While waiting for a discount car wash today, I walked our famed auto mall on Creekside. It is, in a word, depressing. The foot traffic stood in stark contrast to the ads screaming end-of-the-year deals but it was the vacant space that cast the biggest pall over sales tax row.
I counted five empty car lots between McBean and Valencia:
As we predicted back in March, Galpin brought Subaru to SCV but it is merely another shingle alongside Mazda and Lincoln in the old Saturn space. Despite that one additional brand add, we’re still grappling with many football fields of empty space, mostly asphalt.
What shall we do with all this empty space? To steal an expression, what is the highest and best use of the dirt?
There are a few missing marques in our arsenal — Audi, Kia and even Porsche could all do reasonably well here — but it seems used car outlets like the “BestWay Auto Sales” across from Nissan are more likely, which kindof cheapens the place.
As I strolled back toward the car wash, I ran through all sorts of scenarios vacillating between pessimistic (further dealership closures, more used car lots), optimistic (adding the missing brands) and crazy talk (bulldozing the unused space and turning it into farmland).
Perhaps if we turned it into farmland, we could welcome a John Deere dealership to Creekside. Now that would rock.
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I just wish SCV would fix the traffic problem of westbound traffic on Creekside going to Northbound McBean. The post office has to allow 2 way traffic through their parking lot for this to work though.
We should all be considering ourselves lucky… The crafty crew over at Galpin (through subsidiary Northridge Properties, LLC) bought the old Zero Corp. property on Front street in Burbank (the gem of Burbank property, sandwiched between the railroad tracks and the freeway, beween Burbank and Magnolia Blvds). Their entire purpose in doing so? Well, what they told officials with the City of Burbank was to build a new Ford Dealership. However, it appears otherwise, as the property has gone undeveloped since the Zero Corp’s headquarters and manufacturing plant was demolished.
(Actually, if memory serves me correctly, Ford Motor Company bought it originally back at the early millennium and then sold it to Galpin…. Ford wanted a dealership there, and Galpin didn’t want the competition…)
But, if you’re so inclined…. Come on down and check out the equine version of Cirque du Soliel… “Cavalia,” occupying the property from January 19 through the 30th. Shows nightly and 2 shows on Saturdays!
@Todd – We saw the tents and all on Saturday night as they were all lit up. Do you have any further info? Price? Hours? etc.
A Carmax dealer would be a nice addition to the Valencia Auto mall. Bought my Acura from them and was very happy with their customer service.
Petz:
Carmax is extremely diligent about where they stand up new stores. The Burbank locale would make an SCV presence redundant.
ND,
Why were you having the car washed, when it’s suppose to rain this week?
Oy Vey!!!
It was $4.50, no wait, and the wife’s car was FILTHY! Plus I can’t pass up a deal ;-p
Since we are dreaming….how about a baseball stadium?? I have always thought the SCV would be a great spot for a minor league team.
Can you imagine the parking and traffic nightmare that would create in that location!
How about putting the Railroad tracks back in and re-connecting to Ventura ?
Castaic – several years ago the council re-approved the right-of-way for passenger & freight traffic to Ventura. The outcry from Valencia residents with tracks running through their backyards should be pretty loud if the UP ever actually does it.
Who’s backyards?
The apartments along MMPkwy are the only residences I can think of.
Yes, this is the right answer!
It is only a matter of time before that corridor is jammed and we will be crying for a solution… that we tore out a few years ago.
That’s an idea I can get behind! Pretty sure it won’t happen because of the proximity to the Dodgers (Santa Clarita is in the Los Angeles Metro Market Area where Palmdale, Rancho Cucamonga et. al. are not). Not that I hold Dodger season tickets, but I might (once McCourt sells the team)…. But if a minor league team were here, there’d be little chance I’d have actual season tickets. MLB wouldn’t let that happen, I don’t think.
Mebbe an NFL stadium…. That’s an idea!!!
