West Hills, Los Angeles

West Hills
Neighborhood of Los Angeles

Escorpión Peak (aka: Castle Peak) (1,475 feet/450 m)—east face view from West Hills.

West Hills as delineated by the Los Angeles Times
West Hills

Location within Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley

Coordinates: 34°12′14″N 118°37′44″W / 34.204°N 118.629°W
Country United States
State California
County Los Angeles
City Los Angeles
Owensmouth 1912
Canoga Park 1930
West Hills 1987
Area
  Total 8.53 sq mi (22 km2)
Elevation 900 ft (274 m)
Population (2008)[1]
  Total 41,426
  Density 4,551/sq mi (1,757/km2)
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
ZIP code 91304 & 91307
Area code(s) 818 & 747

West Hills is an affluent residential and commercial neighborhood in the western San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California.[2] The percentage of residents aged 35 and older is among the highest in Los Angeles County.[3]

The neighborhood was formerly the home of many Native American tribes, and during the early Spanish and Mexican era was part of Mission de San Fernando. In the American era, West Hills was part of Owensmouth, which was renamed Canoga Park in 1930. West Hills was established in western Canoga Park and retained its present name in 1987.

Historic landmarks and many city parks are to be found within the community, as are commercial districts, a business district and religious establishments. Two private high schools are among the thirteen schools within West Hills.

Geography

Location

Mapping L.A.

According to the Mapping L.A. project of 2008, the Los Angeles Times, West Hills is flanked on the north by the Chatsworth Reservoir, on the east by Canoga Park, on the south by Woodland Hills, on the southwest by Hidden Hills and on the west by Bell Canyon in Ventura County.[4][5]

Neighborhood Council boundaries

In 1987, Los Angeles recognized the following description of the boundaries of West Hills Neighborhood Council:[4][5][6]

Starting at the centerline intersections of Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Nordhoff Street, westward down the centerline of Nordhoff extended in a straight line to the city limits of the City of Los Angeles; thence southward, following the border of the City of Los Angeles to the centerline of Victory Boulevard; thence eastward down the centerline of Victory Boulevard to Shoup Avenue centerline; thence northward down the centerline of Shoup Avenue to the intersection of the centerline of Roscoe Boulevard; thence eastward down the centerline of Roscoe Boulevard to the centerline of Topanga Canyon Boulevard; then northward down the centerline of Topanga Canyon Boulevard to the centerline of Nordhoff Street.[7]

Water resources

Bell and Dayton creeks in West Hills are several of the headwaters of the Los Angeles River that originate in the Northwest San Fernando Valley. The Los Angeles River itself begins at the confluence of Arroyo Calabasas (Calabasas Creek) and Bell Creek in Canoga Park. These and other small creeks supply stormwater and suburban runoff water to the Los Angeles River, and several are considered year-round creeks. Although the creeks are now channeled and run within concrete walls, they do form a significant urban wildlife landscape and contribute to the population of indigenous wildlife left within the San Fernando Valley.

Both Bell Creek and Dayton Creek in particular have received attention due to their headwaters origins inside the Santa Susana Field Laboratory in the Simi Hills. The SSFL is mandated for an environmental cleanup due to its uses as a testing center for rocket and missile engines, nuclear reactor research and fuel reprocessing, and high technology defense systems. It was also the site of a partial nuclear core meltdown in 1959.[8] Prominent contaminants include radionuclides, VOCs-volatile organic compounds, Chromium, Lead, Benzene, and other components of rocket engine fuel and cleaning compounds.[9][10]

Climate

This region experiences warm and dry summers with average temperatures peaking at 96 degree highs throughout August. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, West Hills has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Population

2010

As of the 2010 census, and according to the Los Angeles Almanac, there were 38,814 people and 10,626 households residing in West Hills. The ethnic-racial medley of the neighborhood was 78.89% White, 11.97% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.11% African American, 0.36% Native American, 2.80% from other races, and 3.82% from two or more races. 9.26% of the population were Hispanic of any race.

2000

The Los Angeles Times reported that the 2000 U.S. census counted 30,814 residents in the 8.53-square-mile (22.1 km2) West Hills neighborhood,—or 4,551 people per square mile, among the lowest population densities for the city. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 41,426.[3]

In 2000 the median age for residents was 39, considered old for city and county neighborhoods; the percentages of residents aged 35 and older were among the county's highest.[11]

The neighborhood was considered "moderately diverse" ethnically within Los Angeles, with a high percentage of white residents. The breakdown was whites, 70.9%; Latinos, 11%; Asians, 11.3%; blacks, 2.5%; and others, 4.3%. Iran (13.8%) and the Philippines (8.4%) were the most common places of birth for the 22.7% of the residents who were born abroad—a low percentage for Los Angeles.[3]

The median yearly household income in 2008 dollars was $103,008, considered high for the city and county. The percentage of households that earned $125,000 and up was high for Los Angeles County. Renters occupied 12.6% of the housing stock, and house and condominium-owners occupied 87.4%.[3]

The percentages of married people were among the county's highest. In 2000 there were 785 families headed by single parents, a low percentage for both the city and the county.[3]

Eleven percent of the population were military veterans, a high rate for the city and the county, and the percentages of veterans who served during World War II or the Korean War were among the county's highest.[3]

History

Detail of the southwestern San Fernando Valley, from an 1880 manuscript map of Los Angeles and San Bernardino topography, showing Rancho El Escorpión (shaded area).

