CITY, COLLEGE TEAM UP AGAIN.

Byline: Angela M. Lemire Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - The city and College of the Canyons are negotiating another major partnership, this time to bring satellite classes to Canyon Country.

Having agreed last year to jointly build a 950-seat performance arts venue on the Valencia campus, city and college officials now say preliminary pacts are being drafted to incorporate classrooms and a joint-use computer lab into a new Canyon Country library.

Construction of the county library at Soledad Canyon Road and Shangri-La Drive - a joint project of the city and Los Angeles County - is expected to begin within four months, city staff members advised City Council members Tuesday.

College of the Canyons' use of the library facility would provide an interim solution to bring general education classes to the city's east side, until the two-year community college can build a permanent satellite facility in that area, Nicolas Ferguson, college vice president of administration affairs, said Wednesday.

``We're excited about it for two reasons: We can bring a much-needed service to Canyon Country and we'd again be entering a partnership with the city, and the county as well,'' Ferguson said. ``That fits in with the college's long-term strategic goals.''

Mayor Jo Anne Darcy agreed the two projects would be a good match.

``We have a great need out there and we have more residents coming to that side of the city. This is a blessing to them,'' Darcy said.

The college's portion of the library facility would be suitable for up to four classrooms and a computer lab, Ferguson said. City and college officials are discussing making the computer lab available to the public when not used by students.

Officials said city and college officials are considering a five-year lease agreement, while the school continues its search for a permanent satellite campus location. The city and college could reach an agreement within six weeks, Ferguson said.

Studies indicate the college, with a current enrollment just under 10,000, will double by 2010. Besides Canyon Country, college officials have said the Castaic area also is being considered for a satellite campus to handle additional students.

College of the Canyons' acceptance of the partnership would end the city's search for a suitable business to fill a 5,000-square-foot wing within the new 17,000-square-foot library facility.

The Los Angeles County Library Services Agency has agreed to initially occupy 12,000 square feet of the new Canyon Country library, then expand in future years to the rest of the building as residential usage and demand increases. At total occupancy, County Library Services would spend roughly $1.2 million on new books and periodicals to fill the facility, according to city management analyst Ken Striplin.

Officials said the 29-year-old, 5,050-square-foot county library branch currently serving Canyon Country is overcrowded and inadequate for the area's growth.

In the joint venture with the county government, the city of Santa Clarita is initially putting up all the money - $5.1 million - to build the new Canyon Country library for the County Library Services. TCP Management, the developer, will build the free-standing library, and provide all fixtures and interior furniture.

The city would be responsible for all exterior maintenance of the building, while the county would pay for interior maintenance, staffing, books, computers, and utilities, Striplin said Tuesday.

The two-story structure's exterior - which residents helped design in recent months - will feature an outdoor patio and amphitheater, stone facade and red clay-tiled roof, Striplin said.