6TH VALLEY STATION PROPOSED.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

Two Los Angeles City Council members proposed Wednesday that the LAPD study building a sixth San Fernando Valley police station on the former Bishop Alemany High School campus in Mission Hills.

Arguing that the Valley's five existing stations are inadequate to provide sufficient police services, Councilmen Richard Alarcon and Hal Bernson proposed to order police and city administrators to report back in two months on whether the site can be used by the LAPD.

The mayor and City Council are expected to propose in coming months a bond issue for police, fire and other facilities, including a new Valley station that could cost up to $30 million. A $275 million bond issue approved in 1989 was supposed to pay for a new Valley station but the money was spent elsewhere.

``We're long overdue to have one or two more stations in the Valley,'' said LAPD Deputy Chief Greg Berg, who added that the Alemany might work despite being on the north edge of the Valley.

The part of the campus at 15241 Rinaldi St. that is the focus of proposal was closed by the Catholic Archdiocese because of earthquake damage in 1994. Most students have been moved across the street to an old seminary.

``The Valley needs another police station and if it is determined that this site would be feasible, then the city can request the archdiocese to negotiate with us for the land,'' Alarcon said.

The police station would house about 300 patrol officers and detectives and provide relief to the Van Nuys, Foothill and Devonshire divisions, according to Larry Kosmont, a consultant already working on the project.

The proposal is unrelated to a plan to move the Valley Traffic and administrative offices to a redevelopment project in the closed General Motors plant in Van Nuys.

Kosmont said archdiocese officials have voiced interest in possibly leasing the 10-acre site to the city. The Rev. Gregory Coiro had said the archdiocese also is talking to others.

Mayor Richard Riordan proposed last year to put a police facilities bond measure of up to $450 million on the June 1998 ballot. However, the June ballot was full and city officials have doubts about going forward in November.

Growing concern about the city's high debt is a factor. Council members proposed Wednesday that a moratorium be placed on new debt until a comprehensive debt-management policy is adopted.

``I really am becoming more and more hesitant about feeling that we're going to have the support of the public for a bond measure and that we should be rapidly increasing our debt,'' said Councilwoman Laura Chick.

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MAP: Proposed police station