| City of Calabasas | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Location of Calabasas in Los Angeles County, California | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Los Angeles |
| Incorporated (city) | 1991-04-05[1] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | James Bozajian |
| Area[2] | |
| • Total | 12.950 sq mi (33.542 km2) |
| • Land | 12.901 sq mi (33.415 km2) |
| • Water | 0.049 sq mi (0.127 km2) 0.38% |
| Elevation | 928 ft (283 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 23,058 |
| • Density | 1,780.5/sq mi (687.4/km2) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP Code | 91301, 91302, 91372, 91399[3] |
| Area code(s) | 818[4] |
| FIPS code | 06-09598 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0239994 |
| Website | cityofcalabasas.com |
Calabasas is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California. It is located in the hills in the southwestern San Fernando Valley and the Santa Monica Mountains between Woodland Hills, Agoura Hills, West Hills, and Malibu, California. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 23,058, up from 20,033 at the 2000 census, according to the U.S. Census Bureau website, factfinder.census.gov. The city was formally incorporated in 1991. Prior to that the area was an unincorporated portion of Los Angeles County.
The Leonis Adobe, an adobe structure in Old Town Calabasas, dates from 1844 and is one of the oldest buildings in the greater Los Angeles area.[5]
It is generally accepted that Calabasas as the city name is derived from the Spanish calabaza meaning "pumpkin," "squash," or "gourd." Some historians hold the theory that Calabasas is a translation of the Chumash word calahoosa.
In honor of its namesake, the City of Calabasas and the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce hold an annual Pumpkin Festival in October, including carnival games, exhibits, demonstrations, and live entertainment. The festival has evolved from a small town fair to an annual event. Though the current Pumpkin Festival is held at Juan Bautista de Anza Park in Calabasas, the original festival was meant to have taken place where, according to legend, a traveling wagon carrying pumpkins overturned and started the area's first pumpkin patch.
The City's official logo, depicting the red-tailed hawk flying over the Santa Monica Mountains, symbolizes a commitment to preserving the community's natural beauty and semi-rural quality of life. The City logo is featured on the Calabasas City flag which is flown in front of City Hall and hangs in the City Council Chambers.
Vista Pointe is located along the transverse ranges that run parallel to, and in between, the Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101) and Parkway Calabasas Road.
From Parkway Calabasas: Westridge, Calabasas Hills, Calabasas Park Estates, Calabasas Country Estates, and The Oaks.
From Park Granada or Mulholland Drive: Mulholland Heights, Mulwood, Las Villas, Bellagio, The Ridge, Creekside, Clairidge, Calabasas Highlands, Mountain Park, Cold Creek, and Park Moderne.
From Las Virgenes: Monte Nido, Deer Springs, Stone Creek, El Encanto, Archstone, Mont Calabasas, Malibu Canyon Park, The Colony at Calabasas, and Calabasas View.
From Lost Hills Road: Saratoga Hills, Saratoga Ranch, Deer Springs, Steeplechase, and Mira Monte.
In July 2008, the City completed construction of a Gold LEED certified Civic Center and Library complex. Located at 100 Civic Center Way, the two building complex is the first municipal-owned and constructed 'green' civic center structure in the state of California. It is estimated that the complex cost approximately $45,000,000 to complete. This figure includes the outright purchase of the land on which the complex sits.
The Civic Center complex contains: The Calabasas Library, meeting rooms and an amphitheater, and the Calabasas Channel (CTV).
