header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
July 4
1932 - Robert Poore wins the greased pole climbing contest and $2.50 at Newhall's July 4th celebration [story]
4th of July Parade


Now and Then in the SCV | Commentary by Darryl Manzer
| Tuesday, Aug 26, 2014

darrylmanzer_blacktieAre we ready for Pico Canyon Road to be a major thoroughfare between Interstate 5 and the planned homes south of Highway 126? Looking at the EIR for the proposal, that is what will occur.

This isn’t the city of Santa Clarita doing this. This is an environmental impact report for the planners in Los Angeles County. Not to worry, though, since there has never been a Newhall Land and Farming proposal that Los Angeles County hasn’t approved.

But that isn’t the issue.

When I had to walk to the bus stop in the morning from Pico Cottage in Mentryville. it was a quiet and wonderful stroll. I passed by quail and doves that flew with great noise at my footfalls. More than once I scared a coyote or a skunk. Another companion might be a snake – with or without rattles.

Today, walking that same route, there are lots of other folks walking plus joggers and folks riding bikes and skateboards. That road between the Mentryville gate and the end of the county-maintained road can get crowded.

Once the new, major thoroughfare is built, I would think the free parking area at the end of the county road will be gone. The road design calls for a four-lane road all the way from Stevenson Ranch Road to Highway 126. Interesting, isn’t it?

For those of you who bike and jog along the last part of Pico Canyon Road, imagine the fun of sucking in all of that vehicle exhaust in a spot that had very little traffic previously. I hope the new road includes sidewalks for the pedestrians. Hey, there will be some great bike rides over the pass between Pico Canyon and Potrero Canyon.

picoroadextension

Click to enlarge

What else are they creating? A shortcut for trucks that might be overweight and want to avoid the scales. A more direct route to the Chiquita Canyon dump for all of those extra loads of trash, should the expansion be approved. (And many of you in West Ranch didn’t think the expansion would hurt you. Ha.)

More congestion on Pico Canyon Road is another issue. Dropping off and picking up kids at Pico Canyon Elementary School, for instance. The stoplights between I-5 and the Old Road along Pico Canyon Road are already a problem. Too close together and poorly timed. Can you see empty and smelly trash trucks backed up from the Old Road to Stevenson Ranch Road? I can. Nothing like the smell of empty trash trucks to start your commute every morning.

It does provide a great way for some of the SCV, the southern end, to get to the beach faster – if the lights aren’t a problem. It also opens up additional policing problems for the Sheriff’s Department. A whole new stretch of road that will have lots of rural off-shoots for all kinds of problems. There are a lot of small roads through the old oil leases over the hill from Pico that will have to be closed off or patrolled.

If you’ve never been on the road over the hill from Pico to Potrero, you’ve missed a great ride. You get to the top of the hill and the grade gets steep, along with a pretty sharp curve. I wonder how they are going to straighten that out. They are engineers; they’ll do it.

I don’t want to stop progress unless it is “stupid progress.” It appears that once again, Los Angeles County is sticking our little valley with congestion and traffic-flow problems that we’ll have to solve on our own.

If you want an example of how not to design roads, look at the results in Canyon Country. Wouldn’t it be great to get on Highway 14 where Soledad Canyon Roads meets it? Instead there is a left curve and a drive to the Sand Canyon interchange. Was that ever some great design work the county approved.

These are the same folks who never fixed Placerita Canyon Road when there were a lot fewer homes there. The county maintained a short stretch of private-property road and then dumped it on the city.

Those of you in Stevenson Ranch and Southern Oaks, do you want to see the road go through? The traffic isn’t too bad now. What is going to happen when 20,000 homes are built over there? Do you like the noise of heavy traffic?

We do need roads that get us to that lesser valley to our south. Dumping traffic onto Pico Canyon Road isn’t the answer. It was a dumb idea when first floated, and it gets dumber every time I see it.

For those of you in Stevenson Ranch, tell your HOA about this. I’d ask you to tell your West Ranch Town Council, but so few of you know about that “elected” body, you might not know who to call. Yep, the HOA is better and more effective. Why? Because we all know that hell hath no fury like an HOA with a mission. Give them the mission to stop the road. Please.

Darryl Manzer grew up in the Pico Canyon oil town of Mentryville in the 1960s and attended Hart High School. After a career in the U.S. Navy he returned to live in the Santa Clarita Valley. He can be reached at dmanzer@scvhistory.com and his commentaries are archived at DManzer.com. Watch his walking tour of Mentryville [here].

 

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

37 Comments

  1. Abigail DeSesa says:

    This just keeps getting better and better. Thank you for keeping us up on all these dirty little secrets that are associated with the Chiquita Canyon Landfill one way or another. The landfill will not just be the problem of the “disadvantaged” people of Val Verde when this happens. It is great, more people will get to enjoy the “good neighbor” known as Chiquita Canyon Landfill. We didn’t want to be selfish and keep it all to ourselves in Castaic.

    When will this madness stop?

  2. Sarah Jones says:

    Do you EVER have ANYTHING positive to say? Must be exhausting living in your head with the constant barrage of negativity in there.