It has been a few years now since the City almost got hoodwinked by that stupid phony Golden League that idiots think is somehow affiliated with MLB. Luckily, Dianne Van Hook made that idea stillborn when she refused to allow the mooted team to play at COC and sell beer while they were waiting for the City to build some multi-million dollar venue. She literally saved Santa Clarita from being the laughingstock of true fans of MLB.
Over the next two months (?) the city will be spending close to $1 million, most or all of it from landscape maintenance district funds, to redo the streetscape on Creekside and make it more attractive to potential tenants.
http://apps.santa-clarita.com/agendas/CouncilItemPrint.aspx?ID=5313
Boob job on a grandma, me thinks.
Depends on the grandma! That wasn’t meant to come out that way…
Leon:
As I see it, Creekside has at least three problems:
1) We have a ton of co-located brands, which leaves only three remaining practical choices – all of which are probably too small for the massive space available.
2) We are sandwiched inbetween the AV auto mall and Van Nuys auto centers, both mammoth in scale and volume.
3) Sales remain off 30% from 2 years ago – the business is in consolidation mode and has shifted to used.
I fear we will be adding more used car lots vis-a-vis “BestWay”, and the specter of alphabet soup-style hucksters ( “_ & _ Auto Sales” ) may be headed our way!
Another waste of taxpayer money. Did the downtown Newhall landscape bring more buyers to the area? People don’t look for the best landscaped dealer locale to make their purchase. How about the city tell the BMW dealer to finish the siding on their building. If the BMW dealer where a homeowner, the neighborhood preservation police would have cited them by now. With gas prices creeping up, I say good luck to the Acura king and his buddies.
NickelDime – agreed, there are several challenges. The auto dealers are still mad about some comments I made along this line a few years ago.
Cash – at least it’s not YOUR taxpayer money, unless you own property in that particular landscape maintenance district. Just like the redevelopment money being spent in Newhall isn’t your taxpayer money unless you’re flipping, expanding or building new property in Newhall.
Leon, what are you smoking. Redevelopment money, grants, etc is taxpayer money and you know it. It is not money that the property owner pony up. Not unlike the way part of your tv station is funded. All money that could be put to use to serve the greater good!
Cash – it is absolutely unlike the way the city funds one-sixth of SCVTV’s operating budget. That money is general fund money.
Redevelopment money is not general fund money. It is the opposite. Redevelopment funds are generated when property is reassessed — at the time of sale, expansion or new construction. A small amount also comes from the 2% annual property tax increase on existing property within the redevelopment zone, when the valuation (property by property) is higher than its 1996 baseline value. Of course, with declining home values, anyone who got reassessed at a level lower than the 1996 baseline value contributes nothing at all.
In no case does any property (or any person) outside of the redevelopment zone boundaries contribute tax dollars to the redevelopment agency.
Leon, redevelopment moneys are funded through the state. The state is broke. Redevelopment dollars compete with other tax funded projects. Redevelopment money directed to downtown Newhall, along with things like enterprise zones and federal grants, benefit a few at the cost of all taxpayers. I would not expect you to understand, but I do ask that you “please send me a dollar” so I can pay my taxes.
I suppose it’s all in the way you look at it cash. The tax increment that goes to redevelopment could possibly fund something else in the pork barrel but it gets earmarked for the redevelopment AREA/ZONE. Then part of that increment is passed through for other projects (CLWA and low income housing to name a few.) In any case it’s money spent in the area that it has come from. Any extra prop tax you pay for your property does not go to the redevelopment process (unless, of course, you are in the zone)
The fact remains that the everyday taxpayer is contributing to benefit the chosen few and the money could be better spent on schools, etc. .
Cash – your comment reminds me of the letters to the editor from the high school kids a couple of weeks go, saying the city shouldn’t do [whatever] because it should be putting its money into the schools …. not recognizing that the city doesn’t run the schools and doesn’t deal from the same “pot” of tax money. If you want to lump everything together into a super-agency – let’s call it the “state” – and get rid of cities, counties, school districts, redevelopment agencies, etc., so that all money can be put into schools instead of the various things that fall under the different agencies’ areas of responsibility, well then … good luck with that.