Calabasas funds its own public transportation in the form of a shuttle and trolley service.[6] It augments the service provided by the LACMTA: line 161[7] and funds its own library as opposed to using the County library system), runs the Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center, and has a protected and maintained historical district called "Old Town Calabasas".[8]
The City sponsors many annual events including:
Brandon’s Village is a universally accessible playground at Gates Canyon Park in Calabasas that serves over 5,000 special needs children from Calabasas and the surrounding communities. Designed by Shane’s Inspiration, a non-profit organization that designs and builds universally accessible playgrounds, Brandon’s Village is about 1-acre (4,000 m2) in size and all playground equipment is over 70% independently playable for children with disabilities and will also provide meaningful and stimulating play opportunities for able-bodied children.[13]
Safeguarding the environment and the protection of open space has been a longstanding priority for the residents of Calabasas. Calabasas played a vital role in the 10-year battle to save Ahmanson Ranch, a 2,983 acres (12.07 km2) property in the Simi Hills in Ventura County nestled at the western edge of the San Fernando Valley, from development. The land was sold by Seattle-based Washington Mutual to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy in late 2003 for $150 million. Ahmanson Ranch is now known as the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve and is protected from further development.[14]
Calabasas voters overwhelmingly passed Measure D in 2005. The ordinance protects and preserves the existing areas of Open Space in Calabasas by requiring two-thirds voter approval before any land in the City designated as Open Space may be redesignated for another use.[15]
In 2007, the Calabasas City Council adopted Ordinance 2007-233] banning retail food establishments, nonprofit food providers and City facilities from using food packaging materials made of expanded polystyrene, known popularly by the trademark name Styrofoam.[16] The ordinance requires food service establishments in Calabasas to start using environmentally acceptable packaging by March 31, 2008, and report on-going compliance with this ordinance on the first business day of each calendar year.
During the dot-com bubble, a number of technology companies appeared on a stretch of Agoura Rd. parallel to the 101 Freeway, leading that area of Calabasas to develop a reputation as the "101 Technology Corridor". These businesses included medical technology company Atlas Development Corporation and several computer-networking companies Xylan (later Alcatel), Netcom Systems (later Spirent Communications), Ixia Communications, j2 Global Communications, and Tekelec, as well as video-game publisher THQ, and software companies Digital Insight and NetSol Technologies.[17] Although some of these companies have since relocated, been acquired, or ceased their operations, the area continues to be home to a significant technology presence.
In February 2006, Calabasas enacted the Comprehensive Second-Hand Smoke Control Ordinance that prohibits smoking in all public places in the City of Calabasas where other persons can be exposed to second-hand smoke.[18] These places include indoor and outdoor businesses, hotels, parks, apartment common areas, restaurants and bars where people can be reasonably expected to congregate or meet. Under the law, smoking outside in public areas within the city is restricted to select "Designated Smoking Areas." The law went into effect on March 16, 2006, garnering much local and national media attention. The full text of the ordinance may be found at Calabasas' official website.[19]
The Comprehensive Second-Hand Smoke Control Ordinance has been expanded in the beginning of 2008 requiring 80% of rental apartment buildings to be permanently designated as non-smoking units by January 1, 2012.
There is a large Hindu Temple complex on Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas visited by many Hindus from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area and the wider State of California. The Hindu Temple Society of Southern California (HTSSC) was incorporated in the State of California as a non-profit religious organization on August 18, 1977.[20]
The Claretians (The Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Rome, or The Claretian Order) of the Roman Catholic Church had come to Southern California by way of Mexico in the early 1900s, working in Los Angeles inner city missions. From 1952 to 1977 they operated the 'Theological Seminary of Claretville' and the 'Immaculate Heart Claretian Novitiate,' on the former King Gillette Ranch, which they renamed Claretville.[21][22] The 'Thomas Aquinas College' was also here from 1971 to 1975.[23] The property is at the intersection of Mulholland Highway and Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas. The land and historic structures by architect Wallace Neff are now part of Malibu Creek State Park.[24][25]
The city is located at the southwestern part of the San Fernando Valley and comprises a portion of the Santa Monica Mountains. It is 22 miles (35 km) away from Downtown Los Angeles. It is bordered by the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles to the northeast, Topanga to the southeast, Malibu to the south, Agoura Hills to the west, and Hidden Hills to the north. The historic El Camino Real runs east-west through Calabasas as U.S. Route 101.
Calabasas is often considered similar to its neighboring two communities to the east, Woodland Hills and Topanga, because of similar demographics, size, geography, and low-density general plans.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.0 square miles (34 km2). 12.9 square miles (33 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.38%) is water.
