Newhall is undergoing a renaissance of sorts with the recent decision to add the Laemmle Theater art film house to the downtown Newhall area. The area has been neglected from the late 70's up until the turn-of-the-century, when new developments began to pop up like weeds. The Santa Clarita City Council is trying to turn those weeds into grass by creating a more cohesive and compelling area for residents to visit for entertainment and arts/culture.
Restaurants like the Newhall Refinery have opened everyone's eyes to the possibilities that the quarter mile stretch of land offers. Even newer restaurants such as Southern Smoke Barbecue and Brew House and the Persia Lounge recently started capitalizing on the trend, adding decidedly different choices to Old Town Newhall. The area has long had great casual eateries such as Egg Plantation, El Trocadero Steakhouse, Jimmy Dean's, Cathy's Deli and The Grand Panda, but new upscale restaurants such as The Social, Bricks and Eat Real Cafe are adding culinary gravitas to this southern section of Santa Clarita. So what's missing?
New residential developments. Newhall is by no means at full capacity, with land between Circle J Ranch and Valle de Oro sitting idly by, as shown in this gorgeous Google picture.
I haven't researched what the growth plans in that area are, but I know development here is needed. I HAVE researched the Old Town Newhall plans, and they were off and running on their plans way back in 2005, describing how they wanted it to look, right down to the species of shrubs to be used in medians...
The plans later called for multi-story high density mixed-use projects that feed off the proximity to the Newhall Metrolink station.
I get it; we need housing of all types.
But every new home development in Santa Clarita has been further North, with tightly packed lots, and patio homes selling for prices that make me scratch my head. Where are all of these high paying jobs coming from that supply these buyers?
Are the hipsters quietly moving up here? I know neighborhoods in the San Fernando valley such as Valley Village are out of reach for Millenials, and I sense that Santa Clarita could be attracting all of the non-traditional households out of the valley. Large, extended families have reached out to us to find them the homes they can not afford in the valley, but we have to point them to patio homes?
Active families just getting started also find that they are relegated to a patio home, or worse yet, a townhome, with zero grassy area.
What Newhall needs is development of properties with lots at least 6500 square feet in size, and areas like those I mentioned (from Claibournes Arch south to Valle De Oro) are the perfect place for them.
While I'm at it, the railroad tracks that divide Newhall in half, have got to go. Underneath, that is... Cities along the Metrolink line in the inland empire have paid to create grade crossings, so that traffic stays at existing height, while the trains intersect underneath. Those cities did this 10 years ago, but the prospect of doing that here would draw curious expressions from city planners. They are costly, at $35 million apiece, but that is what government is for... Not Common Core... But that is another story. The tracks also serve to slice Old Town Newhall in half, with homes east of the tracks considered the scariest at night, while businesses on Mains St. enjoy relatively safe, pedestrian traffic at night.
If quality of life is truly the goal here...if Santa Clarita is all about being Awesome, then homes with actual yards are a necessity. We need streets that don't turn into logjams on the hour, every hour, when freight trains blow their whistles waking the dead at 6 o'clock in the morning. Remember: if there are no crossings... there's no need for horns...We need an Old Town Newhall that is vibrant, but not a congested, overbuilt mess. Plans there call for a 5 story parking garage, with 400 spaces. They also call for 26 new housing units. They've got that corner figured out. Now, they need to zoom out, and look at the BIG PICTURE...
The growth of Disney Studios at Placerita Canyon virtually demands Newhall build TOWARDS the Southern end of town. City planners looked at the highway off-ramp at Newhall Ave. years ago, and called for massive beautification. The spiral cloverleaf leading to the entrance to Newhall from the south is not a thing of beauty. It all starts there, and at the Lyons exit off the 5. Those are the gateways, and both have remained untouched for decades....
We need even newer ideas than the ones currently under consideration, if Newhall is going to compete with Valencia and Stevenson Ranch for tax dollars, and 'quality-of-life' enhancements.
In short, we need new homes on the plains... less trains.. and even more restaurants.