Pre-Spanish contact history

The present day West Hills area was the homeland of Native Americans in the Tongva-Fernandeño and Chumash-Venturaño tribes, that lived in the Simi Hills and close to Bell Creek and other local tributaries to the Los Angeles River. Native American civilizations had inhabited the San Fernando Valley for an estimated 8,000 years.[12][13] The village, Hu'wam, of the Chumash-Venturaños, was located at the base of Escorpión Peak (Castle Peak) near present day Bell Canyon Park.[14] It was a meeting and trading point for them with the Tongva-Fernandeño and Tataviam-Fernandeño people.[15] A cave near Hu'wam, known as the Cave of Munits, is the believed home of a mythical Chumash shaman named Munits, who was killed by an eagle after murdering the son of a Chumash chief.[16] Escorpión Peak is one of nine alignment points in the ancestral Chumash homelands, believed essential to maintaining the balance of the natural world.[17]

Spanish and Mexican history

From 1797 to 1846, the area (future West Hills) was part of Mission San Fernando Rey de España (Mission San Fernando). After Mexico won independence from Spain, it later became part of Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando in Alta California. In 1845, a separate land grant for Rancho El Escorpión was issued by Governor Pío Pico to three Chumash people: Odón Eusebia, Urbano, and Urbano's son Mañuel.[18] It encompassed the land west of present day Woodlake Avenue in West Hills, with its adobe ranch buildings (present 1840s—1960s) sited beside Bell Creek near present day Bell Canyon Park.[19][20]

American history

California was admitted to the United States in 1850, with Spanish and Mexican land grants requiring a federal land patent to retain ownership.[21] The United States Public Land Commission patented the Rancho to original grantees Odón Eusebia, Urbano, and Mañuel in 1876.[22][23] In 1912 the Chumash heirs sold Rancho El Escorpión to George Platt. He established a dairy operation on renamed Platt Ranch variously called Ferndale, ‘escorpion,’ or Cloverdale Dairy.[24] The Rancho El Escorpión-Platt Ranch was not incorporated into Los Angeles and its water system until 1958 and was left undeveloped until 1961.

West Hills was originally part of Owensmouth (founded 1912) and renamed Canoga Park (1930). West Hills was formed in 1987 after homeowners on the western side of Canoga Park launched a petition drive a year earlier to form a new community. In an unusual move, the area's L.A. City Councilwoman, Joy Picus, polled Canoga Park residents, asking them if they would like to join the new community, to determine West Hills' boundaries.[25]

Parks and landmarks

Three ranches and a silent film star's estate in West Hills have been awarded Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument status recognition and protection, and two are city parks. In addition, on the western edge of West Hills huge open space preserves provide an undeveloped greenbelt and nearby recreation opportunities. The high number of neighborhood parks here offer sports fields and courts, play areas for children, and community rooms.

Landmarks

Orcutt Ranch

Orcutt Ranch native oaks and entry gates

Shadow Ranch

Shadow Ranch ranch-house and Park

Open-space parks

All of these large Parks are open for walks, hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian riding; sunrise to sunset.

Rolling hills at Upper Las Virgenes Canyon

Neighborhood parks

Mae Boyar Recreation Center and Castle Peak as seen from Highlander Road School, 1978.

Other historic-cultural landmarks

Francis Lederer Estate

The Lederer Estate, of stage actor and early film star Francis Lederer (1899–2000), has two separate structures and their settings that are each a registered Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument—LAHCM. These are: the former residence and its outdoor patio rooms, gardens, and grounds; and the equestrian stables and its patios. Lederer was the honorary Mayor of Canoga Park (pre-West Hills) for many years. In retirement he taught theatre classes, and was a member of the L.A. City Parks Board of Directors. The landmark buildings are located west of and near the West Hills Post Office and West Hills Hospital.

