City of Simi Valley General Plan Update Community Profile Summary of the General Plan Technical Background Report September 2007 09057 | JCS | 07 www.ci.simi-valley.ca.us COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Demographics Population in the City of Simi Valley grew from persons per household actually increased slightly to 59,832 in 1970 to 122,708 in 2006, at an average 3.06 according to DOF. annual rate of 2.0 percent over this period. The Based on growth forecasts provided by City Staff, the average annual population and household growth population in the City is projected to grow from rates from 1970 through 2006 were 2.0 percent and 121,204 in 2005 to 135,869 in 2035 at 0.4 percent 2.9 percent, respectively, declining to 1.6 percent and annual average growth rate, while households are 1.5 percent, respectively, for the 2000 to 2006 forecast to grow from 39,225 in 2005 to 43,815 in period. 2035 at 0.4 percent annual average growth rate. From 1990 to 2000, population in the 35 to 64 years The persons-per-household ratio in the City is age group grew from 37 percent of the total currently forecast by City Staff to stay constant at population in 1990 to about 42 percent in 2000. In 3.09 from 2005 to 2035. contrast, the population in the age group 18 to 35 The levels of educational attainment in 2000 were years, declined from about 30 percent to 22 percent similar in the City and the County with more than over this same period. 60 percent or more of the population aged 25 years The senior population in the 65 and over group grew and over having some college education or higher. from 5.3 percent of the population in 1990 to 7.6 The City had a labor-force of approximately 57,000 percent in 2000. residents in 2000, with the largest percent employed Average household size in Simi Valley declined from in the Management and Professional occupations 4.15 in 1970 to 3.04 in 2000. From 2000 to 2006, the (38.2 percent) followed by Sales and Office occupations (30.7 percent). Land Use and Urban Form With its valley setting, Mediterranean climate, and There are approximately 42 square miles of land area rolling hills, Simi Valley is situated in an attractive and in the City with older development generally located unique setting. The surrounding hills are a significant in the historic valley floor areas, and more recent natural feature that physically separates the City from development located in the outlying areas. neighboring jurisdictions and enhances its community There is a continuous pattern of suburban identity. development on the valley floor characterized by one Distinctive features that characterize the City’s form and two-story buildings, schools, shopping centers, are the Ronald Reagan Freeway (SR-118), which housing, office, and industrial centers interspersed transects Simi Valley north of its center, the Arroyo with parks and community facilities. Commercial Simi and adjacent open space areas, the Southern activities are concentrated along Tapo Canyon Road, Pacific Railroad which transects the City south of Tapo Street, Cochran Street and Los Angeles SR-118, and the expanses of hillsides and canyons Avenue, with business parks and industrial uses that surround the City on all sides. located west of First Street along Easy Street and the railroad, or generally south of Los Angeles Avenue SIMI VALLEY GENERAL PLAN UPDATE COMMUNITY PROFILE 1 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT and Tapo Street and Tapo Canyon Road. The Simi as a Project Area. Redevelopment Project Areas Valley Town Center, a regional shopping center, is allow the Agency to eliminate blighted conditions located north of the Ronald Reagan Freeway between through the use of redevelopment tools and Erringer Road and First Street. development incentives. The most common urban forms found in Simi Valley Tools used by the City to limit the location, amount are as follows: and design of development include the Simi Valley ■ Residential: Large lot, traditional suburban, master Growth Management Plan which is designed to planned communities, and mixed density maintain compliance with the Ventura County Air ■ Commercial: Corridor commercial (non-pedestrian Quality Management Plan; the Simi Valley City Urban oriented commercial or strip commercial); Restriction Boundary to protect existing agricultural, Neighborhood Centers or corner retail center; or open space, viewsheds, wildlife areas, and watershed Regional Centers (Town Center or Big Box) land from the impacts of development; and the Hillside Performance Standards designed to preserve ■ Industrial: Light industrial or business park and respect the natural topographic features of the The City’s existing land uses fall into six major land hillsides surrounding the City. uses. These uses as a percentage of the total land As the City continues to grow and the remaining area within Simi Valley are as follows: Residential vacant land is developed, there must be