ADU Contractor Simi Valley, California

Simi Valley (; Chumash: Shimiyi) is a city in the valley of the thesame name in the southeast region of Ventura County, California, United States. Simi Valley is 40 miles (65 km) from Downtown Los Angeles, making it portion of the Greater Los Angeles Area. The city sits neighboring Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, and Chatsworth. As of the 2020 U.S. Census the population was 126,356, up from 124,243 in 2010. The city of Simi Valley is with the Santa Susana Mountains and the Simi Hills, west of the San Fernando Valley, and northeast of the Conejo Valley. It grew as a commuter bedroom community for the cities in the Los Angeles area, and the San Fernando Valley next a freeway was built greater than the Santa Susana Pass.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, where the former president was buried in 2004, is in Simi Valley. The Reagan Library has hosted Republican primary debates in 2012 and 2016.

History

Chumash/pre-colonial period

Simi Valley was following inhabited by the Chumash people, who also fixed much of the region from the Salinas Valley to the Santa Monica Mountains, with their presence dating put happening to thousands of years. Around 5,000 years ago these tribes began giving out acorns, and harvesting local marshland plants. Roughly 2,000 years later, as hunting and fishing techniques improved, the population increased significantly. Shortly after this gruff increase a precious stone money system arose, increasing the viability of the region by offsetting fluctuations in simple resources relating to climate changes. The native people who inhabited Simi Valley spoke an interior dialect of the Chumash language, called Ventureño.

Simi Valley’s reveal is derived from the Chumash word Shimiyi, which refers to the stringy, thread-like clouds that typify the region. The reveal could have originated from the strands of mist from coastal fog that have an effect on into the Oxnard Plain and wind their pretentiousness up the Calleguas Creek and the Arroyo Las Posas into Simi Valley. The pedigree of the post was preserved because of the perform of the anthropologist John P. Harrington, whose brother, Robert E. Harrington lived in Simi Valley. Robert Harrington forward-thinking explained the name: “The word Simiji in Indian designed the little white wind clouds in view of that often seen taking into account the wind blows happening here and Indians living upon the coast, would never venture occurring here like those wind clouds were in the sky. The word Simiji was constructed by whites to the word Simi. There are other explanations about the read out Simi, but this one was supreme to me by my brother who worked exceeding 40 years for the Smithsonian Institution and it seems most plausible to me”.

Three Chumash settlements existed in Simi Valley during the Mission period in the late 18th and yet to be 19th century: Shimiyi, Ta’apu (present-day Tapo Canyon), and Kimishax or Quimicas (Happy Camp Canyon west of Moorpark College). There are many Chumash cave paintings in the area containing pictographs, including the Burro Flats Painted Cave in the Burro Flats Place of the Simi Hills, located along with the Simi Valley, West Hills, and Bell Canyon. The cave is located upon private estate owned by NASA. Other areas containing Chumash Native American pictographs in the Simi Hills are by Lake Manor and Chatsworth.

The Rancho period

The first Europeans to visit Simi Valley were members of the Spanish Portolá expedition (1769–1770), the first European land edit and exploration of the present-day give leave to enter of California. The expedition traversed the valley on January 13–14, 1770, traveling from Conejo Valley to San Fernando Valley. They camped close a indigenous village in the valley upon the 14th.

Rancho Simí, also known as Rancho San José de Nuestra Señora de Altagracia y Simí, was a 113,009-acre (457 km²) Spanish land attain in eastern Ventura and western Los Angeles counties settled in 1795 to Santiago Pico. After Santiago Pico’s death in 1815, the Rancho was regranted to Santiago’s sons Javier Pico and his two brothers, Patricio Pico and Miguel Pico, members of the prominent Pico family of California. Rancho Simí was the earliest Spanish colonial land assent within Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. The reveal derives from Shimiji, the make known of the Chumash Native American village here previously the Spanish. It was the largest Spanish or Mexican home grant unmovable in Ventura County, and one of the largest unconditional in California. The Simi Adobe-Strathearn House, later the home of Robert P. Strathearn and family, served as the headquarters of the rancho.

José de la Guerra y Noriega, a Captain of the Santa Barbara Presidio, who had begun to acquire large amounts of home in California to raise cattle, purchased Rancho Simí from the Pico relations in 1842. After Jose de la Guerra death in 1858, the sons of Jose de la Guerra continued to work the ranchos. The end of their material comfort came in imitation of several years of drought in the 1860s caused oppressive losses. In 1865, the De la Guerras purposeless the ownership of El Rancho Simí excluding the Rancho Tapo. El Rancho Tapo was portion of the original 113,009-acre Rancho Simí grant, but sometime on the subject of 1820–1830, the Rancho Tapo came to be thought of as a remove place within Rancho Simí. The last of the De la Guerras to stimulate in Simí Valley retreated to a 14,400-acre part of the original rancho that was known as the Tapo Rancho. As late as February 1877, Juan De la Guerra was reported in county newspapers to be preparing to tree-plant walnuts in the Tapo, which appears to be the unmodified mention of their farming around the original Simí grant.

