4 Years After Quake, Repaired Landmarks to Reopen

SAN FERNANDO — After nearly four years of “double bunking” with their peers in Van Nuys, employees of the San Fernando courthouse probably feel a lot like visiting relatives who are forced to stay longer than they planned.

Since they were moved because of damage wrought by the 1994 Northridge earthquake, workers have taken up residence in some unusual--and cramped--spaces in and around the Van Nuys Government Center.

Now, with $17.5 million in earthquake repairs to their Mission-style courthouse nearly completed, San Fernando court employees are getting ready to live large once again.

Many of the San Fernando court personnel should be ready to move back into their refurbished building by Jan. 20, easing commutes and vastly improving working conditions, court officials said.

“It’s convenient and it’s also a money saver,” said Phil Wynn, head of the San Fernando branch of the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. “It will save time for the citizens who live in the area, including both witnesses and victims.”

There will also be substantial savings on another front: Police officers won’t have to travel as far from the north Valley to present cases to the district attorney or make court appearances.

When the Northridge temblor shook the San Fernando Valley in January 1994, it caused massive internal damage to the 14-year-old San Fernando courthouse.

Initial repair estimates were placed at $13.3 million, with construction to be completed by March 1997. The timetable was moved back as crews discovered more problems.

“Part of our problem was we didn’t realize how pervasive the damage was,” said Carol Kindler, assistant division chief for the county administrative office. “You don’t always know until you uncover the work.”

Other delays were due to wrangling between the county and a consortium of insurers that refused to accept the county’s evaluation of structural damage and estimates of repair costs.

Some of the insurers that initially refused to pay have settled out of court with the county for $17 million, which in addition to funding repairs at the San Fernando courthouse will go to Van Nuys and other county buildings in the Valley, Kindler said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has also kicked in $1.2 million to cover the federal share for repairs to the north Valley courthouse.

County officials said the repair funds cover existing damage to the 187,000-square-foot structure. No additional money was allocated to reinforce or strengthen buildings against damage from future quakes.

“If we wanted to make the building stronger to withstand earthquake forces, that would have to be paid for by the county, not FEMA or the insurers,” Kindler said. “We do not have the funds to do that.”

There are also more earthquake repairs that must be done on Valley court facilities, she said. Once everyone is back in San Fernando, the county must begin the task of fixing damage to the Van Nuys Municipal and Superior court buildings. That work, Kindler said, will be done with “as little inconvenience as possible to court personnel.”

Even with earthquake damage, Van Nuys became the suitable alternative to San Fernando because of the prohibitive cost of finding additional court space and the need for secure lockup facilities to house the thousands of defendants who are tried there, Kindler said.

Space has been carved out of the Municipal and Superior court buildings, portable trailers and county office buildings around the Van Nuys Government Center.

The prospect of breathing room put smiles on many faces. “It’s a relief,” said secretary Pam Sullivan. “I’ve been living out of a box for the past four years. It will be good to be back home.” Said another employee, “I’ll be glad to be out of that cave.”

In all, about 150 employees from the San Fernando district attorney’s office will be making the trek back to San Fernando. In addition to prosecutors, public defenders and their support staffs, 18 Superior and Municipal court judges will return to the courthouse, along with their bailiffs, court reporters and clerks.

Many say the extra space will be a luxury.

In the district attorney’s office, some prosecutors on the fifth floor of the Van Nuys Superior Court building have doubled up in rooms barely big enough to hold one desk.

And there will be others who are looking forward to the day the courthouse reopens. Before it closed, the San Fernando courthouse was used by 2,500 people a day, many of whom also patronized nearby restaurants, cleaners, shops and gas stations.

“It’s affected us a lot,” said Guadalupe Ortiz, the manager of the Sizzler Steakhouse adjacent to the east end of the civic center at Truman and Maclay avenues.

“About 50% of our lunchtime customers came from the courts. We’ve been waiting a long time for the court to open and we’re really happy.”