Part of the city, near Calabasas High School, has all of its streets named patriotically. There is Declaration Ave., America Way, Liberty Bell St., Paul Revere Dr., Founder's Dr., Bon Homme Rd., etc.
One of the oldest neighborhoods in Calabasas is Park Moderne, or the Bird Streets. A former artist colony, remnants remain of the club house, pool and cabins scattered across streets with bird names, such as Meadow Lark, Blackbird, Bluebird and Hummingbird.
The 2010 United States Census[26] reported that Calabasas had a population of 23,058. The population density was 1,780.4 people per square mile (687.4/km²). The racial makeup of Calabasas was 19,341 (83.9%) White, 375 (1.6%) African American, 48 (0.2%) Native American, 1,993 (8.6%) Asian, 8 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 368 (1.6%) from other races, and 925 (4.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,481 persons (6.4%).
The Census reported that 23,049 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 9 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 8,543 households, out of which 3,320 (38.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 5,124 (60.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 942 (11.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 315 (3.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 310 (3.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 31 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,624 households (19.0%) were made up of individuals and 525 (6.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70. There were 6,381 families (74.7% of all households); the average family size was 3.11.
The population was spread out with 5,841 people (25.3%) under the age of 18, 1,875 people (8.1%) aged 18 to 24, 5,025 people (21.8%) aged 25 to 44, 7,414 people (32.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,903 people (12.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.6 years. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.
There were 8,878 housing units at an average density of 685.5 per square mile (264.7/km²), of which 6,287 (73.6%) were owner-occupied, and 2,256 (26.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%. 17,769 people (77.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 5,280 people (22.9%) lived in rental housing units.
As of 2005, there were 23,123 people, 8,350 households, and 5,544 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,528.8 inhabitants per square mile (590.4/km²). There were 8,350 housing units at an average density of 566.7 per square mile (218.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.92% White(including a large Iranian community of Jewish faith and ancestry), 2.18% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 7.71% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.31% from other races, and 2.71% from two or more races. 4.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 8,350 households out of which 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $104,935, and the median income for a family was $122,482.[27] Males had a median income of $87,049 versus $46,403 for females. The per capita income for the city was $48,189. About 2.1% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.
In the state legislature Calabasas is located in the 23rd Senate District, represented by Democrat Fran Pavley, and in the 41st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Julia Brownley. Federally, Calabasas is located in California's 30th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +20[28] and is represented by Democrat Henry Waxman.
The United States Postal Service Calabasas Post Office is located in Suite 10 at 4774 Park Granada and the Malibu Shell Post Office at 4807 Las Virgenes Road.[29][30]
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) operates the Malibu/Lost Hills Station in Calabasas.[31][32]
Calabasas residents are zoned to schools in the Las Virgenes Unified School District, one of the highest ranked districts in the state. The district also serves the nearby cities of Agoura Hills, Bell Canyon, and Hidden Hills.
From 1997 to 2001 and from 2005 to 2009, Calabasas High School[33] had hired a new principal at the beginning of every school year.
In January 2004, Alice C. Stelle Middle School was opened on the corner of Mulholland Highway and Paul Revere Road to serve the eastern half of the city. The western half is served by Arthur E. Wright Middle School on Las Virgenes Road, which prior to 2004, was the city's only middle school.
Calabasas is also home to the private Viewpoint School and Calmont School.[34] It is also home to the elementary schools Chaparral, Round Meadow, Lupin Hill, and Bay Laurel.
DTS, The Cheesecake Factory, Ixia, and Ryland Homes are based in Calabasas.
According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[35] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Virgenes Unified School District | 1,641 |
| 2 | The Cheesecake Factory | 692 |
| 3 | Ixia | 550 |
| 4 | City of Calabasas | 292 |
| 5 | Sedgwick CMS | 285 |
| 6 | Viewpoint School | 278 |
| 7 | Alcatel-Lucent | 266 |
| 8 | Spirent | 200 |
| 9 | Informa Research Services | 190 |
| 10 | Davis Research | 165 |
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