KITCHEN REMODELING Simi Valley, California

Simi Valley (; Chumash: Shimiyi) is a city in the valley of the same name in the southeast region of Ventura County, California, United States. Simi Valley is 40 miles (65 km) from Downtown Los Angeles, making it ration 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 in the company of 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 taking into account a freeway was built more 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 subsequent to inhabited by the Chumash people, who also established much of the region from the Salinas Valley to the Santa Monica Mountains, with their presence dating incite thousands of years. Around 5,000 years ago these tribes began direction acorns, and harvesting local marshland plants. Roughly 2,000 years later, as hunting and fishing techniques improved, the population increased significantly. Shortly after this uncompromising increase a precious rock money system arose, increasing the viability of the region by offsetting fluctuations in manageable resources relating to climate changes. The indigenous people who inhabited Simi Valley spoke an interior dialect of the Chumash language, called Ventureño.

Simi Valley’s publicize is derived from the Chumash word Shimiyi, which refers to the stringy, thread-like clouds that typify the region. The name could have originated from the strands of mist from coastal fog that upset into the Oxnard Plain and wind their way up the Calleguas Creek and the Arroyo Las Posas into Simi Valley. The parentage of the herald was preserved because of the piece of legislation of the anthropologist John P. Harrington, whose brother, Robert E. Harrington lived in Simi Valley. Robert Harrington forward-looking explained the name: “The word Simiji in Indian expected the little white wind clouds suitably often seen past the wind blows occurring here and Indians living upon the coast, would never venture taking place here following those wind clouds were in the sky. The word Simiji was build up by whites to the word Simi. There are additional explanations practically the publish Simi, but this one was pure to me by my brother who worked greater than 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 Place containing pictographs, including the Burro Flats Painted Cave in the Burro Flats area of the Simi Hills, located amongst the Simi Valley, West Hills, and Bell Canyon. The cave is located upon private house 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 retrieve and exploration of the present-day give access of California. The expedition traversed the valley on January 13–14, 1770, traveling from Conejo Valley to San Fernando Valley. They camped near a original 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 come to in eastern Ventura and western Los Angeles counties fixed 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 relations of California. Rancho Simí was the earliest Spanish colonial land assent within Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. The read out derives from Shimiji, the post of the Chumash Native American village here previously the Spanish. It was the largest Spanish or Mexican estate grant fixed idea in Ventura County, and one of the largest unqualified in California. The Simi Adobe-Strathearn House, later the house 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 Get large amounts of home in California to lift cattle, purchased Rancho Simí from the Pico intimates in 1842. After Jose de la Guerra death in 1858, the sons of Jose de la Guerra continued to take action the ranchos. The decrease of their privileged circumstances came gone several years of drought in the 1860s caused oppressive losses. In 1865, the De la Guerras lost the ownership of El Rancho Simí excluding the Rancho Tapo. El Rancho Tapo was allowance of the native 113,009-acre Rancho Simí grant, but sometime vis-а-vis 1820–1830, the Rancho Tapo came to be thought of as a sever place within Rancho Simí. The last of the De la Guerras to enliven in Simí Valley retreated to a 14,400-acre ration of the indigenous 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 plant walnuts in the Tapo, which appears to be the perfect mention of their farming on the subject of the original Simí grant.

The De la Guerra heirs tried every legal means, but by the 1880s, the Rancho Tapo plus 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 bearing in mind the 96,000-acre buy of El Rancho Simí by an eastern investor named Thomas A. Scott (1814–1882), who had made his child maintenance as an explorer in the Pennsylvania Railroad during the Civil War. He was president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and a co-conspirator in Philadelphia and California Petroleum Company. Scouts came to California to buy lands, and fittingly Scott acquired El Rancho Simí (1865). His plan was to locate sites for oil, since the first oil with ease 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 run the California properties. In the late 1880s, Simí Land and Water Company was formed to see to the selling of the big rancho in ranch-size properties. Some American farmers had begun to lease home in the greater Rancho Simí for farming.

The primeval Anglo American ranchers showed going on in Simí Valley in the late 1860s into the 1870s. Charles Emerson Hoar was unchangeable the title of “first American farmer” by in advance Simí historian Janet Scott Cameron. He had purchased the Hummingbird’s Nest Ranch in the northeast corner of the Valley, and he leased estate from the new owners of the Simí Rancho for raising sheep, already a proven quirk of making a living.

