Reader LStaedtler had an interesting comment yesterday on how the SCV is actually underserved when it comes to libraries (if you measure by population and square footage):
If you take just a look at the city, they have a population of approximately 177,000. If you apply the LA County standard (which may change if the City decides to come up with their own standard), the City needs 88,500 square feet of library space. With the three city libraries, there is approximately 45,800 square feet of space. That’s a deficiency of 42,700 square feet. Even with the new Newhalllibrary, that would bring their square footage to 71,000 approximately. That’s still a deficiency of 17,500.
In closing, the Santa Clarita Valley is vastly underserved by libraries and new facilities need to be built. Stevenson Ranch is a good one by the County. The City should probably build a new facility in the Saugus area as the math shows they’re deficient as well.
I think lstaedtler is right, and, what’s more, I’m feeling bitchy today and this got me thinking…in what other industries and services are we underserved? Here’s a few off the top of my head:
- Movie theaters: Seriously? Two theaters with a total of 22 (maybe 24?) screens serving a population of almost 250,000 people? And, to add insult to injury, they’re both Regal/Edwards, the lowest common denominator of the movies, the Pic ‘n Save of the theater business. No Landmark or Arclight for us “way out there” in the SCV. And yet we willingly open our valley up to the film makers and producers on the other end of the theater supply chain. Thanks for the love Hollywood!Image not recoveredapplescv-300x206.jpg
- Consumer electronics: Three Walmarts, two Targets, a Kohls, two Rosses, and a few Tuesday Morning/Home Goods type stores. Plenty of variety for those retail segments, but only one Best Buy. And it’s way up in Saugus served by a parking lot designed by M.C. Escher. It wasn’t always this bad. We used to have a Good Guys and a Circuit City. Soon we’ll have an Apple store. But it’s not enough.
- Men’s clothing: When the Magic Mountain Pkwy Mervyn’s closed, it forced me to branch out and discover that men’s clothing consisted of more than khaki-colored Dockers and High Sierra polos. Yet here again, the SCV disappoints. The men’s clothing section at Macy’s is smaller than the women’s, and specialty men’s clothiers in the SCV are few and far between. We’re not all roughnecks and/or Abercrombie teens up here people. Why do I have to venture south to find a good suit or some moderately fashionable men’s threads? And no, Boot Barn is not acceptable fashion for all times and places
- Good broadband. Time Warner cable is second rate, my AT&T DSL struggles to get 2mb/s, and even AT&T U-verse pales in comparison to Verizon’s FIOS. Who’s pocket do we have to pad to get some real broadband (50+mb/s) in this town?
- Restaurants & Coffee shops.
- Courthouses & civic buildings (they’re working on the former though)
This is going to sound sexist, but if you step back and look at it, the town seems to provide abundant amenities to women, but it doesn’t offer the same level to discerning men. A woman can hit up the Glenn Ivy Day Spa, shop along Town Center at some of the nicer retailers, go down-market at the Ross to score a deal and finish off the day sipping wine with friends. But for men? Well, if you are the type of man who would wait in line for Transformers 3, drive a stomper truck, and wear Hurley t-shirt over your beer gut to a night of fine dining at the Chilis, then the SCV has what you need. In fact, you’ll never need to leave.
I know because that man used to be me.
Meanwhile, you can fold up a copy of the Signal into a paper airplane, throw it, and it will likely land at a nail salon, a dry cleaner, monster truck accessory shop, karate dojo, strip-mall church, or massage parlor.
Maybe Apple Computer sees something in the SCV that the other retailers haven’t yet, something that will presage more retail investment in Santa Clarita. Maybe there’s hope for more shopping, dining, and leisure options. But I’m not holding my breath. If anything, the problem is worse than it was just 10 years ago. And now that I’ve become an insufferable snob about what I eat and wear, I notice it more.
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