First good idea you have offered.
Cash – sorry, but you don’t know what you’re talking about.
I know you are sorry, but you miss the point. Tax breaks to some only place the burden on others. I would like a new look to my home, but I doubt that request would ever be granted and paid for buy other taxpayers.
You are on the taxpayers take so it is not unexpected that you would hold the view you express.
Explain why giving a newhall insurance company a $5000 grant is fair to the rest of the taxpayers.
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Monday, January 3, 2011
Monday Must Read: Brown’s Plan Would Kill Oakland Ballpark Proposal; Quan to be Sworn-In Today
Robert Gammon — Mon, Jan 3, 2011 at 6:58 AM
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Comments (1) Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1. Jerry Brown wants to eliminate local redevelopment agencies as part of his plan to close the state’s $28 billion budget gap, the Sacramento Bee reports. The plan also would kill Oakland’s proposal for a new ballpark for the A’s in Jack London Square, because the stadium project requires redevelopment money for land acquisition and infrastructure upgrades. Under Brown’s proposal, local redevelopment agencies, which are designed to transform blighted urban areas, would cease to exist. Oakland has numerous redevelopment areas, and Brown used them to help revitalize parts of the city when he was mayor. It’s unclear whether Brown’s proposal would require voter approval. He also is proposing to eliminate “enterprise zones” — depressed areas where businesses receive tax breaks.
He can say he’d like to harvest crops on the moon, if he wants, but it’s uncertain whether the elimination of CA redevelopment agencies would pass constitutional muster following last November’s passage of Proposition 22.
@navigator….
Shows are Tues-Sun, iirc, 8pm showtimes nightly with some afternoon matinees on Saturdays and Sundays.. Cavalia.net is the site with all the ticket prices. $50-220 is the range, the high end includes pre-show hors d’oevres and intermission coffee and dessert.
@Cash – why I love the landscape districts is… The work is done in the area where the taxes are paid. You’re not paying for any of the improvements… Because you don’t live on Creekside!
Baloney!
Cash, you’re wrong about redevelopment funds. They are, as Leon pointed out, derived from the increase in property values in the redevelopment area, in addition to bonds issued by the redevelopment agency. The exception to that is low-income housing.
Of course, there are CDBG funds that are allocated through a grant process which may come from the state’s general fund, but those are grants used for specific projects, and are not typical redevelopment funds.
Todd, send me some of your money tree seeds. Enterprise zones, redevelopment agencies and grant tree seeds please.
Leon
Two years ago, the city sponsored a prop 218 ballot to consolidate all of the City’s Median LMDs and add the City funded Medians into the mix. The sales pitch, at that time, was that the City had established a Median Standard and all Medians within the city would be updated to that standard. Kevin Tonoian provided a presentation to the CCAC on this issue. The standardization effort, however, was not supposed to start until after the first tax increment was collected. That occurred within this year’s property tax bill.
This then brings up several questions. First, Creekside has no medians. Were the property owners along Creekside included in the district? Parkways, Streetscape and Side Panels, as I understand it, are not included in the Citywide LMD. How can that money be used for Streetscape improvements? We were waiting for the City wide first tax increment to be collected and were then going to ask the city for an update. I intend to do that right after the first of the year.
Secondly, you and I have discussed the fact that the Canyon Country Library has been the only self sufficient Library in the system and contributes to funding the other two. In addition, the City is currently running a telephone survey to determine the feasibility of establishing a new Special Library Tax. During the survey they tell residents that the tax would, in part, be used to pay the cost of the new Newhall Library.
So, your statement saying that Newhall Redevelopment pays for all the amenities in Newhall is not totally accurate.
Hi Alan! I never said redevelopment funds were paying for all of the improvements in Newhall. I said redevelopment funds are not general fund moneys and are not paid by everybody in the city (or county, or state, or United States, etc.).
Personally, I do not believe redevelopment moneys should be used on things for which other dedicated funding sources exist — such as libraries. That is my personal opinion. I don’t personally have a problem if redevelopment funded are lent or used on a short-term basis for things like libraries, as long as the funds are eventually repaid through the appropriate funding source. Again, personal opinion.