critical (29%), Open Space other than parks (41%), analysis of what land uses will be allowed in the Commercial (3%), Industrial (2%), Public/Semi-Public future, where development will occur and in what which includes schools, public buildings, religious amounts, and what it will look like in order to achieve facilities, parks, etc. (8%), and Other which includes the community’s Vision. agriculture, infrastructure, land fill, vacant, etc. (16%). There is a limited amount of vacant land in the City Retail, administrative, professional, and service (2% included in Other). commercial uses are located throughout the community and account for approximately 3 percent The City’s General Plan land use designations and its of the total land uses. Commercial areas in Simi major zoning categories generally correspond to its Valley include commercial corridors (e.g., Los existing land uses and are summarized as follows: Angeles Avenue, Cochran Street, Tapo Canyon Road, Residential ( 35%), Open Space (35%), Commercial etc.), commercial strip centers, corner retail centers, (3%), Industrial (5%), Public and Semi-Public (7%), and neighborhood shopping centers, and regional retail Other (12%). centers (e.g., Simi Valley Town Center). The Simi Valley Community Development Agency has designated a limited amount of property in the City Economics Based on employment data from the California in manufacturing, professional, scientific and technical, Employment Development Department (EDD), the and information-related activities. City’s employment base grew from 33,625 in 2001 to The City had a significantly lower average payroll 36,959 in 2005 at an annual average growth rate of wage ($38,969) in 2005 compared to the South East 2.4 percent. Ventura sub-region ($55,478) due to the higher The City’s economic base is more specialized in retail proportion of jobs in low paying job categories and office—especially managerial and finance and (almost 25 percent in retail and accommodation and insurance activities, relative to Ventura County but food services). less specialized relative to South East Ventura County 2 SIMI VALLEY GENERAL PLAN UPDATE COMMUNITY PROFILE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Preliminary employment growth forecasts from the Thousand Oaks, San Buenaventura, and Camarillo at Southern California Association of Governments $17,760, $16,795 and $12,657, respectively. (SCAG) RTP 2007 shows City employment growing Simi Valley was performing close or better in 2005 from 43,163 in 2005 to 65,964 in 2035 at 1.4 percent. than the Ventura County per capita average in This is faster than the household growth forecasts General Merchandise, Service Stations, Food Stores provided by City Staff at 0.4 percent over the 2005 to and Eating and Drinking Places, but less-than-average 2035 forecast period. If this growth in jobs and in Apparel Stores, Home Furnishings & Appliances, households is realized, the jobs per household ratio Auto Dealers & Auto Supplies. would increase from 1.10 in 2005 to 1.51 in 2035. However, the 2005 retail sales estimates for the City Based on information from the California State Board do not include the effects of the Simi Valley Regional of Equalization, per capita taxable retail sales estimate Town Center, especially in retail categories like in the City was $10,513 in 2005 (in constant 2006 General Merchandise, Apparel, Eating and Drinking dollars), lower compared to Ventura County at and Specialty Retail. $11,293, and other Ventura County cities like Housing Simi Valley’s housing stock increased 11.5 percent The City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation from 2000 to 2007. This level of growth outpaced the (RHNA) is 3,383 for the time period of 2006 to 2014. countywide growth of 8.9 percent. The City’s Growth Management Plan will provide a sufficient number of permits to meet the RHNA The majority (82 percent) of the City’s housing stock requirements of 3,383 units. is comprised of single-family homes, with the remaining 18 percent being multi-family units and Simi Valley has an active housing production market. mobile homes. Countywide, single-family homes As of June 2007, there were a number of residential comprise about 75 percent of the total housing stock. projects either under construction or in the development pipeline. Based on housing prices and salary surveys, certain occupations (e.g., service employees, health care There are potential opportunities for new housing in workers, and school teachers) have difficulty affording infill areas that are currently under-utilized and housing in Simi Valley. To afford a median priced through the use of transferable development rights. single-family home of $540,000, an annual salary of close to $150,000 would be needed. This salary level is almost double that of the median salary of professionals, such as civil engineers (almost $79,000). The affordability gap is even more severe among service employees.