The De la Guerra heirs tried all legal means, but by the 1880s, the Rancho Tapo also slipped from their ownership, as had the get out of of the Rancho.

The Pioneer period

The Pioneer, or ‘American,’ period in Simi Valley began when the 96,000-acre purchase of El Rancho Simí by an eastern swashbuckler named Thomas A. Scott (1814–1882), who had made his child maintenance as an trailblazer in the Pennsylvania Railroad during the Civil War. He was president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and a accomplice in Philadelphia and California Petroleum Company. Scouts came to California to buy lands, and for that reason Scott acquired El Rancho Simí (1865). His set sights on was to find sites for oil, since the first oil well had been developed in Titusville, Pennsylvania just a few years earlier (1859). Within a immediate time, a 27-year-old man named Thomas Bard was sent west by Scott to control the California properties. In the late 1880s, Simí Land and Water Company was formed to look to the selling of the huge rancho in ranch-size properties. Some American farmers had begun to lease land in the greater Rancho Simí for farming.

The very old Anglo American ranchers showed in the works in Simí Valley in the late 1860s into the 1870s. Charles Emerson Hoar was pure the title of “first American farmer” by before Simí historian Janet Scott Cameron. He had purchased the Hummingbird’s Nest Ranch in the northeast corner of the Valley, and he leased house from the supplementary owners of the Simí Rancho for raising sheep, already a proven pretentiousness of making a living.

Much of the Simí Rancho house continued, as in Spanish days, to be used for raising sheep, cattle and grain. Wheat prospered longer here than in the stop of the county because it was pardon of a complaint called “rust”. Barley soon became the really well-to-do grain crop.

Agriculture and ranching dominated the landscape through the 1950s. Citrus, walnuts and apricots were everything grown in Simi Valley. In the prematurely 1960s forward looking residential money occurring front began to take place.

Modern residential development

When Simí was an agricultural community, there were ranch houses that dotted the Valley. Four sure communities furthermore were located in the Valley (see ‘Four Communities of Simi Valley’ section below) prior to advanced residential development. Though 1957 and 1958 brought the first ‘tract’ housing developments later than the Dennis and Ayhens, Wright Ranch and Valley Vista tracts were built, the tremendous ‘boom’ in residential progress took place beginning in 1960. The population which was 4,073 in 1950 doubled to 8,110 in 1960. By 1970 the population in Simi is reported by the census as 59,832.

Four communities of Simi Valley prior to objector residential development

The pioneers arrived in the late 1860s – 1870s and ever since, this has been ‘The Valley of Simi.’ But, not all the communities in the valley were known as ‘Simi.’ There was the township of Simi (known as ‘Simiopolis’ for just about a six-month time in 1888, but after that the proclaim reverted to Simi). In the valley there were furthermore the communities of Santa Susana, Community Center and the Susana Knolls (known first as Mortimer Park) at exchange points in time.

Simi – In the late 1887–1888, the fascination of Simi Land and Water Company came about. El Rancho Simí was not speaking into ranches and farms by that corporation, and advertised for sale to midwestern and New England states. An trailblazer group, the California Mutual Benefit Colony of Chicago, purchased home and laid out a townsite (located together with First and Fifth Streets and from Los Angeles south to Ventura Ave), named it ‘Simiopolis’ and shipped twelve pre-cut, partially assembled houses from a lumberyard in Chicago via rail to Saticoy, then brought by wagon to Simi. These are known as ‘colony houses.’ This was the first ‘neighborhood’ in Simi. Stores sprung up upon Los Angeles Ave, and the first Simi School was built in 1890 on Third and California Streets, and was used until Simi Elementary was built in the mid-1920s.

Santa Susana – In 1903 the Santa Susana Train Depot was built, and the railroad was truth through Simi Valley, except for the tunnel, which was completed in 1904. A little business community grew up near the Santa Susana Train Depot, which was located on the north side of Los Angeles Ave, just east of Tapo Street. Over period residential developments followed and the town of Santa Susana was born. The Depot was moved in 1975 by Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District to its current location off of Kuehner.

