MAYOR: CITY IS GETTING BETTER DEVELOPMENT IS PROGRESSING.

Byline: JIM SKEEN  Staff Writer

PALMDALE -- Palmdale will see more in the way of public safety, retail development and parks and recreation, the city's mayor said Wednesday.

In his annual State of the City talk at a Palmdale Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Mayor Jim Ledford said Palmdale's quality of life has improved over the past decade and more amenities will be coming.

``We're hitting on all cylinders,'' Ledford said.

The city will continue to make parks and recreation improvements under the ``Vision for the Future'' parks project, which built two regional parks -- an expanded Marie Kerr Park on the west side and the new Oasis Park on the east side. Projects in the works include a 16,800- square-foot recreation center and improvements to the amphitheater at Marie Kerr Park.

``We're going to keep adding and enhancing what we offer to our residents and to our region,'' Ledford said. ``The amphitheater is becoming a regional player in the entertainment field.''

In the area of law enforcement, Ledford highlighted the recent opening of the new $23.9 million Palmdale sheriff's station, which is providing deputies with larger accommodations after several years spent in a leased shopping center building. The station's jail facility will open in about a month and will help get arresting deputies back on patrol quickly instead of driving to the Lancaster station to book suspects.

Ledford noted that the city is spending $18 million on public safety, up about $1 million from last year. Much of that increase, however, is going to pay for increases in service costs in Palmdale's contract with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

There are about 30 deputy vacancies in the contract that are being covered by deputies working overtime. As the department fills its manpower shortages, the city will look to add deputies, Ledford said.

``We are moving as aggressively as we can, given our limitations,'' Ledford said.

East-side residents will see increased interest from retail developers, particularly along 47th Street East. Among the stores planned for the area is a Target, the mayor said.

``We need more, and more is coming,'' Ledford said.

Ledford also noted the expansion going on around the Antelope Valley Mall, including construction of a multiscreen theater complex with stadium-style seating and several restaurants. One potential tenant mentioned for the mall is a Claim Jumper restaurant.

Ledford said representatives from the Claim Jumper restaurant chain had expressed doubts about whether the city had sufficient lunchtime traffic. Ledford said the city recently hosted a meeting with those representatives.

``They came up at lunchtime and saw all the restaurants were packed,'' Ledford said.

The chain has not made a commitment to open a Palmdale restaurant.

In other economic development news, the area around the construction site of the Palmdale Regional Medical Center at 10th Street West and Palmdale Boulevard is attracting interest. There are office buildings containing 1 million square feet of floor space proposed near the hospital site, Ledford said.

``You will see a whole new level of medical care coming to south valley,'' Ledford said.

Ledford said the city is looking at its proposed power plant to help make Air Force Plant 42, the city's biggest employer, more attractive for additional work. The 550-megawatt power plant will provide reliable, affordable energy to the defense contractors operating at the installation.

It will take about two years to go through the permitting process for the plant, Ledford said.

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In his State of the City address Wednesday, Palmdale Mayor Ji m Ledford praised the city's progress and promised more growth in the works.