Nine years after Bond Measure S passed, allotting $25 million for a Santa Monica College (SMC) satellite campus and sheriff’s substation in Malibu, architectural renderings for the proposed facilities were revealed last week to the public.
Drawings for a new two-story, 27,500 square foot complex for SMC and adjacent 5,700 square foot facility for the sheriff ’s substation were unveiled at a meeting of the Malibu Public Facilities Authority Thursday last week at Malibu City Hall.
Katharine Muller, dean of external programs for SMC, touted the campus’ environmentally friendly design.
“To put a building in Malibu is very special for us. We pride ourselves on our structures, and this is equal to the best of our buildings,” Muller said.
The Malibu campus will be built on three acres of a nineacre parcel owned by Los Angeles County on Civic Center Way, which also includes the Malibu Courthouse and library. The space currently houses a vacant Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Station, which will be demolished.
The proposed campus will accommodate as many as 210 students and 12 faculty and staff at one time, and include special classrooms for computers, art and science, two general education classrooms, small interpretive center, student lounge and office.
The school and substation buildings will be joined together by a multipurpose community room that converts to an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for local emergencies.
A draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for the plans is expected to be submitted to the City of Malibu’s planning commission within five to eight weeks, according to Don Girard, SMC’s senior director of government relations.
Kevin Tyrrell, associate partner and architect with Los Angelesbased Quatro Design Group, presented drawings of the contemporary- style buildings and grounds for the new complex. The new campus is considered “green” and sustainably designed for minimal energy, light and water usage.
The rooflines over the SMC portion of the complex, described as “an interlocking fan elements design,” were inspired by ocean waves and nautilus shells. The proposed roof over the sheriff ’s substation is a flat “green roof” with grass growing on it. “We look for inspiration in the world around us, and Malibu is where the land meets the sea,” Tyrrell said. “That’s what we wanted to tap into in terms of architecture.”
The exterior of the complex includes parking as well as lawn areas, a water retention area, central courtyard and amphitheater/ terraced seating area.
Sustainability features include natural air ventilation systems, sun control, glazing, public transportation access and bike parking.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is still working with the SMC staff to prepare drawings of the interior of the substation, according to officials. The reintroduction of a substation has been a priority of Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca since the previous one closed more than 13 years ago for budgetary reasons.
“It’s still in the design phase and we’re still making arrangements for the final details,” Lt. Jim Royal of the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff ’s Station said in a telephone interview. “Our intent is to have the full complement of deputies to staff the Malibu area in order to reduce response times and increase our presence 24/7. We’ll also have booking capability and temporary housing for inmates.”
After Tyrrell’s presentation, City Councilman John Sibert noted that the proposed height of the building exceeded the city’s zoning code.
“If the building you propose is 35 feet tall, but the height allowed for the Civic Center area is 28 feet, what happens if you have to redesign?” Sibert asked.
Tyrrell responded that the four roof peaks, which are actually “ventilation belfries,” can be excluded from the 28-foot height requirement if defined as “spires.”
When SMC officials were questioned over parking, Laura Rosenthal, city councilmember and public facilities authority commissioner, said that since the adjacent Malibu Courthouse will be closing soon, “additional parking will become available.”
In 2004, Santa Monica College District voters approved Measure S, the $135 million Santa Monica College bond measure. The vote tally was 23,744 in favor (58.02 percent) and 17,177 opposed (41.98 percent).
The measure needed 55 percent approval for passage. The Measure S victory meant $135 million in capital projects would be conducted in SMC District land, including $25 million in Malibu. College district residents in Santa Monica and Malibu footed the bill, paying about $18 per $100,000 of assessed value of their homes, according to the district.