Community Center – In 1922 L.F. Roussey laid out the small development which became known as Community Center. The driving force at the back this increase was the infatuation for a High School in Simi Valley, as with ease as an elementary theoretical in a more central location in the valley. The FIRST graduating class from the completely first Simi High School was 1924, Simi Elementary was completed in 1926, The Methodist Church (which is now the Cultural Arts Center) was built in 1924. Numerous houses were built in Community Center in the 1920s and 1930s. The Simi Valley Woman’s Club was located there as well (the building which served as the clubhouse for the Woman’s Club was moved from the town of Simi). The Woman’s Club club home was used by many individuals and organizations as a community meeting place. It truly was a ‘community center.’

Mortimer Park (the Susana knolls) – The Place that is now the Knolls was a nearly 1,800-acre parcel of estate that was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Lewis T. Mortimer in the in front 1920s. They planned on selling the lots for cabins, or trip homes. The lots, however, were entirely small (30 x 50 feet), and the Mortimers did not take the mountainous birds of the home into account, so quite often the lots were not buildable. Oftentimes several lots were needed to build structures. In 1944 the Garden Club, an supple community organization in the Place petitioned the county supervisors to amend the broadcast of Mortimer Park to the Susana Knolls.

The first try to incorporate the towns of Simi, the area known as Community Center (93065) and Santa Susana (93063) in 1966 was unsuccessful. The second attempt in 1969 was successful, with residents voting 6,454 to 3,685 supportive of incorporation. 59% of eligible voters turned out for this vote. Susana Knolls is an unincorporated Place of the Valley. Voters afterward voted whether to call this newly incorporated city ‘Santa Susana’ or ‘Simi Valley.’ The name Simi Valley garnered 2,000 more votes than Santa Susana.

Other items of historical interest

Santa Susana Field Laboratory

The 2,848 acres (1,153 ha) Santa Susana Field Laboratory located in the Simi Hills, was used for the move ahead of pioneering nuclear reactors and rocket engines introduction in 1948. The site was operated by Atomics International and Rocketdyne (originally both divisions of the North American Aviation company). The Rocketdyne separation developed a variety of liquid rocket engines. Rocket engine tests were frequently heard in Simi Valley. The Atomics International isolation of North American Aviation designed, built and operated the Sodium Reactor Experiment, which in 1957 became the first United States commercial nuclear reactor to supply electricity to a public capacity system., when it powered the city of Moorpark (the organization owned BORAX-III reactor had past powered Arco, Idaho for regarding an hour in 1955). The last nuclear reactor operated at SSFL in 1980 and the last rocket engine was produced in 2006. The SSFL has been closed to move on and testing. The site is undergoing examination and removal of the nuclear services and cleanup of the soil and groundwater. The Boeing Company, the US DOE, and NASA are held responsible for the cleanup.

In July 1959, the Sodium Reactor Experiment suffered a huge incident afterward 13 of the reactor’s 43 fuel elements partially melted resulting in the controlled release of radioactive gas to the atmosphere. The reactor was repaired and returned to operation in September, 1960. The incident at the Sodium Reactor Experiment has been a source of controversy in the community. Technical analysis of the incident intended to maintain a lawsuit neighboring the current landowner (The Boeing Company) asserts the incident caused the much greater freedom of radioactivity than the crash at Three Mile Island. Boeing’s mysterious response concludes the monitoring conducted at the epoch of the incident, shows only the permissible amount of radioactive gasses were released, and a Three Mile Island-scale forgiveness was not possible. The combat was settled, it is reported, with a large payment by Boeing. In September 2009, The U.S. Department of Energy sponsored a public workshop where three nuclear reactor experts shared their independent analysis of the July, 1959 incident.

The Santa Susana Field Laboratory plus hosted the Energy Technology Engineering Center. The center performed the design, development and scrutiny of liquid metal reactor components for the United States Department of Energy from 1965 until 1998.

The Santa Susana Field Laboratory includes sites identified as historic by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and by the American Nuclear Society. The National Register of Historic Places listed Burro Flats Painted Cave is located within the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, on a share of the site owned by the U.S. Government. The drawings within the cave have been termed “the best preserved Indian pictograph in Southern California”.

Rodney King trial

Four officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (Stacey Koon, Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, and Theodore Briseno) were accused of using unnecessary force in a March 3, 1991 beating of an African-American motorist Rodney Glen King. The battle known as the Rodney King Trials was based upon footage recorded on house video by a bystander (George Holliday). The now-infamous video was shout from the rooftops nationally and globally and caused tremendous confession because the beating was believed to be racially motivated. Due to the muggy media coverage of the arrest, Judge Stanley Weisberg of the California Court of Appeals official a regulate of venue to neighboring Ventura County, using an straightforward courtroom in Simi Valley for the let pass case neighboring the officers.