Much of the Simí Rancho land continued, as in Spanish days, to be used for raising sheep, cattle and grain. Wheat prospered longer here than in the dismount of the county because it was pardon of a weakness 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 in advance 1960s highly developed residential improve began to accept place.

Modern residential development

When Simí was an agricultural community, there were ranch houses that dotted the Valley. Four sure communities afterward were located in the Valley (see ‘Four Communities of Simi Valley’ section below) prior to broadminded residential development. Though 1957 and 1958 brought the first ‘tract’ housing developments following the Dennis and Ayhens, Wright Ranch and Valley Vista tracts were built, the tremendous ‘boom’ in residential early payment took place introduction 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 campaigner residential development

The pioneers arrived in the late 1860s – 1870s and ever since, this has been ‘The Valley of Simi.’ But, not everything the communities in the valley were known as ‘Simi.’ There was the township of Simi (known as ‘Simiopolis’ for nearly a six-month become old in 1888, but subsequently the declare reverted to Simi). In the valley there were afterward 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 divided into ranches and farms by that corporation, and advertised for sale to midwestern and New England states. An buccaneer group, the California Mutual Benefit Colony of Chicago, purchased house and laid out a townsite (located along 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 upon 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 definite through Simi Valley, except for the tunnel, which was completed in 1904. A small business community grew up close the Santa Susana Train Depot, which was located upon the north side of Los Angeles Ave, just east of Tapo Street. Over mature 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 little development which became known as Community Center. The driving force in back this press on was the habit for a High School in Simi Valley, as without difficulty as an elementary hypothetical in a more central location in the valley. The FIRST graduating class from the totally 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 in reality was a ‘community center.’

Mortimer Park (the Susana knolls) – The Place that is now the Knolls was a approximately 1,800-acre parcel of land that was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Lewis T. Mortimer in the at the forefront 1920s. They planned upon selling the lots for cabins, or trip homes. The lots, however, were extremely small (30 x 50 feet), and the Mortimers did not accept the mountainous birds of the estate into account, so quite often the lots were not buildable. Oftentimes several lots were needed to build structures. In 1944 the Garden Club, an alert community government in the area petitioned the county supervisors to fine-tune the post of Mortimer Park to the Susana Knolls.

The first try to incorporate the towns of Simi, the Place known as Community Center (93065) and Santa Susana (93063) in 1966 was unsuccessful. The second try in 1969 was successful, with residents voting 6,454 to 3,685 in accord of incorporation. 59% of eligible voters turned out for this vote. Susana Knolls is an unincorporated area of the Valley. Voters as well as 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 encroachment of pioneering nuclear reactors and rocket engines initiation in 1948. The site was operated by Atomics International and Rocketdyne (originally both divisions of the North American Aviation company). The Rocketdyne estrangement 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 poster nuclear reactor to supply electricity to a public talent system., when it powered the city of Moorpark (the dispensation owned BORAX-III reactor had previously powered Arco, Idaho for going on for 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 ahead and testing. The site is undergoing study and removal of the nuclear facilities and cleanup of the soil and groundwater. The Boeing Company, the US DOE, and NASA are answerable for the cleanup.

In July 1959, the Sodium Reactor Experiment suffered a omnipotent incident taking into account 13 of the reactor’s 43 fuel elements partially melted resulting in the controlled pardon 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 adjacent to the current landowner (The Boeing Company) asserts the incident caused the much greater release of radioactivity than the crash at Three Mile Island. Boeing’s mysterious response concludes the monitoring conducted at the period of the incident, shows unaided the acceptable amount of radioactive gasses were released, and a Three Mile Island-scale freedom was not possible. The stroke 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 ration 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 deed known as the Rodney King Trials was based upon footage recorded on home video by a bystander (George Holliday). The now-infamous video was make public nationally and globally and caused tremendous wave because the beating was believed to be racially motivated. Due to the stuffy media coverage of the arrest, Judge Stanley Weisberg of the California Court of Appeals recognized a correct of venue to neighboring Ventura County, using an understandable courtroom in Simi Valley for the own up case next to the officers.

On April 29, 1992, a Ventura County board of adjudicators acquitted three of the four officers (Koon, Wind, and Briseno) and did not reach a verdict on one (Powell). Many believed that the rude outcome was a outcome 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 jury were three who had been security guards or in military service. The acquittal led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots and layer protest approximately the country.

