COMMUNITY PROFILE
Lancaster: A Brief History, Major Accomplishments, and Prospects for the Future
I. History
Some historians state that the name “Lancaster” was bestowed upon the town by Mr. M. L. Wicks, a real estate developer who purchased six sections of land from the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1884 at a price of about $2.50 an acre. Prior to that date, in 1882, Mr. Wicks had started a Kern County Scottish settlement of Los Angeles County 14 Edwards Air Force Base about 150 persons in the Edwards Air Force Flight Test Center 138 Valley, presumably the town was a more 5 California permanent home for Aqueduct Lancaster those people. The story San Andreas Fault goes on to say that he named the new city for 14 138 his former home, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Another version of the 210 way Lancaster received 101 210 its name attributes the 405 101 deed to Mr. Purnell, a Los Angeles member of the Southern 110 Los Angeles County Pacific Railroad staff Orange County whose duties included the naming of all Pacific Ocean 5 stations. His reasons, 405 unfortunately, must remain obscure because all records were destroyed by fire in 1906.
Regardless of the origin of the name, the area would not have been developed as it has without the influence of the Southern Pacific Railroad, which was completed between San Francisco and Los Angeles in 1867. Following the completion of the railroad and the establishment of a water stop because of the purity and accessibility, the Western Hotel, then known as the Gilwyn was built, and by 1890, Lancaster was quite prosperous.
City of Lancaster 21 In 1898, gold was discovered in the hills north of Lancaster and attracted scores of prospectors who staked claims that are still visible and being prospected. The old-time miners would rig “V” shaped wagons with sails and “tack” across Muroc Dry Lake going to and from work. Also in 1898, borax was found in the mountains surrounding the Antelope Valley, sparking the world's largest open-pit borax mine.
TOP AREA EMPLOYERS Since the 1930’s, when the first Number airplane was brought to the area of and the Air Force started Major Employers Employees conducting flight tests at Muroc Air Base, Lancaster has grown Edwards Air Force Base 12,270 relatively steadily. Edwards Lockheed Martin 4,200 Air Force Base, famous for its China Lake NWC 3,985 space shuttle landings and County of Los Angeles 3,383 home to the famous aviatrix Palmdale School District 2,986 Pancho Barnes and the Happy Antelope Valley Hospital 2,300 Bottom Riding Club, has had a Antelope Valley High School District 1,876 major impact on the local Lancaster School District 1,800 economy, and continues to with Northrop-Grumman 1,750 the Air Force Flight Test Wal-Mart (4 stores) 1,496 Center's programs which California State Prison 1,348 include testing of the B-1b, the Countrywide Corporation 1,120 B-2 stealth bomber, the F117A Rite Aid Distribution Center 1,063 stealth fighter, and other exotic Boeing 996 non-existent aircraft. It is quite Antelope Valley Mall 918 common to look into the Westside School District 905 forever blue sky and see one, U.S. Borax 845 two, or even three of these Antelope Valley College 825 beautiful “birds” flying at the Federal Aviation Administration 700 same time. And what an Lancaster Community Hospital 530 emotional feeling we Kaiser Permanente 505 experience from that sound of Source: Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance Research freedom in the air.
Until incorporation in 1977, the area was under the political influence of Los Angeles County. Citizens in the area felt a need for better interaction with their policy making body and local control; and, with the work of the Citizens for Incorporation, city hood became a reality. The vote for incorporation signified a new community pride as well as a commitment to exercise the traditional rights of self governance.
Lancaster's economy prior to incorporation was mainly driven by the defense and aerospace industries. These two industries have been powerful forces driving the growth
City of Lancaster 22 of the community. Each downturn in Labor Market-Industry (Antelope Valley) Employees military spending had a significant Services 87,269 negative impact on the health of the economy. The leaders of the community Wholesale/Retail Trade 19,591 have been fully aware of these swings Manufacturing / Aerospace 12,467 (from the end of WWII, to the cold war, to Government 16,029 Transportation, Communication & 14,248 the late 70’s Carter era reduction in Utilities defense spending, and the boom during the Construction / Mining 12,467 Reagan era of rebuilding our defenses, and Agriculture 1,781 most recently the downsizing of the Military 3,562 military with its base closures) and knew Fire 10,686 that we had to change. Total Employment 178,099
Commuters 52,398 Household Income The last Source: Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance Less than $30,000 27.2% twenty $30,000 - $49,999 21.3% $50,000 - $74,999 24.3% years, however, have shown an increased economic $75,000 and above 27.2% diversity as more business investors recognize the area’s Average Family Income $64,505 business strengths. The smog-free desert environment Source: Greater Antelope Valley Economic with its very reasonable land prices has drawn an influx Alliance 2005 Economic Roundtable Report of young home buyers attracted by housing prices 20 to 50 percent below the market rate in metropolitan Los Angeles, just 60 miles away. Completion of the Antelope Valley Freeway has made the area viable as a bedroom community, and an estimated 40 percent of the Antelope Valley's workforce are now commuting to work one hour each way.
Ethnicity of the Antelope Valley Lancaster offers excellent elementary and high White/Non-Hispanic 50% school systems, as well as a community college. Hispanic/Latino 30% African-American 13% Several elementary schools and two high schools Other 7% have been built in the past five years.