On April 29, 1992, a Ventura County panel of adjudicators acquitted three of the four officers (Koon, Wind, and Briseno) and did not attain a verdict upon one (Powell). Many believed that the curt outcome was a upshot of the racial and social make-up of the jury, which included ten white people, one Filipino person, and one Hispanic woman. None were Simi Valley residents. Among the panel of judges were three who had been security guards or in military service. The acquittal led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots and accrual protest with insinuation to the country.

Geography

Simi Valley is a city located in the enormously southeast corner of Ventura County, bordering the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, and is a ration of the Greater Los Angeles Area. The city of Simi Valley basically consists of the eponymous valley itself. The city of Simi Valley borders the Santa Susana Mountains to the north, the Simi Hills to the east and south, and is adjoining Thousand Oaks to the southwest and Moorpark to the west. Simi Valley is similar to the open San Fernando Valley by the Santa Susana Pass in the extreme east of Simi Valley. Simi Valley is located at 34°16’16” North, 118°44’22” West (34.271078, −118.739428) with an elevation of 700–1,000 ft (210–300 m) above sea level. The syncline Simi Valley is located in the western part of the region called the Transverse Ranges. The valley is surrounded by the Santa Susana Mountains to the north and Simi Hills to the east and south. While the Santa Susana Mountains surgically remove the valley from the Los Padres National Forest in the north, the Simi Hills surgically remove it from Conejo Valley in the south. In the extreme east is Rocky Peak, one of Santa Susana Mountains’ highest peaks, which is a dividing line amongst Ventura County to the west and Los Angeles County to the east. On the other side of the valley, in the extreme west side of Simi Valley is Mount McCoy, which may be most known for its 12 ft. concrete infuriated that sits at its peak. The physiographical valley is a structural as without difficulty as a topographic depression. The Simi Valley, just as neighboring San Fernando Valley, owes its existence and shape to the faulting and folding of the rocks. It is in reality a structural valley and not wholly the behave of erosion. It is drained by the Calleguas Creek and with its principal tributary, Conejo Creek. Both of these originate in the Santa Susana Mountains.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total Place of 42.2 sq mi (109.4 km), comprising 41.5 sq mi (107.4 km²) of house and 0.77 sq mi (2.0 km), or 1.81%, of it is water. Simi Valley is located northwest of the Los Angeles neighborhood of Chatsworth and nearly 30 mi (50 km) from Downtown Los Angeles, 380 mi (610 km) south of San Francisco, 160 mi (260 km) north of San Diego, and 350 mi (560 km) south of Sacramento. Commutes to Los Angeles are usually via the Ronald Reagan Freeway (Highway 118) or the Southern California Metrolink commuter train, which makes several daily trips from Simi Valley. Simi Valley has a mediterranean climate. Temperate variations between daylight and night tend to be relatively big. The point annual temperature is 64.1 degrees (17.8 °C), while the annual precipitation is 18.39 inches (467 mm). The precipitation remains less than one inch for seven months – April until October, – while the precipitation exceeds four inches in the two wettest months – January and February. While the mean temperature is at its lowest at 53.6 degrees (12.0 °C) in December, the seek temperature in July and August exceeds 76 degrees (24 °C).

Simi Valley has been the victim of several natural disasters, including the flood of 1967, the storm of 1983, the 1988 lightning strike, as without difficulty as the 1994 Northridge earthquake and numerous wildfires.

Climate

Simi Valley has a warm and dry climate during summer behind mean temperatures tend to performance the 70s. Wildfires pull off also occur here. The city’s climate cools during winter in the same way as mean temperatures tend to produce an effect the 50s. Because of its relatively low elevation, the Simi Hills typically experience rainy, mild winters. Snow is scarce in the Simi Hills, even in the highest areas. The warmest month of the year is August afterward an average maximum temperature of 96 °F (36 °C), while the coldest month of the year is December later than an average minimum temperature of 38 °F (3 °C). Temperature variations with night and day tend to be relatively large during summer, with a difference that can reach 38 °F (21 °C), and temperate during winter taking into account an average difference of 29 °F (16 °C). The annual average precipitation in Simi Valley is 17.9 inches. Winter months tend to be wetter than summer months. The wettest month of the year is February when an average rainfall of 4.8 inches. Simi Valley gets 18 inches of rain per year, while the United States average is 37. Snowfall is 0 inches, while the U.S. average is 25 inches of snow per year. The number of days next measurable precipitation is 25. On average, there are 277 sunny days in Simi Valley per year. The July high is nearly 96 °F (36 °C). The January low is 39 °F (4 °C). The autograph album low is 18 degrees Fahrenheit (−8 °C) (recorded in February 1989) and the record high is 116 degrees Fahrenheit (47 °C) (recorded in August 1985). The prevailing wind dealing out is southwest, and the average wind speed is 7–11 mph (11–18 km/h).

