By Ken Striplin
City Manager
This week not only brings an end to 2020, it also enables us to evaluate progress made under the Santa Clarita 2020 strategic plan. Over the past five years, the City of Santa Clarita has made a number of key infrastructure upgrades and new quality-of-life enhancements.
With 2021 on the horizon, I want to take time to spotlight just a few of the major projects nearing completion that will have an immediate positive impact on our community this coming year.
One that I’ve provided continuous updates about is the brand-new Sheriff’s Station being built on Golden Valley Road near Centre Pointe Parkway. The 7.6-acre site has seen a great deal of work completed this year, including construction on the station’s roof and the vehicle maintenance building. Work is ongoing to finish the interior areas, as well as the helipad and fueling areas, prior to project completion in mid-2021.
We also eagerly anticipate the opening of the new state-of-the-art Canyon Country Community Center on the corner of Soledad Canyon Road and Sierra Highway. As you may have seen, the walls are up, the roof is in place and metal framing is complete!
When it opens in 2021, the new 25,000 square-foot community center building will house a gymnasium, multi-purpose room, dance room, activity spaces, classrooms and a demonstration teaching kitchen.
While these two major projects get ready to begin offering service to the community in 2021, they are far from the only things in the works this year.
The City of Santa Clarita’s annual Road Rehab program, which consists of overlay and slurry seal work on both arterial and residential roads, is integral in the City’s efforts to sustain public infrastructure.
Each year, streets in all areas of the City are evaluated on the need for pavement preservation and rehabilitation treatments. The treatments not only provide a smoother ride for vehicles, but they can also extend the life of the roadway by as many as 15 years. The 2021 Road Rehab project is expected to begin in May.
The Vista Canyon Multi-Modal Center, which features a bus transfer station and Metrolink station, is a major aspect of the Vista Canyon development in Canyon Country that will benefit residents. The bus transfer station enables Santa Clarita Transit to expand local and commuter services by utilizing this new hub on the east side of the valley. The Metrolink station will be the fourth in Santa Clarita and add a convenient stop for residents using the Antelope Valley Line between Los Angeles and Lancaster. I look forward to sharing more information and timelines for the Vista Canyon Multi-Modal Center as construction continues.
Great things are on the horizon as we begin a fresh chapter in our City’s story. I hope your 2021 is filled with health and happiness. Happy New Year!
Ken Striplin can be reached at [email protected]. The views expressed in his column are those of the City and do not necessarily reflect those of The Signal. 
