6.4 Visual Resources 6.4 VISUAL RESOURCES 6.4.1 Introduction This section describes those resources that help to define the scenic quality of the City of Simi Valley and the Area of Interest (“Planning Area”). These resources include a variety of natural and man-made elements that serve as visual landmarks and contribute to the unique character of the Planning Area as well as the viewsheds to those elements. Although specific visual resources in the Planning Area are identified in this section, it is not intended to provide an exhaustive inventory, as the nature of these resources is somewhat subjective and not easily quantified. Data sources for this section include the 1998 Simi Valley General Plan, visual inspection, and Internet sources. Full bibliographic references are included in Section 6.4.5 (Sources) of this section. A person’s primary sensory experience of a place is visual. Consequently, a community’s scenic resources contribute to one’s experience of “place” and influence the quality of life in that community. “Aesthetic value” refers to the perception of the natural beauty of an area, as well as the elements that create or enhance its visual quality. While aesthetic value is subjective, it is typically included as a criterion for evaluating those elements that contribute to the quality that uniquely distinguishes an area. Most communities identify scenic resources as an important asset, although what is considered “scenic” may vary according to its environmental setting. For example, a valley community has distinctive scenic resources that differentiate it from a coastal or mountain community. “Scenic resources” can include natural open spaces, topographic formations, and landscapes that contribute to a high level of visual quality. These are significant resources that can be maintained and enhanced to promote a positive image in the future. Many people associate natural landforms and landscapes with scenic resources, such as oak woodlands, lakes, rivers, streams, and some historical areas. These are areas of beauty, based on a community’s value systems, which provide a positive visual experience and help to define the unique aesthetic character of an area. Scenic resources can also include man-made open spaces and the built environment. Examples of these would include parks, trails and pathways, nature centers, archaeological, and architectural features. Memorable and distinctive scenery provides residents with a sense of place and identity, heightening the feeling of belonging and instilling a sense of uniqueness and civic pride. “Viewsheds” constitute the range of vision in which scenic resources may be observed. They are defined by physical features that frame the boundaries or context to one or more scenic resources. A region’s topography can lend aesthetic value through the creation of public view corridors of ridgelines and mountains and through the visual backdrop created by mountains and hillsides. Viewsheds and scenic vistas may include views of a range of resources, whether natural or man-made, and are also considered important scenic resources for preservation. 6.4.2 Existing Conditions The Planning Area is dominated by a physical setting that offers residents and visitors a variety of scenic experiences—a mixture of topography and flora, and a rich historical and cultural heritage. The character Simi Valley General Plan Update Technical Background Report 6.4-1 Chapter 6 Natural Resources and quality of life of Simi Valley residents are inextricably linked to the physical setting. The dedication of its citizens to preserving its ridgelines and open, tree-studded hillsides is reflected in numerous ordinances in the Municipal Code. The General Plan goals recognize that the natural features of Simi Valley should be protected from unreasonable development and preserved as an important visual resource. In addition, the limited inventory of mature trees and tree rows is recognized in the General Plan as an important aesthetic resource. Simi Valley is situated among a series of major and minor hills. These hills constitute a significant natural topographical feature of the community because they are visible to all persons traveling the major highway arteries as well as to citizens Rock formation in the Simi Hills residing in and around the City. Simi Valley is visually framed by the Santa Susana Mountains to the north and the Simi Hills and Santa Monica Mountains to the south. Topography ranges from 700 feet to 1,100 feet above sea level. An open space inventory prepared by the City in April 2006 indicates that approximately 17 percent of the Planning Area’s total acreage is open space. The visual elements exhibited within these open spaces include the major ridgelines forming the boundaries of the Planning Area, canyons, woodlands, rolling hillsides and knolls, significant stands of oak and sycamore trees, and green and urban parkways. Historical resources and landmarks may also be included within the open space inventory. The extent and location of open space lands are shown in Figure 2.1-1 in