Natural hazards

An aspect of Simi Valley’s location, situated touching the Simi Hills, is that it lies in a high-risk Place for the wildfires that sweep through Southern California’s mountain ranges every few years. Simi Valley is with at risk for earthquakes. The valley is amongst faults; the closest ones visceral the Santa Rosa Fault to the Northwest, the Northridge Hills Fault to the Northeast, and the Chatsworth Fault to the South. In 1994, portions of Simi Valley normal significant broken from the Northridge earthquake. See Nuclear Accident at SSFL for information on the accident and associated risk(s) to residents.

Wildfires

In autumn 2003, the Simi Fire burned very nearly 108,000 acres. A 2005 blaze started upon September 28 and burned an estimated 7,000 acres (30 km). On September 29, the flare was estimated to be 17,000 acres (70 km²). More than 1,000 firefighters worked adjoining the tricky incorporation of ascetic brush, low humidity and temperatures in the tall 90s along the origin that divides Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The flare was superior brought under control and extinguished, without colossal injury. Three homes were wandering in outlying areas, but none within the city limits.

Demographics

Before the 1960s, Simi Valley similar to boasted a mighty community of Latino families, many of whom worked for white ranchers. However, the housing boom in the 1960s and 1970s attracted many white Americans leaving behind urban areas in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. This turned Simi Valley into a predominately white city, but the percentage of those who identified as non-Hispanic white began to decline from 86.2% in 1980 to 54% in 2020.

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Simi Valley had a population of 124,237. The population density was 2,940.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,135.4/km²). The racial makeup of Simi Valley was 93,597 (75.3%) White, 1,739 (1.4%) African American, 761 (0.6%) Native American, 11,555 (9.3%) Asian, 178 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 10,685 (8.6%) from additional races, and 5,722 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10,938 persons (23.3%); 16.2% of Simi Valley’s population were Mexican-American, 1.2% Salvadoran, 0.9% Guatemalan, 0.6% Puerto Rican, 0.6% Peruvian, 0.3% Cuban, 0.3% Argentine, 0.2% Honduran, 0.2% Nicaraguan, and 0.2% Ecuadorian. Among Asian-Americans, 2.7% of Simi Valley’s population were Indian-Americans, 2.2% Filipino, 1.2% Chinese, 1.0% Vietnamese, 0.7% Korean, 0.5% Japanese, 0.2% Thai, 0.1% Pakistani. The majority of Simi Valley’s population was made happening of Caucasian-Americans; the largest groups of whites were 16.7% German-American, 11.3% English, 8.5% Italian, 3.4% French, 3.1% Polish, 2.3% Norwegian, 2.3% Swedish, 2.1% Scottish and 2% Dutch.

The Census reported that 123,577 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 482 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized work quarters, and 178 (0.1%) were institutionalized. There were 41,237 households, out of which 16,765 (40.7%) had kids under the age of 18 full of life in them, 24,824 (60.2%) were opposite-sex married couples breathing together, 4,659 (11.3%) had a female householder subsequently no husband present, 2,214 (5.4%) had a male householder gone no wife present. There were 1,975 (4.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 291 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 7,087 households (17.2%) were made stirring of individuals, and 3,013 (7.3%) had someone full of beans alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00. There were 31,697 families (76.9% of anything households); the average associates size was 3.33.

The population was go forward out, with 31,036 people (25.0%) under the age of 18, 11,088 people (8.9%) aged 18 to 24, 33,890 people (27.3%) aged 25 to 44, 35,046 people (28.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 13,177 people (10.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.8 years. For all 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males. There were 42,506 housing units at an average density of 1,006.1 per square mile (388.5/km), of which 30,560 (74.1%) were owner-occupied, and 10,677 (25.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.6%. 93,181 people (75.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 30,396 people (24.5%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the 2000 United States census, there were 111,351 people, 36,421 households, and 28,954 families
residing in the city. The population density was 1,097.3/km²
(2,841.9/mi²). There were 37,272 housing units at an average density of
367.3/km² (951.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was
81.33% White, 1.26% Black or African American, 0.70% Native American, 6.33% Asian, 0.14%
Pacific Islander, 6.50% from other races, and 3.74% from two or more races. 16.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 36,421 households, out of which 42.5% had children under the age of 18 living considering them, 63.9% were married couples animate together, 10.7% had a female householder subsequently no husband present, and 20.5% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made going on of individuals, and 4.9% had someone active alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the city, the population was encroachment out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For all 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.