Geography

Simi Valley is a city located in the utterly southeast corner of Ventura County, bordering the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, and is a portion 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 neighboring Thousand Oaks to the southwest and Moorpark to the west. Simi Valley is linked to the affable 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 in the midst of 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 cut off 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 together with Ventura County to the west and Los Angeles County to the east. On the extra 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 well as a topographic depression. The Simi Valley, just as next to San Fernando Valley, owes its existence and have an effect on to the faulting and folding of the rocks. It is in fact a structural valley and not wholly the perform of erosion. It is drained by the Calleguas Creek and furthermore 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 area 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 approximately 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 objective 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 aspiration temperature is at its lowest at 53.6 degrees (12.0 °C) in December, the intention 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 with ease as the 1994 Northridge earthquake and numerous wildfires.

Climate

Simi Valley has a warm and abstemious climate during summer following mean temperatures tend to play a role the 70s. Wildfires reach also occur here. The city’s climate cools during winter like mean temperatures tend to enactment 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 like an average maximum temperature of 96 °F (36 °C), while the coldest month of the year is December in the same way as an average minimum temperature of 38 °F (3 °C). Temperature variations between night and day tend to be relatively large during summer, with a difference that can accomplish 38 °F (21 °C), and ascetic during winter considering 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 following 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 taking into consideration measurable precipitation is 25. On average, there are 277 sunny days in Simi Valley per year. The July tall is approximately 96 °F (36 °C). The January low is 39 °F (4 °C). The compilation low is 18 degrees Fahrenheit (−8 °C) (recorded in February 1989) and the record tall is 116 degrees Fahrenheit (47 °C) (recorded in August 1985). The prevailing wind meting out is southwest, and the average wind readiness is 7–11 mph (11–18 km/h).

Natural hazards

An aspect of Simi Valley’s location, situated alongside the Simi Hills, is that it lies in a high-risk area for the wildfires that sweep through Southern California’s mountain ranges all few years. Simi Valley is along with at risk for earthquakes. The valley is amid faults; the closest ones bodily 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 received significant broken from the Northridge earthquake. See Nuclear Accident at SSFL for information upon the crash and joined risk(s) to residents.

Wildfires

In autumn 2003, the Simi Fire burned roughly 108,000 acres. A 2005 ember 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 neighboring the tricky inclusion of ascetic brush, low humidity and temperatures in the tall 90s along the stock that divides Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The ember was cutting edge brought under control and extinguished, without omnipotent injury. Three homes were free in outlying areas, but none within the city limits.

Demographics

Before the 1960s, Simi Valley behind boasted a strong community of Latino families, many of whom worked for white ranchers. However, the housing boom in the 1960s and 1970s attracted many white Americans neglect 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 halt 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 supplementary 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 taking place 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 activity 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 vibrant in them, 24,824 (60.2%) were opposite-sex married couples vivacious together, 4,659 (11.3%) had a female householder once no husband present, 2,214 (5.4%) had a male householder subsequent to 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 happening of individuals, and 3,013 (7.3%) had someone perky alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00. There were 31,697 families (76.9% of everything households); the average intimates size was 3.33.

The population was fee 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 kids under the age of 18 living once them, 63.9% were married couples animated together, 10.7% had a female householder subsequent to no husband present, and 20.5% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made happening of individuals, and 4.9% had someone booming alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average intimates size was 3.33.

In the city, the population was momentum 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 allowance for a household in the city was $88,406, and the median income for a family was $91,658. 10.2% of the population and 7.4% of families were under the poverty line. In 2016, the median allowance for a household in Simi Valley has increased to $90,210 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The median per capita allowance for the in the make public of 12 months (2015) was $37,459. Sales tax was at 7.25% and allowance taxes were at 8.00%. The current unemployment rate was at 4.80% with a 0.36% recent job deposit 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 taking into account mortgages at a median of $2,456.

Politics

Simi Valley is considered a conservative stronghold politically, along past the against city of Thousand Oaks. The electorate was, at one reduction in time, often described as solidly Republican. Numerous publications had indicated Simi Valley among 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 inclusion as a city, Simi Valley had voted for all Republican presidential nominee until 2020 taking into account Joe Biden became the first Democrat to win the once-conservative stronghold.

Republican Keith Mashburn has been the incumbent mayor before 2018.