Leon
Thanks for the clarification.
See you next year.
Have a Happy New Year, Alan!
Cash, go right ahead and start a business in an enterprise zone or buy a dilapidated property in a redevelopment area. You’re free to, and encouraged to do so. Enjoy all those benefits.
Enterprise zones are about to come to an end. They have not proven to provide to the greater good, and only benefit people like the Acura King.
Cash:
Are you speculating on the fate of E-Zs or do you have firsthand knowledge?
The issue was raised during Jerry Browns financial summit. The statement about not producing the desired result was made by the governors budget director/ representative. We will have to wait and see the governors budget proposal. These handouts need to be reeled in. This includes not for profit status programs for people like Leon Worden.
19 Facts About The Deindustrialization Of America
The United States is rapidly becoming the very first “post-industrial” nation on the globe. All great economic empires eventually become fat and lazy and squander the great wealth that their forefathers have left them, but the pace at which America is accomplishing this is absolutely amazing. It was America that was at the forefront of the industrial revolution. It was America that showed the world how to mass produce everything from automobiles to televisions to airplanes. It was the great American manufacturing base that crushed Germany and Japan in World War II.
But now we are witnessing the deindustrialization of America . Tens of thousands of factories have left the United States in the past decade alone. Millions upon millions of manufacturing jobs have been lost in the same time period. The United States has become a nation that consumes everything in sight and yet produces increasingly little. Do you know what our biggest export is today? Waste paper. Yes, trash is the number one thing that we ship out to the rest of the
world as we voraciously blow our money on whatever the rest of the world wants to sell to us. The United States has become bloated and spoiled and our economy is now just a shadow of what it once was. Once upon a time America could literally out produce the rest of the world combined. Today that is no longer true, but Americans sure do consume more than anyone else in the world. If the deindustrialization of America continues at this current pace, what possible kind of a future are we going to be leaving to our children?
Any great nation throughout history has been great at making things. So if the United States continues to allow its manufacturing base to erode at a staggering pace how in the world can the U.S. continue to consider itself to be a great nation? We have created the biggest debt bubble in the history of the world in an effort to maintain a very high standard of living, but the current state of affairs is not anywhere close to sustainable. Every single month America goes into
more debt and every single month America gets poorer.
So what happens when the debt bubble pops?
The deindustrialization of the United States should be a top concern for every man, woman and child in the country. But sadly, most Americans do not have any idea what is going on around them.
#1 The United States has lost approximately 42,400 factories since 2001. About 75 percent of those factories employed over 500 people when they were still in operation.
#2 Dell Inc., one of America ?s largest manufacturers of computers, has announced plans to dramatically expand its operations in China with an investment of over $100 billion over the next decade.
#3 Dell has announced that it will be closing its last large U.S. manufacturing facility in Winston-Salem , North Carolina in November. Approximately 900 jobs will be lost.
#4 In 2008, 1.2 billion cell phones were sold worldwide. So how many of them were manufactured inside the United States ? Zero.
#5 According to a new study conducted by the Economic Policy Institute, if the U.S. trade deficit with China continues to increase at its current rate, the U.S. economy will lose over half a million jobs this year alone.
#6 As of the end of July, the U.S. trade deficit with China had risen 18 percent compared to the same time period a year ago.
#7 The United States has lost a total of about 5.5 million manufacturing jobs since October 2000.
#8 According to Tax Notes, between 1999 and 2008 employment at the foreign affiliates of U.S. parent companies increased an astounding 30 percent to 10.1 million. During that exact same time period, U.S. employment at American multinational corporations declined 8 percent to 21.1 million.
#9 In 1959, manufacturing represented 28 percent of U.S. economic output. In 2008, it represented 11.5 percent.
#10 Ford Motor Company recently announced the closure of a factory that produces the Ford Ranger in St. Paul , Minnesota . Approximately 750 good paying middle class jobs are going to be lost because making Ford Rangers in Minnesota does not fit in with Ford’s new “global” manufacturing strategy.