Income

According to a 2007 estimate, the median pension for a household in the city was $88,406, and the median allowance for a relatives was $91,658. 10.2% of the population and 7.4% of families were below the poverty line. In 2016, the median pension for a household in Simi Valley has increased to $90,210 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The median per capita income for the bearing in mind 12 months (2015) was $37,459. Sales tax was at 7.25% and income taxes were at 8.00%. The current unemployment rate was at 4.80% with a 0.36% recent job lump compared to the National Unemployment Rate of 5.20% and a 1.59% job growth. The median cost of homes in Simi Valley was $450,500 past mortgages at a median of $2,456.

Politics

Simi Valley is considered a conservative stronghold politically, along subsequently the against city of Thousand Oaks. The electorate was, at one lessening in time, often described as solidly Republican. Numerous publications had indicated Simi Valley in the midst of the most conservative cities in the United States; Simi Valley was ranked the 18th most conservative city in the country in 2005 by GovPro.com. Since its engagement as a city, Simi Valley had voted for all Republican presidential nominee until 2020 past Joe Biden became the first Democrat to win the once-conservative stronghold.

Republican Keith Mashburn has been the incumbent mayor past 2018.

The former Republican president and California governor, Ronald Reagan, is buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library upon a hilltop by the Thousand Oaks-Simi Valley city limits. The presidential library is frequently visited by conservative speakers and has been hosting numerous Republican primary debates, including the first debate in the 2008 presidential election, the 2012 presidential election, and the second primary debate for the 2016 presidential election. Simi Valley is located within the 25th congressional district, represented by Mike Garcia. The Simi Valley as capably as adjacent to Chatsworth are among the most Republican communities in the Greater Los Angeles Area, and the 25th district is among the most conservative in the State of California. In November 2018, Katie Hill unseated Republican Steve Knight and became the first Democratic girl to represent the district in the House of Representatives. Less than a year later, she would hand over after revelations of an affair later a congressional staffer. She was replaced in a special election when Republican Mike Garcia.

Local government

Simi Valley’s admin uses the “Council-Manager” form of government. This means that the city council is composed of one mayor, elected all two years, and four council members elected for four-year terms. The city council appoints both the city attorney and city manager, who heads the supervision branch of the city government. The city proprietor appoints the various department heads for the city, and acts as the city clerk and city treasurer.

According to the 2008–2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Fund Financial Statements, the city’s various funds had $89.3 million in Revenues, $86.3 million in expenditures, $139.9 million in total assets, $26.1 million in sum liabilities, and $158.5 million in investments.

The structure of the doling out and coordination of city services is:

State and federal representation

In the come clean legislature, Simi Valley is in the 27th Senate District, represented by Democrat Henry Stern, and in the 38th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Steve Bennett.

In the United States House of Representatives, Simi Valley is split in the company of California’s 25th congressional district, represented by Democrat Raul Ruiz, and California’s 26th congressional district, represented by Democrat Julia Brownley.

Landmarks

Simi Valley is house to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, which has been visited by all but 400.000 people in 2014. After a major give access funeral in Washington, D.C., President Reagan was buried at the library in June 2004. The library adjoins a hangar in which the Boeing 707 SAM 27000 (Air Force One), which served presidents Nixon through G.W. Bush, is housed and easy to pull off to for tours. In the pavilion are various automobiles used to transport the president, as without difficulty as Marine One, the presidential helicopter.

Infrastructure

The Montalvo Cutoff, a railroad pedigree opened by the Southern Pacific Railroad upon March 20, 1904, to include the alignment of its Coast Line, runs east–west through the valley. In 1905, the longest train tunnel in the United States at that become old was completed at the east grow less of Simi Valley. Tunnel #26 yet stands today linking Simi Valley and the San Fernando Valley. The area was originally served by the Santa Susana Depot which was afterward opened in 1904 as a incorporation passenger and freight depot built by the Southern Pacific and located upon Los Angeles Avenue near Tapo Street. The station remained in use for the considering 60 years until changes in the issue model for railroads evolved that rendered the depot meaningless to the railroad.

Simi Valley Station is used by Amtrak and Metrolink on the railroad’s Ventura County Line, after the descent was purchased from Southern Pacific. The station is located at 5050 Los Angeles Avenue, west of Stearns Street. Simi Valley Transit buses End on Los Angeles Avenue in tummy of the station. There are contacts from Simi Valley north to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, and south to Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties.
These trains, as skillfully as the buses, run 7 days a week and End in Simi Valley several period each day. The Simi Valley station is unstaffed; however, tickets are easy to use from automated ticket dispensers, conductors on board the trains, travel agents, by telephone, or from the Amtrak and Metrolink websites.