Gender Quality medical care is available at Antelope Female 50.04% Male 49.96% Valley Hospital (a full-service health care district), and Lancaster Community Hospital; and Age recreational opportunities at national soccer center, Median Age 32 seven municipal parks, two regional parks, minor
Education league baseball stadium, a performing arts center, Less than High School 6% museum/art gallery, historic museum, and two Completed High School 31% swimming pools and two more under construction, Some College/ 40% Business/Technical a 60 acre regional park and a 10 acre community Baccalaureate Degree 16% park. With all of these amenities adding to the Post Graduate 7% quality of life, it is no wonder that the community
Source: Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance - has grown as it has; and this growth has been fairly 2005 Economic Roundtable Report & Labor Base Analyses uniform throughout the age spectrum. Lancaster
City of Lancaster 23 has a diverse mix of ethnic and socioeconomic residents that work together to make the community the coveted place to live that it is. In addition to the clear skies and smog-free air, affordable, quality housing continues to be a major factor to the area’s success.
II. Major Accomplishments
The City's major accomplishments during the 2004-05 Fiscal Year included opening of the University Center, new business attraction, affordable housing projects, infrastructure improvements to support business attraction and the growth in the area, and successfully competing for grant funds.
Lancaster opened the new $3.5 million Lancaster University Center at the old fairgrounds in partnership with California State University Bakersfield and California University Fresno. Construction of phase 2 of the project should begin in late 2005. The Center brings 4 year degree programs to the area that weren’t previously available.
The Lancaster Redevelopment Agency continued its success by attracting several new businesses and by assisting existing businesses with expansion. A notable accomplishment was, Sygma, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sysco, (a Fortune 100 company) began construction on a 20-acre site in the Fox Field Industrial Corridor to construct a 109,000 square foot distribution center that will create 100 new jobs. The company has already decided to expand this facility and has made a commitment to build out a 239,000 foot print that will house 350 employees when finished. Construction is also due to be completed in late 2005 of the National Guard Armory, a 40,000 square foot troop training facility.
Countrywide Home Loans, who located to Lancaster last year, now occupies the second phase of its 13-acre, 206,000 square foot Loan Processing Center campus. Countrywide plans to employ 1,600 workers when fully staffed. This project received an award from the California Association of Local Economic Development.
The Lancaster Auto Mall is growing, with the expansion of the Mitsubishi dealership and the planned expansion of the Suzuki dealership.
The Agency continues site acquisition for the North Downtown Neighborhood Revitalization Transit Village project. Construction was completed on the 116-unit Arbor Gardens Senior Apartments within this project area. Other efforts include Jamboree Housing entering into escrow to purchase a 2.72 acre site to construct a 72-unit affordable multi-family housing project. Construction has also begun on a 15,500 square foot facility for the Children’s Center of the Antelope Valley.
The City continues its efforts to address the demands being placed on infrastructure by
City of Lancaster 24 completing the widening of Avenue G to six lanes from the Antelope Valley Freeway to 50th Street West, thereby providing additional access and utility infrastructure to the Fox Field Industrial Corridor area. Construction also began on 47th West and 45th Street West was opened to the public.
Agency staff secured almost $4.3 million in Federal discretionary funding for City and Agency projects including: $2.5 million for North Valley Regional Water Infrastructure construction; $1.4 million for Lancaster University Center construction; $224,000 for the North Downtown Transit Village project; and $149,000 for the Youth Baseball/Softball Complex at the old fairgrounds.
III. Prospects for the Future
The City continues its fiscally conservative General Fund balance reserve to cover unanticipated revenue shortfalls or expenditure requirements. Also in safe and closely monitored condition is the City's status relative to Proposition 4, the Gann initiative, which limits appropriations by a formula tied to the Consumer Price Index, population growth, and assessed value changes. This year the City continued its long standing informal policy of maintaining a 10% General Fund unallocated reserve.
Prior heavy reliance on the Aerospace Industry has been changing over the last decade to include some light manufacturing, retail and service industries in the community. Cuts in the Defense Budget have some effect upon the community, but consolidation of other Defense facilities into the Antelope Valley and increases in other employment will offset most, if not all, of this effect. The Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance continues to work with manufacturers to expand the opportunities for employment in the community. We expect to see continuing growth of the community. Some of the more significant short-term goals of the City are as follows:
1. Continue pursuing construction of a Veterans Home to house 400 veterans.
2. Continue the redevelopment of the North Downtown Neighborhood Revitalization Transit Village.
3. Continue our efforts to expand the Enterprise Zone and establish a Foreign Trade Zone.
4. Continue the revitalization efforts in the area of the old Antelope Valley Fairgrounds on the east side.
City of Lancaster 25 Financial Awards
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) again awarded a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award to the City of Lancaster for Fiscal 2005. This is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting, and represents a significant achievement by any organization. The document is judged by an independent, anonymous panel of experts in the field of finance and budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, Lancaster had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well a government’s budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and as a communications device. The California Society of Municipal Finance Officers likewise awarded the City of Lancaster the Certificate of Award - Excellence in Operational Budgeting.
This document is used by the rating agencies such as Moodys or Standard and Poors in establishing the ratings on our Redevelopment Agency bonds; the better the bond rating, the lower the cost of the bonds. It also helps establish reporting credibility for the City as a whole. This is the road map to the operations and future of the organization.
The City began receiving these awards beginning with the 1991-92 budget. This budget is also being submitted to the Government Finance Officers Association and the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO) for their review.
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