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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-07-14 - AGENDA REPORTS - HISTORIC SAUGUS TRAIN STATION REROOFING PROJ FUNDINGO Agenda Item: 6 CITY OF SANTA CLARITA W AGENDA REPORT CONSENT CALENDAR CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: DATE: July 14, 2026 SUBJECT: HISTORIC SAUGUS TRAIN STATION REROOFING PROJECT FUNDING DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office PRESENTER: Tracy Sullivan RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council: 1. Approve the remittance of funds received by the City of Santa Clarita pursuant to Master Case 21-205 (Riverview Project), to the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society for reroofing of the historic Saugus Train Station, in an amount not to exceed $150,000 and any accrued interest. 2. Appropriate $150,000 and any accrued interest from the Site Improvements Facility Fee Fund 431 to Expenditure Account 4319000-516101. 3. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all documents, subject to City Attorney review. BACKGROUND On November 12, 2024, the City Council approved Master Case 21-205 (Riverview Project), including 318 residential units and 127,000 square feet of commercial space located at the former Saugus Speedway property. As part of the project's approval, City Council Condition CC2 required the Developer to pay $150,000 for "the completion of the museum at the history center in the Pardee House located at Hart Park, or similar improvement." The Developer subsequently remitted the required payment in accordance with Condition CC2, and the funds were deposited into an interest -bearing account within the Site Improvements Facility Fee Fund. Page 1 Packet Pg. 84 O The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society (Historical Society) plans to operate public museums within both the Saugus Train Station and the Pardee House, located at William S. Hart Park. The Historical Society shared that the Saugus Train Station reopened to the public as a museum in July 2025, with exhibits currently occupying a portion of the building, and that the most immediate need is replacement of the building's aging roof. By comparison, the Pardee House museum is in an earlier stage of development and requires additional planning and design work before buildout can occur. As a result of the Saugus Train Station's more advanced stage in development and the immediate need for roof replacement, the Historical Society has requested that the funds received pursuant to Condition CC2 be used toward reroofing the Saugus Train Station. The Historical Society's request letter is attached to this agenda report. The proposed project includes removal and disposal of the existing roofing and installation of new underlayment and fire-resistant roofing materials to help preserve the historic structure and protect its contents. Upon approval of the recommended action, the City Council would award $150,000 to the Historical Society for the reroofing project. The City of Santa Clarita would subsequently enter into a funding agreement with the Historical Society outlining the terms and conditions for use of the funds, with payment provided on a reimbursement basis upon completion of the work and submission of supporting documentation. ALTERNATIVE ACTION Other action as determined by the City Council. FISCAL IMPACT There is no impact to the General Fund. The funding needed to support the recommended actions was collected by the City as a condition of Master Case 21-205 and is available in the Site Improvements Facility Fee Fund Expenditure Account 4319000-516101. ATTACHMENTS Historical Society Request Letter Page 2 Packet Pg. 85 6.a HISTORY CENTER Mr. Ken Striplin City of Santa Clarita 23920 W. Valencia Blvd. Santa Clarita, CA 91355 June 30, 2026 Re: Historic Train Station Reroofing Project Dear Mr. Striplin, The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society respectfully requests funding in the amount of $150,000 to reroof the historic Saugus Train Station in William S. Hart Park. Specifically, we are requesting that the $150,000 earmarked for the Historical Society's Santa Clarita History Center in Master Case No. 21-205 be allocated to this Historic Train Station Reroofing project. As you are aware, with City support, in 2018-2019, we reroofed all of the other historic structures in the Santa Clarita History Center with fireproof, 100-year steel -shingle roofing that mimics the appearance of the buildings' original roofs. The roofing has been problem -free. We intend to use the same type of material and the same installer for the train station The train station currently has three roofs. The outer layer consists of composite shingles that blow off in high winds. We installed the third, 25/30-year composite roof in 1984 to cover two older roofs that leaked. At the time, the County code allowed three roofs. (It no longer does.) To our knowledge, the current City code allows only one roof The 1888 train station reopened to the public as a museum in July 2025 when the City took possession of Hart Park. It also serves as the headquarters of our archiving operations. During its period of closure, we restored the interior of the building to its historical appearance, insulated the building above and below, installed climate control systems for the first time, and added UV filtration on the windows to protect artifacts and improve the visitor experience. The installation of the new roofing will mark the completion of the first phase of the museum in the train station. The relevant condition of approval in Master Case No. 21-205 required the permittee to pay $150, 000 for the completion of the museum at the History Center in the Pardee House located at Hart Park, or similar improvement. At one time, the Pardee House Museum and the Saugus Train Station Museum were equal -priority projects. Funds being limited, and coming from a more advanced starting point, we opted to focus on the Saugus Train Station Museum first. The Pardee House Museum project is a multi -year project with a preliminary budget far exceeding Santa Clarita Valley Histon ucaV Society I PO Box 221925, Newnall CA 91322-1925 1 scvhs.orc Packet Pg. 86 6.a $150,000. Over the past 2-3 years, we have applied for state and federal grant funding to cover the majority of the project budget (as recently as in this week's state budget package), only to learn that the grant opportunities were subsequently withdrawn. We will continue to pursue state and federal funding if and when such opportunities arise in the future. In the meantime, as soon as the final structural repairs to the Pardee House have been completed (anticipated during the current calendar year), we will use existing resources to create temporary exhibits inside the building and open it to the public for the first time. In contrast, reroofing the historic train station is a one -and -done project — once every 100 years. The requested funds would cover 94.3% of the estimated project cost; we will cover the remainder with existing funds. The estimate from our incumbent roofing installer is available to the City on request. It reflects the entirety of the project including materials and installation, removal and disposal of the existing roofing, a new plywood underlayment, and related structural improvements. If approved, we will immediately schedule the installation. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Alan Pollack President, Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society Packet Pg. 87