  3. Marcus Derek says:

    They have tons of land to build homes else where I already know residents are gonna complain about noise from the park

    • Ryan Orona says:

      There will always be people that want it just the way they want it. Half of them wouldn’t even live where they are if the people before them succeeded in the mindset they hold now.

    • Ryan Orona says:

      There will always be people that want it just the way they want it. Half of them wouldn’t even live where they are if the people before them succeeded in the mindset they hold now.

  4. No more houses,we need to solve the water problem first!!

  5. No more houses,we need to solve the water problem first!!

  6. This is why they moved the “Old Glory” oak tree – the one John Quigley sat in

  7. This is why they moved the “Old Glory” oak tree – the one John Quigley sat in

  8. for those of us in Stevenson Ranch and or Southern oaks it’s going to make our neighborhood a major thruway and that will SUCK!!!! I have no problem spending a little extra time going around for the quiet!!

  9. for those of us in Stevenson Ranch and or Southern oaks it’s going to make our neighborhood a major thruway and that will SUCK!!!! I have no problem spending a little extra time going around for the quiet!!

  10. Eddie Burch says:

    It’s a good thing traffic doesn’t already suck on the 5.

    Oh wait……

  11. Eddie Burch says:

    It’s a good thing traffic doesn’t already suck on the 5.

    Oh wait……

  12. Dear Santa Clarita – please stop pretending that the industrial center is creating jobs for the residents of the valley. Everyone knows that all the jobs worth having are still in the city. You need to connect Pico Canyon with Topanga Canyon, not the 126. (or, maybe, also the 126)

  13. Kim Sloan says:

    Stevenson Ranch is in LA County territory, so how are Santa Clarita Leaders able to allow this to happen? Why are the residents of Stevenson Ranch, and West Hills not able to vote on this?

  14. Thomas Bravo says:

    Mentryville is going to get trashed!

  15. I moved here 43 years ago and do not complain all of you who distoryed our nice canyon Pico Canyon a peaceful place to get away. Now that we need a fire rescue road, like all of you it will come your peaceful place will have other’s come. I think is great, I want the fire road, access if their is a accident, and why not continue to distory whats already been done. 30,000 people were here, we had K Mart, that’s it and now we have a beautiful city and you don’t have to like it!

  16. Dana says:

    I do not want to see a four lane road on Pico Canyon, I live in Southern Oaks and do not want the traffic and trash trucks coming down through this prestine area filled with wildlife and just natural beauty. Thats why we live here, but I wonder how LA can approve such a project without the people that live heres consent. I will take it up with the HOA, hopefully this will never happen, it will be a sad day if it does.

  17. Jim Oge Jr says:

    This city is lame all about the money

  18. Lina Boulos says:

    Desri Gross Meredith Anne Danford @ Stacy Lynn Prestridge that will impact us all!!

  19. Quit issuing building permits!

  20. Eric Ryan says:

    Did not know you could get to west hills from Stevenson ranch Kim Sloan.

  21. For the love of god repave the old road between Rye Canyon and Hasley Canyon, that road has seen about 50 years of neglect, some of those potholes could swallow a house cat

  22. If this directs people off the 5, I am all for it. The 5 is the current disaster in SCV.

  23. Look Kelly Asbra a faster way to your house in the future.

  24. Why haven’t they connected Wiley canyon through to canyon country?

  25. So much for the crazy over priced values in Stevenson Ranch. This plan drops those values back to Valencia levels once this is approved.

  26. No more quaint, quiet Stevenson Ranch and Southern Oaks if this happens. I predict those upset will then move to the new Newhall Ranch neighborhoods and then be happy for this alternate to the clogged 126/5 route.

Leave a Comment


Opinion Section Policy
All opinions and ideas are welcome. Factually inaccurate, libelous, defamatory, profane or hateful statements are not. Your words must be your own. All commentary is subject to editing for legibility. There is no length limit, but the shorter, the better the odds of people reading it. "Local" SCV-related topics are preferred. Send commentary to: LETTERS (at) SCVNEWS.COM. Author's full name, community name, phone number and e-mail address are required. Phone numbers and e-mail addresses are not published except at author's request. Acknowledgment of submission does not guarantee publication.
Read More From...
RECENT COMMENTARY
Monday, Jul 1, 2024
By day, the sounds of music and laughter fill the streets as we celebrate Independence Day in true Santa Clarita fashion with the annual Fourth of July Parade.
Thursday, Jun 27, 2024
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul.”
Monday, Jun 24, 2024
The 2023-2024 school year has come to a close and along with it a very successful year of high school athletics.
Monday, Jun 24, 2024
I know I speak for everyone when I say the passing of firefighter Andrew Pontious in the line of duty just one week ago was heartbreaking.
Monday, Jun 24, 2024
As a city manager, father and community member — the safety of Santa Clarita residents will always be my top priority - especially on the roads.
Thursday, Jun 20, 2024
Every summer, Santa Clarita’s very own Central Park, located at 27150 Bouquet Canyon Road, transforms into a premiere venue for live musical performances where friends, families and neighbors come together to sing and dance the night away.