The former Republican president and California governor, Ronald Reagan, is buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on 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 neighboring Chatsworth are in the middle of the most Republican communities in the Greater Los Angeles Area, and the 25th district is along with the most conservative in the State of California. In November 2018, Katie Hill unseated Republican Steve Knight and became the first Democratic woman to represent the district in the House of Representatives. Less than a year later, she would give up after revelations of an affair taking into consideration a congressional staffer. She was replaced in a special election later than Republican Mike Garcia.

Local government

Simi Valley’s executive uses the “Council-Manager” form of government. This means that the city council is composed of one mayor, elected every 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 meting out 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 sum assets, $26.1 million in sum liabilities, and $158.5 million in investments.

The structure of the supervision and coordination of city facilities is:

State and federal representation

In the let in 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 amongst 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 home to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, which has been visited by with citation to 400.000 people in 2014. After a major divulge 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 open for tours. In the pavilion are various automobiles used to transport the president, as competently as Marine One, the presidential helicopter.

Infrastructure

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

Simi Valley Station is used by Amtrak and Metrolink on the railroad’s Ventura County Line, after the stock 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 connections from Simi Valley north to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, and south to Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties.
These trains, as well as the buses, run 7 days a week and stop in Simi Valley several times each day. The Simi Valley station is unstaffed; however, tickets are within reach 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 later than the Ventura County Fire Department to provide fire protection services. There are six flare stations within Simi Valley, and the city recently built a state-of-the-art police station. American Medical Response, in conjunction later Ventura County Fire Department, provide Emergency Medical Services at the Advanced Life Support (ALS) level.

The city provides sanitation bolster to residences, businesses and new 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 upon 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 belly of the station. There are connections from Simi Valley north to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, and south to Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties.
These trains, as with ease as the buses, run 7 days a week and stop in Simi Valley several period each day. The Simi Valley station is unstaffed; however, tickets are approachable 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 comport yourself is curtains 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 portion of the city and the new one in the west. The primary industry is machinery and tools subsequently 69 firms, and the subsidiary is the metal industry taking into account 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 in addition to concentrated largely in these industrial areas.

The largest separation of Countrywide Home Loans, now Bank of America, Loan Administration, has been headquartered in the city past the mid-1990s. Operating from Madera Road in a building that considering housed the apparel company Bugle Boy, the company plus has facilities upon Tapo Canyon Road, and First Street. At its height, Countrywide had nearly 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 past Jay Mays of the indigenous Audi TT, once called the DCC in Simi Valley their place of work. The indigenous concept for the New Beetle from Jay Mays, had its genesis there.

Comparing to further 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 summit 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 middle of MSNBC’s Top 1,000 High Schools in the country.

Schools of well ahead education located friendly 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 high 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 functional as a municipal library, it welcomed greater than 200,000 patrons into the library.

Recreation

Park services in Simi Valley are operated by the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District. This included a total of fifty parks, where some are urban city-parks, while others are public retrieve 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 land in the Simi Hills. The point toward of these areas are to preserve the native landscape, as without difficulty as discharge duty as a wildlife corridor that protects the natural habitat for wildlife and flora. The city plus boasts six golf courses and the Kanan Ranch house development has plants 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 con 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 puzzling sections on 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 furthermore be accessed through affable Challenger Park or from trailheads in Thousand Oaks. The trail system travels as far afield west as highway 23, as far-off east as the Rocketdyne capacity and connects to the Lang Ranch trail system (Westlake Village) and Chesebro trail system, which begins in Agoura Hills. Simi Peak (the highest height 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 moreover connects to the main flame road. The west grow less of Simi Valley is also house to the 150-acre Tierra Rejada Park, which offers hiking trails to welcoming Moorpark.

List of public-owned parks in Simi Valley:

Wildlife

The Simi Hills are the most necessary wildlife corridor linkage from the Santa Monica Mountains – to the Santa Susana Mountains, and on height of to the Topatopa Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, and additional Transverse Ranges extra east. The Simi’s undeveloped native house provides routes that protect larger estate wildlife of the Santa Monicas from genetic isolation. Large sections of the Simi Hills are protected by parks and entry space preserves. Animals in the area 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 well as several species of mice (California pocket mouse, western harvest mouse, brush mouse, deer mouse, and home 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 complement 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 enhance 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 increase 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