Section 2.1 (Land Use). The physical characteristics of the Planning Area, in conjunction with the large amount of undeveloped land, afford residents and visitors a vast array of open space that provides plentiful scenic opportunities. Because a “natural” or undisturbed character is the most valued feature of many of these resources, development can occur in a manner that is sensitive to both the quantity and quality of these resources. Woodlands and hillside areas are prime examples of resources that derive much of their majesty from the quantity available; although the health of the resource also substantially affects visual quality, as unhealthy trees and polluted watercourses, both potential effects of development, can substantially diminish one’s experience of these resources. Mountains and Rock Formations Mountains are the principal form-giver and visual resource of the Planning Area. They contain well- defined ridgelines, slopes, and canyons. Big Mountain and the sheer topographic front of the Whiteface escarpment are the prominent elements in the landscape viewed from the Planning Area floor. The Santa Susana Mountains are a transverse range of mountains that run east/west, separating the San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley on the south from the Santa Clara River Valley to Whiteface Escarpment at sunrise 6.4-2 Simi Valley General Plan Update Technical Background Report 6.4 Visual Resources the north and the Santa Clarita Valley to the northeast. The Santa Susana Pass (containing SR-118) connects the Simi and San Fernando valleys, and separates the Santa Susana Mountains from Simi Hills to the south. The Simi Hills are located on the western edge of the San Fernando Valley and run east/west and extend 26 miles east/west and 7 miles north/south. The Santa Susana Pass area contains unique rock formations and has been used as a backdrop in many movies and TV shows. Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park is located in the Simi Hills, just south of the Santa Susana Pass, at the northwestern edge of the San Fernando Valley. The Conejo Valley lies to the southwest of the Planning Area and the community of Moorpark is adjacent to the west. Ridgelines and Canyons The ridgelines (a long, narrow range of hills221 or a line formed along the highest point of a mountain ridge222) that form the mountainous backbone surrounding the Planning Area project much like fingers into the lower foothills of the surrounding mountain ranges to the Planning Area floor. Ridgelines are visible from almost any vantage point in the City, including the valley floor, and provide a natural backdrop to the urban skyline. Development standards in the City’s Municipal Code are designed to prevent intrusion of development onto the hillsides and ridgelines by restricting Prominent Ridgeline development to slopes of 20 percent or less. Numerous canyons give local identity to the Planning Area. Canyons in the Planning Area include: Runkle Canyon, Tapo Canyon, Sycamore Canyon, Meier Canyon, Alamos Canyon, Brea Canyon, Las Llajas Canyon, Blind Canyon, Ybarra Canyon, Dry Canyon, and Chivo Canyon. These foothill/canyon zones are important scenic resources that, because of inherent slope constraints, are replete with variable terrain that supports a variety of native biota. The overarching principles in the General Plan indicate that it is the City’s desire to preserve the natural and open space features of the hills and canyons. City codes and ordinances encourage development in the canyon areas in a manner that is reflective of the scenic qualities of these resources, as well as to include passive recreation areas in these developments. The City regulates the location, design, and type of land uses to minimize interference with the conservation of limited resources. Coast live oak Woodlands The City recognizes mature trees and tree rows throughout the Planning Area as important historic and aesthetic resources, and codes and ordinances directed at their preservation are included in the City’s planning documents. The oak woodlands present in the Simi Hills to the south of the City spill over into many areas of the Planning Area and contribute to its rural atmosphere. These areas support a variety of 221 WordNet 3.0 2006, Princeton University 222 Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006 Simi Valley General Plan Update Technical Background Report 6.4-3 Chapter 6 Natural Resources woodland habitat, including oak and riparian woodlands. The woodlands include Interior Live Oak Woodland, Valley Oak Woodland, Coast Live Oak Woodland, and Southern Cottonwood-Willow Riparian Forest. The Coast Live Oak is the designated City tree. Rows of eucalyptus and stands of sycamores also exist throughout the Planning Area. Rivers, Streams, and Water Bodies The Planning Area contains several creeks that serve as drainages from the various canyons surrounding the Planning Area. These creeks, including Tapo Canyon Creek and Gillibrand Canyon Creek, are part of the Calleguas Creek Watershed and provide a naturalized setting.