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Avenue, lodge pole fencing and shrubbery was installed to shield and protect pedestrians and motorists from the
railroad tracks.
The Old Town Newhall Library will serve as an anchor to the north side of Main Street with beautiful landscaping and an
iconic piece of art that further reflects the history and charm of this area. On the south side, staff is currently in the
design phase of a modern roundabout. The Roundabout is an integral component to reconfiguring traffic flow to
accommodate the pedestrian friendly area and provide access from Main Street to Hart Park. Due to the elimination of
Redevelopment, this project is on hold for the foreseeable future until another funding source can be identified.
SPURRING BUSINESS SYNERGY
In addition to the public investments in infrastructure and public places, the Agency focused on spurring private
investment. To do this, the Redevelopment Agency adopted a number of plans to help to establish and encourage the
vision for Main Street, Old Town Newhall, and the rest of the Project Area.
The Downtown Newhall Specific Plan was the first plan formally adopted to provide a comprehensive land use and
infrastructure plan to make development easier and encourage investment in the area. The DNSP was created following
a public participation process, which evaluated the history of Newhall, current conditions, and revitalization strategies in
other communities. The Plan is the community’s roadmap for success as it focuses the efforts of the City and the
Redevelopment Agency. To ensure the Plan is working for residents and businesses located in the area, the City is
consistently soliciting feedback and modifying the code to ensure that it is user-friendly and meeting the needs of the
community.
In 2006, the City and Agency initiated efforts to develop a specific plan for the 213-acre North Newhall Area in order to
stimulate development and redevelopment activities in the area north of Downtown Newhall. This study area included
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both the vacant 95-acre property north of 13 Street, as well as the developed 118-acre portion of the North Newhall
Area. Following various stakeholder and community meetings, the planning effort eventually evolved into the Compass
Blueprint Concept Plan that was prepared for the developed portion of the site. In 2011, the City Council adopted the
Compass Blueprint Concept Plan, which consists of a conceptual land use and circulation plan that the City will use to
guide future development in the Concept Plan Area. Additionally in 2011, as part of the new General Plan, the City
adopted a set of policies and objectives that will govern future development and redevelopment in the entire 213-acre
North Newhall Area.
Also in 2006, a Mixed Use Overlay Zone was adopted to encourage a mix of residential, commercial, employment, and
institutional uses along the Newhall Avenue (formerly San Fernando Road) and Lyons Avenue corridors. The Mixed Use
Overlay Zone provides a mechanism to revitalize older commercial corridors, increase opportunities for infill housing,
and encourage development that creates pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods.
ENCOURAGING ECONOMIC GROWTH
As the physical transformations began to take shape, the Agency put an emphasis on the creation of various economic
engines in and focused on business attraction, retention and development.
In 2007, the City of Santa Clarita received a 15-year designation as a California Enterprise Zone. In 2010, the City applied
for and was granted conditional designation for a larger expanded Enterprise Zone known as the Santa Clarita Valley
Enterprise Zone. This new Zone designation is anticipated to take effect retroactively to January 1, 2011 and provide tax
credits to businesses located in the Zone through December 2026. The Enterprise Zone program promotes business
growth and job creation in the Santa Clarita Valley. As the qualifying area for Enterprise Zone eligibility, the Newhall
area is a primary focus of development to attract quality jobs in proximity to area residents. The integration of