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Arts Master Plan

Ranch. Over the decades, the valley has been the location for film and

television productions spanning an extraordinary range from Gene Autry
westerns to CBS’ long-running television series NCIS, currently the world’s
most-watched television drama.

Santa Clarita has been recognized by the Los Angeles Economic Development
Corporation as the most business friendly city in Los Angeles County, citing a
desirable location along the Interstate 5, a well-educated workforce, favorable
taxation policies, affordable lease rates, and a high quality of life. Home to a

surprisingly diverse collection of business enterprises, the City identifies five
growth clusters among its companies: advanced manufacturing; medical
devices and biotech; digital media & entertainment; aerospace and defense;

and information technology. Unemployment is among the lowest in Los
Angeles County.

The Santa Clarita Valley is located in a beautiful natural environment of the high
desert, ringed by several mountain ranges and canyons. The Santa Clara River
and its watershed are the primary riparian system, flowing into the Pacific
Ocean near Ventura. Although dry during much of the year, the river is in a

relatively natural state, fed by seasonal rains. The City of Santa Clarita has
made a major commitment to preserving and celebrating its natural
environment in part through the creation by voter initiative in 2007 of the Open

Space Preservation District. The District is a visionary and comprehensive
addition to the City’s Open Space, Park and Parkland Program and its goals
are to preserve natural land from development, create more parks for
community usage, and protect rare biological and geological regions. The
special assessment paid by City property owners gives the City a seat at the

table to purchase land that could otherwise be developed and put pressure on
the City’s natural resources. Additionally, the Open Space Preservation District
greatly assists the City in preserving natural lands, retaining wildlife corridors,

and completing the City’s greenbelt.

The City of Santa Clarita is home to three institutions of higher education, each

of which offers arts programs: California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), an
internationally prominent art school; College of the Canyons, a vital campus of
California’s community college network; and Masters College, a
nondenominational conservative Christian liberal arts school.

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