#11 As of the end of 2009, less than 12 million Americans worked in manufacturing. The last time less than 12 million Americans were employed in manufacturing was in 1941.
#12 In the United States today, consumption accounts for 70 percent of GDP. Of this 70 percent, over half is spent on services.
#13 The United States has lost a whopping 32 percent of its manufacturing jobs since the year 2000.
#14 In 2001, the United States ranked fourth in the world in per capita broadband Internet use. Today it ranks 15th.
#15 Manufacturing employment in the U.S. computer industry is actually lower in 2010 than it was in 1975.
#16 Printed circuit boards are used in tens of thousands of different products. Asia now produces 84 percent of them worldwide.
#17 The United States spends approximately $3.90 on Chinese goods for every $1 that the Chinese spend on goods from the United States .
#18 One prominent economist is projecting that the Chinese economy will be three times larger than the U.S. economy by the year 2040.
#19 The U.S. Census Bureau says that 43.6 million Americans are now living in poverty and according to them that is the highest number of poor Americans in the 51 years that records have been kept.
So how many tens of thousands more factories do we need to lose before we do something about it?
How many millions more Americans are going to become unemployed before we all admit that we have a very, very serious problem on our hands?
How many more trillions of dollars are going to leave the country before we realize that we are losing wealth at a pace that is killing our economy?
How many once great manufacturing cities are going to become rotting war zones like Detroit before we understand that we are committing national economic suicide?
The deindustrialization of America is a national crisis. It needs to be treated like one.
What do you want to do about it, Cash? Tariffs?
We’ve “saved” our way into oblivion. And we’re seeing the true impacts of all the efficiencies we’ve created for the world – now magnified on a global scale.
Our standard of living will never be what it once was.
ND, it may be too late to correct. I feel bad for my grand kids. I think we can start by being more reasonable about how we live and about our expectations. Think about it, many “cry” when there is a discussion about not funding a dog park. ( I am a dog lover) I realize dog parks are not a terrible drag on our economy, and I only use the topic to illustrate how out of whack expectations are. I don’t see how we can compete with a country that pays less than two dollars and hour, but our high tax structure does not enhance our position. I really don’t see a fix other than worldwide birth control and we know how ridiculous that sounds. Perhaps divine intervention is required.
Gotta disagree cash. I can see your point in a lot of ways but if Leon got paid for half the amount of time he puts in at SCVTV even the City couldn’t afford it. SCVTV provides a benefit for the SCV even if you think only a few actually watch it. Could we get along without it? Sure. We could get along without beer too but why?
Ok, but should Leon’s salary come from the taxpayers, via payment through the city or through tax deductible donations? The term “not for profit” has long ago been abused, in my opinion.
I suppose somebody needs to pay for it and since the public reaps the benefit….. I don’t know how much SCVTV actually gets from donations other than the City. I do know that some great kids get the opportunity to learn their trade there. You know that I’m not big on givaway programs either but I’m not so critical when someone is actually doing or producing something to earn it.
I see your point. We just can afford it.
Sorry can’t!
Salary? That’s a nice sentiment, but Leon doesn’t draw a salary from SCVTV. Leon is a full-time volunteer to the agencies SCVTV serves — the City of Santa Clarita, County of Los Angeles, COC, CLWA, Hart School District, Newhall School District, Saugus Union School District, Sulphur Springs Union School District, Castaic Union School District and 120 other nonprofit agencies that serve all or part of the SCV. I do not now nor have I ever gotten paid for anything I’ve done in association with SCVTV.
Do you attack all community volunteers, or just me?
OK, here is my pat on your back. Pat Pat! I won’t ask where you get money to live or what you may consider income. . 120! I think you make my point that the term “not for profit” is abused.
120 – We have wonderful nonprofits in this valley, including public television, if I do say so myself. It’s the community that makes it what it is. And it’s all those other nonprofits that make a healthy community. That’s why it is so vitally important for SCVTV to support them. SCVTV is the nonprofit that assists all other local nonprofits.