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
1932 - Robert Poore wins the greased pole climbing contest and $2.50 at Newhall's July 4th celebration [story]
4th of July Parade
Celebrate the Fourth of July in Santa Clarita with a full day of festive events including a run, pancake breakfast, parade and fireworks.
Celebrate Fourth of July in the Santa Clarita Valley
In an effort to prevent vehicle thefts or thefts from vehicles, remember the following simple safety tips.
Sheriff’s Department Gives Vehicle Theft Awareness Tips
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority annual Point-in Time count of residents experiencing homelessness revealed a 22.9% reduction in the level  of homeless veterans. 
Veteran Homeless Drops 22 Percent From Previous Year
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the County’s Department of Economic Opportunity kicked off its award-winning Youth@Work program, announcing the availability of up to 10,000 paid employment opportunities for local county youth.
County Kicks-Off Annual Youth@Work Program
The city of Santa Clarita’s The Big I Do event is returning on Valentine’s Day, 2025, with chances to win big. 
The Big I Do Returns With Lavish Giveaways
More than 17.7 million Californians now have a REAL ID, an increase of 137,929 from the previous month, according to California Department of Motor Vehicles data.
Start Summer By Upgrading to a REAL ID
Those who own rental properties or mobile home parks, it’s time to complete the Rent Registry 2024-25 registration.
L.A. County Rent Registry Now Open
SCVEDC recently participated in two major investment conferences: SelectLA hosted by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, as well as the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington D.C.
Local Leaders Look to Attract Major Investors
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today applauded the passage of AB 1955,  Support Academic Futures and Educators for Today’s Youth Act (SAFETY Act).
State Schools Chief Celebrates Passage of LGBTQ+ Legislation
The Los Angeles County Health Officer has issued an excessive heat warning as high temperatures have been forecast for the following areas:
County Health Issues Excessive Heat Warning Through Monday
As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, accompanied by dangerously hot temperatures and excessive heat warnings in portions of Los Angeles County’s Fifth District, Supervisor Kathryn Barger is reminding residents to do their part to lessen the threat of wildfires. She issued the following statement today: 
Barger: Do Your Part to Prevent Wildfires
1925 - By letter, Wyatt Earp beseeches his friend William S. Hart to portray him in a movie, to correct the "lies about me." Hart never did. [story]
Hart-Wyatt Earp
With an excessive heat warning in effect this week, the city of Santa Clarita strongly urges residents to prioritize heat safety and preparedness during the Fourth of July Parade and the holiday weekend.
Stay Cool, Safe During the Fourth of July Holiday
California State Sen. Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) has announced his bill to make wildfire settlement payments tax-free cleared its first hurdle in the Assembly, passing out of the Committee on Revenue and Taxation.
Wilk’s Bill to Make Wildfire Settlements Tax-free Clears First Assembly Committee
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) recently presented deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department with the highly esteemed MADD Award. This award recognizes their unwavering commitment to road safety and dedication to preventing the devastating consequences of drunk driving.
MADD Awards Presented to Pair of SCV Sheriff’s Station Deputies
The First Presbyterian Church of Newhall is hosting an eight-week grief and loss recovery group, scheduled to run 2-3:30 p.m. on eight consecutive Sundays, Sept. 15 through Nov. 3.
Sept. 15: Presbyterian Church Hosts Grief, Loss Recovery Group
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has introduced a new online case management system that provides faster response times. The modern digital system provides drivers, as well as their attorneys, with a more convenient way to interact with the Driver Safety office at the DMV.
DMV’s Driver Safety Team Provides New Online Access
The city of Santa Clarita has issued a traffic alert for residents traveling to Central Park, 27150 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91350.
Main Entrance to Central Park Closed for Parking Lot Paving
As an excessive heat warning descends upon portions of North County this week, including the Santa Clarita Valley, Los Angeles County officials remind SCV residents of county resources that bring free or low-cost heat relief.
County Offers Cooling Centers, Summer Pool Program
The Santa Clarita Valley opera company, Mission Opera opens its seventh Season Oct. 26-27 with "Cold Sassy Tree" by Carlisle Floyd, an American opera in English, based on the 1989 historical American novel by Olive Ann Burns.
Oct. 26-27: Mission Opera Presents ‘Cold Sassy Tree
Thanks to the cooperation and diligence of Santa Clarita Valley area residents and local agricultural officials, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, working in coordination with the United States Department of Agriculture and the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner, has declared an end to the Tau fruit fly quarantine following the eradication of the invasive pest.
Tau Fruit Fly Quarantine Lifted in SCV
The Hello Auto Group has announced its third annual Back-to-School Backpack Drive. This year, the Hello Auto Group will partner with three Santa Clarita Valley school districts, Sulphur Springs Union School District, Newhall School District and Castaic Union School District, to support students preparing for the upcoming school year.
Hello Auto Group Launches Annual Back-to-School Backpack Drive
The Regal Summer Movie Express is underway offering family movies for $1 a ticket now through Aug. 7.
Family Movies $1 During Regal Summer Movie Express
SCVNews.com