Peppergate Ranch

The 29-acre (120,000 m2) Peppergate Ranch was located between Orcutt Ranch and Chatsworth Reservoir. The ranch's residence was designed by master architect Paul R. Williams (1894–1980) in the Ranch Style.[51] It was built in 1939 for Talton R. Craig, founder of the Craig Movie Supply Company. The T.R. Craig Residence is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (#992) (in 2011), located on Pinelake Drive. Peppergate Ranch was subdivided, as Woodlake Estates and Pinelake Estates, in the 1960s.[52]

Government representation and services

City of Los Angeles

West Hills is completely within Los Angeles City Council District 12 — represented by Councilmember Mitchell Englander.[53]

Police and fire

Public library

The Los Angeles Public Library operates the Platt Branch Library at 23600 Victory Boulevard, Woodland Hills, serving West Hills from just across street.[60]

West Hills Neighborhood Council

The West Hills Neighborhood Council (WHNC) has a website, public meetings, and sponsors events and activities. It is governed by a 25-member board of directors that is elected by West Hills stakeholders (residents and local business owners). The council also is a resource as the city's official forum for individuals and the community to learn about, discuss and take positions on local and citywide issues.[61]

Federal

Representation

U.S. Postal Service

The United States Postal Service: The West Hills Post Office is located at 23055 Sherman Way at Sherman Place, 91307.[63] The community's postal zip codes are 91307 (southern area) and 91304 (northern area).

State

West Hills is within the:

Los Angeles County

West Hills is divided within two Districts of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Los Angeles Unified School District

Hospitals

The West Hills Hospital and Medical Center, located at Medical Center Drive and Sherman Way, serves the local community as well as patients from several cities in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.[69] The West Hills Hospital Surgical Center opened in 1996, and performs procedures in specialties such as general and hand surgery (done by The Hand Center of Southern California), gynecology, gastroenterology, and orthopedics.[70] The West Hills Hospital and Medical Center facilities also include a large maternity ward and an oncology unit. The Grossman Burn Centers, formerly based at Sherman Oaks Hospital, moved to West Hills Hospital in 2010.[71]

Education

Welby Way Elementary School

Thirty-eight percent of West Hills residents aged 25 and older had earned a four-year degree by 2000, a high percentage for both the city and the county. The percentages of those residents with a master's degree or higher was also high for the county.[3]

Schools

Schools within the West Hills boundaries are:[72][73]

Public

The Los Angeles Unified School District operates public schools in this area.

State charters:

Private

Adjacent public schools

Public middle schools and high schools serving West Hills within their district boundary lines include:

Other community features

Larger shopping centers in West Hills include the Westfield Mall in Topanga Canyon, the Fallbrook Center and Platt Village Shopping Center, with several other smaller groups of stores, cafes and restaurants, and other services located on major streets and intersections.

Among religious buildings, Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church, Saint Bernardine Parish and the Shomrei Torah Synagogue is located near Stone Gate Drive and Valley Circle Boulevard. Chabad of West Hills is located near the intersection of Hartland Street and Valley Circle Boulevard.

The Corporate Pointe business park, on the largest research and light industry property in West Hills, is in planning for redevelopment.[76] It is located at Fallbrook Avenue and Roscoe Boulevard, near Hidden Lake and the Chatsworth Reservoir. The property was originally developed in 1959 as the Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge aerospace corporation's new headquarters. It was later used by Atomics International, Hughes Aircraft, and Raytheon for aerospace development advancements and nuclear research.[77][78]

Public transport

Public transport within West Hills and the San Fernando Valley is provided by Metro Local bus routes, operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). They connect to transfer points and hubs in adjacent Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, and Chatsworth for other public transport systems and destinations.

Metro Local routes serving West Hills include: 162/163 via Sherman Way, 164 via Victory Boulevard, 165 via Vanowen Street, 169 via Saticoy Street, and 152/353 via Fallbrook Avenue and Roscoe Boulevard.

Orange Line

Metro Local buses connect with the Orange Line at nearby stations to the east in Canoga Park, including the Canoga Station, Sherman Way Station, and Roscoe Station.[79][80] The southeastbound Orange Line connects to the North Hollywood Metro Station for the Red Line subway to Downtown Los Angeles and beyond. The northbound Orange Line connects to the Chatsworth Station Transportation Center, a hub for: the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains; the Metrolink Ventura County Line trains; and the buses of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) Downtown Commuter Express, Simi Valley Transit, and Santa Clarita Transit.

Notable residents

Kevin Pillar, professional athlete from West Hills.