As for terminology:
You say the term “not-for-profit” is abused. That may be true. “Not for profit” is not synonymous with “nonprofit.” When I say there are 120 “nonprofits” in the SCV, I am talking about 501c3 California nonprofit corporations. I have no opinion of entities that call themselves “not-for-profit” which are not 501c3′s (or c4′s or c6′s).
And fear not, when I said “salary” I meant it to include any type of money.
OK, let me be clear, not for profit and nonprofit are abused.
No job leads to more questions but I’ll forgo the subject.
I am glad all you need is smokes and the mini truck.
Kia, sure, but Porsche? No way. There just isn’t the income up here to support such a dealership. And that’s why we can’t get a Nordstrom but have 3 Walmarts (4 when you throw in Sam’s Club). We wouldn’t have BMW or Mercedes Benz if it weren’t for the fact that 80% of those are leased (allowing people to pretend they are rich while driving to Walmart/Sam’s Club/Costco).
But, yes, Creekside is looking shabby with hulking vacant eyesores. I imagine that is why they are working to keep car dealerships to that area, to infill the ugly vacancies.
Sure would have been nice if Harley Davidson had gone into one of the smaller lots instead of Centre Pointe
Remstar:
Excellent point.
If you can believe it, Don Fleming himself prognosticated that Porsche in SCV is a distinct possibility (Signal, March 2009).
Consider the nearest Porsche dealer is the Auto Gallery in Woodland Hills … and they also sell Audi, Maserati, Lamborghini and Ferrari … and that they occupy about a third of the space of one of the empty lots … then you get a sense of the reality of the situation.
Secondly, the local Hyundai dealer at Parkway would be the logical source for expansion to Kia, but my sense is there’s too much redundancy.
No, it’s Audi that’s the next most likely fit – and if I had to guess, I’d put them at the former Volkswagen space.
Then again, look at what the smart money (e.g. Burt Boeckmann) did with Subaru — he added a shingle to Mazda-Lincoln (quietly putting Volvo out to pasture, mind you) with less than a dozen Subes on the lot — and it doesn’t exactly give one hope for something that would blanket the pavement.
BMW and Mercedes Benz got very cheap land to build on. Rasmussen needed a place to haul excess dirt when he created center point. The dirt ended up as fill where they BMW and Mercedes Benz are located, along with the fill adjacent to the bowling alley. The BMW dealer must be struggling as it can’t seem to complete the building after years of trying. Maybe they can get a government grant to get ur done!
The city is going to have it’s hands full with the high speed rail complaints as the trains do 200mph through the serene and tranquil backyards of Sand Canyon. A standard Ventura line will hardly make a sound, if you pardon the pun.
Some kind of music venue to hold smaller concerts for mid-range acts would be great.
Desperately seeking a Mini Cooper dealership in the SCV.
As I understand it, there are very few stand alone MINI dealers. Pray the BMW dealer adds it to their stable!
The Mini Dealers are mostly stand alone… but they’re a good number are owned by BMW Dealers (New Century BMW/Universal City Mini, Bob Smith BMW/Bob Smith Mini, Nick Alexander Imports/Nick Alexander Mini, etc.).
Now, I haven’t heard great things about Valencia BMW…. but nothing particularly awful has been said either (and its all just internet doods talking anyway…)
Todd, recheck your source.
I’ve spoken with someone with the California Auto Dealers Assn – MINI dealers are mostly aligned with BMW dealers.
Also confirmed via NYTimes. The standalone MINI dealer is the exception.
My basis was purely anectdotal, from a friend who has sold Minis since their return. He’s worked at two stanalone dealers in AZ (Scottsdale and Tempe) which are owned by Penske, and I also have a different friend who worked at Universal City (which is across the street from Century West).
Maybe King Fleming can turn one of the old dealerships into a puppy mill so he can always have the next Sparkplug or Speedbump ready. You know, when he’s not propped up at the Salt Creek bar…
What we need is a World Class Velodrome.
That way the real cyclists could show all those hipster fixies what for!