansion Properties to the City, including executing an assumption agreement with the Regional Parks and Open Space District and the State of California; transfer ownership of, and responsibility for, the various animals and livestock at the parks to the City without the County’s obligation or guarantee; lease back a portion of the Expansion Property for the County’s use as a facility yard for up to a five-year term on a gratis basis, where the City may terminate the lease with 180-day notice, provided they have secured funding, permits, and have a contractor who is ready to break ground; and transfer the Trust Collection and Associated Trust Collection Items;

Subject to the appropriate transfer agreements and upon probate court approval, authorize the Chief Executive Officer and the Directors of Parks and Recreation and the Natural History Museum, to execute the appropriate quitclaim deed(s) and any other documents necessary to complete the conveyance of the Trust Property, Trust Collection, Trust Fund, Expansion Properties, Associated Trust Collection Items, and livestock to the City;

The transfer of the Trust Property shall be made subject to the City’s compliance with the provisions of the bequest of William S. Hart and the County’s standard deed restrictions for the transfer of public parks, including that the City shall operate and maintain the property as a public park in perpetuity, the property shall be for the benefit and use of all residents of the County and that there shall be no discrimination against, or preference, gratuity, benefit, bonus, or other benefit granted to residents of the City not also equally accorded to the residents of the County, and the County may enforce these conditions by several means, including revision of the property to the County;

The transfer of the Senior Center Property shall be made subject to the following restrictions: the property shall be for the benefit and use of all residents of the County and that there shall be no discrimination against, or preference, gratuity, benefit, bonus, or other benefit granted to residents of the City not also equally accorded to the residents of the County; the Senior Center Property shall be maintained as a public community and recreational center and for programs for arts and veterans; and the County may enforce these conditions by several means, including revision of the property to the County;

The transfer of the remaining Expansion Properties shall be subject to the County’s standard deed restrictions for the transfer of public parks, including that the City shall operate and maintain the property as a public park in perpetuity, and that the property shall be for the benefit and use of all residents of the County and that there shall be no discrimination against, or preference, gratuity, benefit, bonus, or other benefit granted to residents of the City not also equally accorded to the residents of the County; Authorize the Chief Executive Officer and the Directors of Parks and Recreation and the Natural History Museum, to execute, amend, and terminate a contribution funding agreement with the City for the actual expenditures incurred, currently estimated at $200,000 as for the County’s (including the Department of Parks and Recreation, Chief Executive Office, and NHM) costs associated with the transfer of Hart Park, the Trust Collection, Associated Trust Collection Items, and Trust funds; Authorize the Chief Executive Officer and the Directors of Parks and Recreation and the Natural History Museum, to execute any other documents necessary to complete the transfer, and any amendments;

Approve an appropriation adjustment for the Department of Parks and Recreation’s Operating Budget to increase Services and Supplies appropriation, currently estimated at $200,000 for the actual costs incurred associated with the transfer of Hart Park, the Trust Collections, and Trust funds, fully offset by the revenue from the City’s contribution;

Direct the Chief Executive Officer to work with the Director of Parks and Recreation to reassign 14.0 existing budgeted positions and associated ordinance positions, formerly assigned to Hart Park in the Department of Parks and Recreation’s (DPR’s) Operating Budget, which includes 1.0 Regional Park Superintendent II, 1.0 Recreation Services Supervisor, 1.0 Park Animal Keeper, 4.0 Grounds Maintenance Worker I, 1.0 Grounds Maintenance Worker II, 1.0 Senior Grounds Maintenance Worker, 1.0 Custodian, 1.0 Senior Typist Clerk, 1.0 permanent Recreation Services Leader, 1.0 recurrent Recreation Services Leader and 2.0 recurrent Park Aide, to support the Natural Areas Operation which have significant unmet needs for similar positions, in order to address critical and longstanding gaps in DPR’s stewardship of wildlife sanctuaries, nature centers, natural areas and the San Dimas Raptor Rescue, serving and benefitting residents in all Supervisorial Districts; Authorize the Auditor-Controller and the Director of Parks and Recreation to transfer the responsibility of trust funds to the City upon approval from the probate court and issue the final statement of receipts and disbursement; and Auto-generated element 6

Authorize the Chief Executive Officer to grant a utility easement to the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency to operate and maintain pipelines on the expansion Property.