OVERVIEW.
The City of Santa
Clarita was formed in 1987, when four unincorporated communities — Newhall,
Canyon Country, Saugus and Valencia — joined together. The community of
Newhall, located in the southern part of the city, is the oldest of these
communities.
Henry Mayo Newhall purchased the area in 1875 and named his holdings Newhall Ranch. He then sold rights-of-way and a townsite to the Southern Pacific Railroad, which was completed through the area in 1876.
According to the Santa Clarita General Plan, Newhall evolved into 'a typical western town of oil, mining and railroad workers.' California's first commercial oil well began operation in Pico Canyon in 1876, and the state's first oil refinery was built in Railroad Canyon in that same year.
Later, the movie industry used the Santa Clarita Valley as a backdrop for numerous westerns, and western film stars — including William S. Hart (whose former home is now a museum operated by the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History), Tom Mix and Gene Autry — lived in the area.
DOWNTOWN NEWHALL TODAY.
Today, Downtown Newhall (the San
Fernando Road commercial corridor) does not fit neatly into any of the
categories that are usually used to describe commercial areas.
It is not exactly a neighborhood shopping center, even though it has some of the uses — such as grocery stores — that are typically found in such a center, because it does not offer all of the convenience goods that a neighborhood center would be expected to have, and does have some stores that attract people from beyond the local area.
It is not exactly a community shopping center, because it has only a few outlets that offer comparison goods, and it does not attract people to shop and compare. It is not exactly a specialty shopping center; although it has a number of specialty stores, the majority of establishments are convenience outlets and auto-related uses. Finally, it is not a 'central place,' which is what downtowns are generally thought to be. It has no visual or functional focus, no clear image or identity.
It marketing terms, it is probably most accurate to think of Downtown Newhall today as a collection of retail uses that serve a variety of customers: the immediate neighborhood (the 'one-mile ring'), a larger community (the 'three-mile ring') and the occasional customer from a larger area who comes to Newhall specifically for auto repair or other auto-related services. All of these uses are jumbled together as a result of the way Newhall evolved as a community and Santa Clarita evolved as a city.
A STRATEGY FOR REVITALIZATION.
Local residents and business
people have a different vision for the future of Downtown Newhall.
They see an area that is the heart of the community, where they can stroll, shop and socialize; where visitors from throughout the City of Santa Clarita and beyond come to enjoy an authentic main street commercial environment and a sampling of Newhall's unique local history. Successful restaurants, cafes and boutiques would line San Fernando Road, and the district would be busy day and night.
This future Downtown is an attractive, memorable place that supports investment and reinvestment and expresses Newhall's best qualities. It reflects the past, yet is positioned to prosper in the future. It is a source of pride.
Creating the Downtown Newhall that the community envisions is a tall order. The Revitalization Strategy lays out a program of actions that need to be pursued aggressively if the effort is to be successful.
A number of elements of the Strategy — for example, building and streetscape renovations - - have been obvious to the local community for some time and are incorporated as part of the Newhall Improvement Program. In addition, the Strategy requires concerted efforts by the City to reshape the mix of businesses in the area, so it can compete effectively with other commercial destinations, and other forms of public sector assistance to 'jump start' private sector investment.
REVITALIZATION GOALS.
There are eight basic Revitalization
Goals. They are interrelated in the sense that fully achieving one requires that
others also be achieved.
In combination, these two niches form the backbone of most revitalized small downtowns. The combination is essential. Targeting either niche alone is rarely successful, because shopping centers and malls are too strongly focused on their markets to compete with directly.
In Newhall, for example, shopping centers along Lyons Ave. address the convenience retail needs of most residents within the local trade area. The Valencia Town Center addresses specialty and comparison needs. Neither competing area makes it a point to address both niches.
In Downtown Newhall, the convenience niche is supported by local residential areas and is relatively solid, though some types of businesses, such as a drug store, are missing. However, the district must expand its trade area for comparison and specialty businesses to Valencia and the other communities of Santa Clarita.
An attractive pedestrian environment is the medium that allows specialty and convenience businesses to intermix, and it is the principal ingredient differentiating a successful commercial district from a shopping center or mall.
In many cases, the street is as much of an attraction as the businesses that line it. Without a high-amenity pedestrian environment, commercial districts in low-density communities rarely flourish. In Newhall, this kind of environment is essential if the primary trade area for convenience and specialty businesses is to expand. The nearest competing locations for this type of commercial environment are Pasadena, Santa Barbara, and possibly downtown Ventura.
Historically-related elements that express the pride of local residents and business people, enhance the commercial environment, and integrate with other elements of the Revitalization Strategy should be incorporated as part of public and private investment in the district.
Design guidelines are needed to identify and promote historic architectural styles as well as special architectural forms that not only add amenity, but in turn create a unique district image that enhances the area's marketability.
Facade improvements are some of the most visible investments that can be made in a commercial district, and they dovetail well with streetscape improvements. They can serve as models to illustrate application of district-based design guidelines, and help to set the standard for a Newhall-based building character.
Also, successful shopping centers and commercial districts typically have a landmark that patrons refer to for directions and orientation and is the central image used in marketing efforts. This can be a famous old building, such as a City Hall or train station, a clocktower, a fountain, gateway sign or other striking architectural feature.
Business Improvement Programs have two objectives: attract new investment, and encourage reinvestment.
The City and/or Recovery Agency should assist with business development in Downtown Newhall in a number of ways, including business recruitment and relocation, facade improvements, marketing, and related efforts.
Two kinds of established businesses should be attracted to fill vacancies that occur Downtown: a) existing businesses in less desirable locations within the community that could be interested in relocating; and b) successful existing businesses within Newhall or other communities that could be recruited to open another store or branch.
The City should recruit these 'catalyst' businesses through aggressive promotion efforts and financial assistance. Low-interest loans could be used as an inducement to help with relocation expenses, start-up lease assistance, and/or renovation costs.
The City should also assist existing businesses in Downtown to move to other locations that offer better access to their target market. This would open up frontage for the types of businesses targeted by the Revitalization Strategy, like restaurants and specialty and convenience retail.
Downtown Newhall includes a branch post office, library, and a newly-established community center. It is in relatively close proximity to local schools and parks. The day-to- day comings and goings associated with these types of facilities establishes a base level of activity that is an essential element of a successful downtown district. They are, in a sense, anchors for the convenience commercial niche.
One of Newhall's most important attractions as a business location is the level of existing and projected through-traffic on San Fernando Road. The district needs all of the visibility it can get, and supporting local businesses must be one of the principal criteria for designing streetscape and circulation improvements in the area.
Circulation plans should maintain through- and two-way traffic, and reduce traffic speeds on San Fernando Road.
Parking improvements should be implemented which: enhance existing curbside parking on San Fernando Road; establish a shared off-street parking program; and improve the distribution of off-street parking.
Facilities or businesses that would fit the character envisioned for Downtown Newhall and bring people who would not otherwise come to the district should be zealously pursued. Examples are:
The challenge today is to infuse new life not only into the businesses that occupy the commercial core of Downtown Newhall, but also into the streets and public places that surround them, to create a vital and attractive center of the Newhall community.