The United States Postal Service operates the Simi Valley Post Office at 2511 Galena Avenue, the Kopy King Post Office at 2157 Tapo Street, and the Mount McCoy Post Office at 225 Simi Village Drive.

The city operates its own police department, and contracts gone the Ventura County Fire Department to provide blaze protection services. There are six blaze stations within Simi Valley, and the city recently built a state-of-the-art police station. American Medical Response, in conjunction gone Ventura County Fire Department, provide Emergency Medical Services at the Advanced Life Support (ALS) level.

The city provides sanitation facilitate to residences, businesses and supplementary users. Underground sewer lines total sewage and wastewater which is treated at the city’s sewage plant.

Transportation

Rail
Simi Valley Station is used by Amtrak and Metrolink on the railroad’s Ventura County Line, after the lineage was purchased from Southern Pacific. The station is located at 5050 Los Angeles Avenue, west of Stearns Street. Simi Valley Transit buses stop on Los Angeles Avenue in tummy of the station. There are friends from Simi Valley north to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, and south to Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties.
These trains, as skillfully as the buses, run 7 days a week and End in Simi Valley several period each day. The Simi Valley station is unstaffed; however, tickets are genial from automated ticket dispensers, conductors on board the trains, travel agents, by telephone, or from the Amtrak and Metrolink websites.

Economy

Commuting into the city of Los Angeles for appear in is over and done with by 27% of Simi Valley residents, with 20% working within Simi Valley.

In Simi Valley there are two main areas of industry – one in the eastern allocation of the city and the other one in the west. The primary industry is machinery and tools similar to 69 firms, and the additional is the metal industry in the aerate of 51 firms, both situated in the eastern and western industrial areas. Other industries such as lumber/wood products, food, plastic products, apparel/textiles and minerals, are next concentrated largely in these industrial areas.

The largest estrangement of Countrywide Home Loans, now Bank of America, Loan Administration, has been headquartered in the city back the mid-1990s. Operating from Madera Road in a building that subsequent to housed the apparel company Bugle Boy, the company with has facilities upon Tapo Canyon Road, and First Street. At its height, Countrywide had approximately 10,000 employees in the city.

The Volkswagen of America Design Center was behind in an industrial technical across from the Costco wholesale club near Madera and Cochran. The VW Design Center California or DCC, moved to Santa Monica, California in the spring of 2006. Such notable automotive designers as Jay Mays, now (2007) VP Design for Ford and Freeman Thomas, co designer behind Jay Mays of the native Audi TT, once called the DCC in Simi Valley their place of work. The native concept for the New Beetle from Jay Mays, had its genesis there.

Comparing to other cities in USA Simi Valley citizens are somewhat rich with a per capita pension of $170,712 for a relations of four per year.

Top employers

According to the city’s 2019-20 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Education

Simi Valley is served by the Simi Valley Unified School District (SVUSD).

Santa Susana High School has been named as a silver medal winner in U.S. News & World Report’s “Top 500 Schools in America” for 2013 and 2014.

Simi Valley High School was ranked in the midst of MSNBC’s Top 1,000 High Schools in the country.

Schools of vanguard education located approachable include Moorpark College, Cal State Northridge, Cal State Channel Islands, California Lutheran University, University of LaVerne, University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), Ventura College, Oxnard College, Eternity Bible College, Louis Brandeis Institute of Justice, Pepperdine University, University of Southern California (USC), Caltech, Valley College, American Jewish University, Loyola Marymount University, University of La Verne, and UCLA.

There are five tall schools located in Simi Valley: Royal High School, Grace Brethren High School, Santa Susana High School, Simi Valley High School, and Apollo High School (a continuation school).

There are three middle schools located in Simi Valley: Hillside Middle School, Valley View Middle School, and Sinaloa Middle School.

Simi Valley afterward has an adult school (Simi Adult School) and a cosmetology school.

Libraries

The Simi Valley Public Library, operated by the City of Simi Valley, opened in July 2013. Services were formerly provided through the Ventura County Library system. In its first year practicing as a municipal library, it welcomed more than 200,000 patrons into the library.

Recreation

Park facilities in Simi Valley are operated by the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District. This included a sum of fifty parks, where some are urban city-parks, while others are public get into space or multi-purpose trail systems. The district has an inventory of 5,600 acres (2,300 ha) of public owned land, including hundreds of acres of estate in the Simi Hills. The intention of these areas are to maintain the indigenous landscape, as competently as take action as a wildlife corridor that protects the natural habitat for wildlife and flora. The city then boasts six golf courses and the Kanan Ranch house development has birds trails for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians to enjoy. Two collegiate baseball teams: The Simi Valley Senators and the California Oaks of the California Collegiate League in Thousand Oaks, provide sports put on an act to local fans.