See also

References

  1. LAtimes.com/Mapping-L.A. neighborhoods/West Hills . accessed 8.18.2011
  2. Median household income is "high for the city of Los Angeles and high for the county." "Mapping L.A.," Los Angeles Times.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6
  4. 4.0 4.1 Colored map, Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times
  5. 5.0 5.1 The Thomas Guide: Los Angeles County, Rand McNally (2004), pages 529 and 531
  6. Bing maps
  7. Westhillsnc.org
  8. DTSC-SSFL
  9. ACME-SSFL
  10. SSFL public forum
  11. "West Hills," Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times
  12. USA Today article USA Today
  13. Mercury News article
  14. SSPSHP Ethnohistory
  15. "Ahmanson Ranch Becomes Private Preserve", Wishtoyo Foundation website Wishtoyo.org. accessed October 23, 2007
  16. Harrington, John P. 1986. Southern California/Basin. Ethnographic Field Notes, Pt. 3. National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. (Microfilm edition, Kraus International Publications, Millwood, N.Y. Rl. 106, Fr. 152
  17. Wishtoyo on Ahmanson Ranch
  18. Ogden Hoffman, 1862, Reports of Land Cases Determined in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Numa Hubert, San Francisco
  19. CSUN Oviatt Library Digital Collections—Rancho El Escorpion photos
  20. Library of Congress—Historical American Buildings Survey (HABS): Rancho Escorpion adobe and setting — Directory of 1937 photographs and historical description . accessed 11.01.2013
  21. 46th United States Congress, 1880, House Executive Document 46, pp. 1116–1117
  22. Report of the Surveyor General 1844 – 1886
  23. United States. District Court ( California : Southern District) Land Case 129 SD
  24. April 2007 Bulletin-Canoga/Owensmouth Historical Society
  25. Fuentes, G: "Picus Unveils New Map of West Hills, Calls It Final," Los Angeles Times (Valley Edition), October 15, 1987
  26. "Orcutt Ranch Horticulture Center Rancho Sombra del Roble History." City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 22, 2010.
  27. LAparks.org
  28. "Orcutt Ranch Horticulture Center Rancho Community Garden." City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 22, 2010.
  29. LAparks.org
  30. "Orcutt Ranch Horticulture Center Rancho Sombra del Roble Special event and Wedding Rental." City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 22, 2010.
  31. LAparks.org
  32. Shadow Ranch Park
  33. "Castle Peak Park." City of Los Angeles. accessed on March 20, 2010 El Escorpión Park.
  34. "Bell Canyon Park." City of Los Angeles. accessed on March 20, 2010 Bell Canyon Park.
  35. Lamountains.com, accessed 4/01/2010 Upper Las Virgenes Cyn. Park Events
  36. "Roscoe/Valley Circle Park." City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 20, 2010.
  37. "Knapp Park." City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 20, 2010.
  38. "West Hills Sports Center/Adam Bischoff Soccer Fields." City of Los Angeles. West Hills Sports Center. retrieved on March 20, 2010.
  39. Mae Boyar Recreation Center, accessed April 4, 2010.
  40. "Taxco Trails Park." City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 20, 2010.
  41. "Lazy J. Park." City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 20, 2010.
  42. "Chase Park." City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 20, 2010.
  43. Castle Peak Park. accessed April 4, 2010
  44. "Four Oaks Park." City of Los Angeles. Retrieved on March 20, 2010.
  45. Big Orange Landmarks: Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 204 . accessed 11.01.2013
  46. 23132shermanway.com: Prudential Realty; 23132 Sherman Way, West Hills, CA 91307 — with interior/exterior images slide show . accessed 11.01.2013
  47. L.A. Curbed: "Buy the Amazing Mission-Style Lederer Residence in West Hills" . accessed 11.01.2013.
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  50. Canoga Mission Gallery - Hidden Chateau website. accessed: 5.05.2010
  51. Paul Revere Williams: T.R. Craig (Harris) Residence – Photo gallery and history.
  52. L.A. Office of Historic Resources; "Newsletter"; April 2011.
  53. official Los Angeles City Council District 12 website . accessed September 18, 2013
  54. LApdonline.org: Los Angeles Police Department, Topanga Community Station; Telephone: 818-756-4800; 21501 Schoenborn Street, Canoga Park 91304 . accessed 11.1.2013.
  55. Topanga Community Station Telephone Directory . accessed 11.01.2013.
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  59. LAFD.org: Los Angeles Fire Department Station 105 . Retrieved December 6, 2008.
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  70. Westhillssurgicalcenter.com: West Hills Surgical Center website . Accessed on December 6, 2007.
  71. LAtimes.com
  72. "West Hills: Schools," Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times
  73. Greatschools.org: Interactive Map with local schools and their school attendance and district boundary lines
  74. Woodland Hills Patch: Hale Middle School . accessed 11.01.2013
  75. LAUSD: Columbus Middle School: Home Page
  76. Corporatepointeatwesthills.com: Site plan
  77. Historic photos gallery
  78. ACMELA.org, Historic photos & story
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External links

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Coordinates: 34°12′23″N 118°38′20″W / 34.20639°N 118.638959°W