To the east, Rocky Peak has a trail system for Mountain Biking, Hiking and Equestrian activities. The trail is accessed just off the 118 freeway at Kuehner Road, Yosemite Road (about 1-mile (1.6 km) North) or Rocky Peak. Trailheads are: The Hummingbird Trail, Rocky Peak Fire Road or The Chumash Trail. These trails are not recommended for beginners, due to fairly steep grades and some profound sections upon the trail.

To the southwest, numerous trails are accessible for Mountain Biking, Hiking and Equestrian activities. The main access tapering off for Wood Ranch Open Space is at the intersection of Wood Ranch Parkway and Long Canyon Parkway, but can in addition to be accessed through handy Challenger Park or from trailheads in Thousand Oaks. The trail system travels as far away west as highway 23, as far afield east as the Rocketdyne aptitude and connects to the Lang Ranch trail system (Westlake Village) and Chesebro trail system, which begins in Agoura Hills. Simi Peak (the highest summit in Simi Valley) is accessible from this trail system via China Flats in the Chesebro trail system. Ahmundson Ranch connects to this trail system, again via the Chesebro trail system. Bridlepath, a private trail system then connects to the main blaze road. The west halt of Simi Valley is also home to the 150-acre Tierra Rejada Park, which offers hiking trails to straightforward Moorpark.

List of public-owned parks in Simi Valley:

Wildlife

The Simi Hills are the most essential wildlife corridor grip from the Santa Monica Mountains – to the Santa Susana Mountains, and exceeding to the Topatopa Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, and further Transverse Ranges new east. The Simi’s undeveloped native address provides routes that guard larger estate wildlife of the Santa Monicas from genetic isolation. Large sections of the Simi Hills are protected by parks and log on space preserves. Animals in the Place include mammals such as the Virginia opossum, ornate shrew, broad-footed mole, mountain lion, mule deer, bobcat, spotted and striped skunk, California badger, southern California weasel, California raccoon, ringtail cat, black bear, Botta’s pocket gopher, desert cottontail, valley coyote, gray fox, California vole, brush rabbit, California ground- and California grey squirrel, as competently as several species of mice (California pocket mouse, western harvest mouse, brush mouse, deer mouse, and house mouse), rats (agile kangaroo rat, dusky-footed woodrat, black rat, roof rat, and brown rat) and bats (long-eared myotis, long-legged myotis, California myotis, small-footed myotis, western pipistrelle, Brazilian free-tailed bat, western mastiff bat, and Tejon myotis). Some of the reptiles in the area include several species of snakes (coachwhip, southern Pacific rattlesnake, San Diego night snake, striped racer, California black-headed snake, two-striped garter snake, San Diego gopher snake, coast mountain kingsnake, California kingsnake, coast patch-nosed snake, ringneck snake) and lizards (western fence lizard, California side blotched lizard, western skink, western whiptail, San Diego horned lizard, California horned lizard, San Diego alligator lizard, silvery legless lizard). There are ten species of amphibians in Simi Valley: the California newt, western spadefoot, California toad, arroyo toad, California slender salamander, arboreal salamander, American bullfrog, California red-legged frog, California treefrog, and the Pacific treefrog.

Birds in Simi Valley add up Anna’s hummingbird, Canada goose, mallard, California quail, common egret, great blue heron, American bittern, American coot, killdeer, mourning dove, roadrunner, belted kingfisher, black phoebe, barn swallow, cliff swallow, common raven, crow, white-breasted nuthatch, cactus wren, mockingbird, robin, cedar waxwing, phainopepla, starling, least Bell’s vireo, hooded oriole, western tanager, several species of blackbird (western meadowlark, Brewer’s blackbird and brown-headed cowbird) and woodpeckers (common flicker, Nuttall’s woodpecker, acorn woodpecker, and yellow-bellied sapsucker). Raptors attach turkey vulture, white-tailed kite, American kestrel, poor-will and several species of hawks (Cooper’s hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, marsh hawk, red-tailed hawk, red-shouldered hawk, and the common nighthawk) and owls (great horned owl, short-eared owl, long-eared owl, barn owl, and the burrowing owl). Grosbeaks, finches and sparrows insert black-headed grosbeak, house finch, American goldfinch, lesser goldfinch, California towhee, Savannah sparrow, sage sparrow, dark-eyed junco, white-crowned sparrow and the house sparrow.

In popular culture

Given its near proximity to Hollywood, Simi Valley has long been a popular entertainment industry location.

Notable people

See also

References

External links

Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District http://www.rsrpd.org