A FRESH LOOK FOR FIFTH STREET- An illustration, bottom, shows how the Arroyo Simi Corridor, top, could be revitalized at the Fifth Street intersection with with the help of better landscaping and an improved retaining wall. RRM Design Group, which was hired jointly by the city and the park district at a cost of $50,000, showed these and several other before-and-after images during their hourlong presentation to the Arroyo Simi Ad Hoc Committee on Tuesday. "There's a tremendous amount of potential here," said RRM designer Jeff Ferber. "It's really an opportunity to have something that not all communities can have. This is the beginning of the future, the tomorrow, for the Arroyo Simi." The Arroyo Simi wasn't always just "the wash."

The water that once flowed vigorously through that corridor is what made possible the original Chumash settlements, which later gave way to Spanish colonization and the early beginnings of what Simi calls home today.

Now residents have the opportunity to again make the Arroyo an integral part of home- a goal shared by multiple public agencies during a presentation of the Arroyo Simi Greenway Visioning Study on Tuesday night.

Photo and illustration courtesy of RRM Design Group Members of the Simi Valley City Council, the Simi Valley Unified School District, the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District and the Simi Valley Planning Commission met together as the Arroyo Simi Ad Hoc Committee to discuss longterm rehabilitation possibilities for the natural corridor.

"Amazing things can happen when we all work together," said Councilmember Steve Sojka, chair of the ad hoc committee. "I'm hopeful that once you see this visioning study, you'll all get behind it."

The existing Arroyo begins on the east end of Simi at Corriganville Park and runs 12 miles through the center of the city and into Moorpark. It is currently managed by the city, the park district and the Ventura County Watershed Protection District for flood control and limited bicycle and equestrian recreation.

Earlier this year, the ad hoc committee hired Jeff Ferber of RRM Design Group to develop a plan to transform the Arroyo into a greenway- a linear, landscaped park along the corridor that can be used for conservation and increased recreation.

Photo and illustration courtesy of RRM Design Group Madera Road and Easy Street "There's a tremendous amount of potential here," Ferber said at Tuesday's meeting. "Not many towns have successful greenways. It's really an opportunity for Simi Valley to have something that not all communities can have. This is the beginning of the future, the tomorrow, for the Arroyo Simi."

The presentation included concepts to enhance pedestrian and bicycle access, connect the city's parks and schools, conserve natural habitat and improve the overall aesthetics of the corridor.

"There are great public spaces already existing on the site," Ferber said.

The Arroyo runs adjacent to several parks, including the Rancho Simi Community Park, Frontier Park, Vista del Arroyo Park and the Arroyo Simi Equestrian Center. Development of the greenway would potentially allow residents to travel between parks without ever having to set foot on a major street sidewalk.

Ferber also proposed adding bridge connectors in key locations along the corridor to decrease traffic and encourage walking.

Councilmember Glen Becerra said he was happy to hear about the proposed connection on Fifth Street that would link to Sinaloa Middle School.

"I really love how Fifth Street was mentioned," Becerra said. "This is just one more way of investing in our older neighborhoods. I think this gives us a great foundation."

Some of the other key connector locations mentioned in the presentation were on School Street, to link to Simi Elementary and Apollo High School, and on Sycamore Drive, to connect to the community center.

Older, existing bridges such as the one adjacent to Katherine Elementary School could also be enhanced to encourage use. "These bridges would provide safer routes to school," Ferber said. "There are currently no crosses through the Arroyo except for the streets."

Although the greenway would be enhanced to encourage recreation and community pride, the Arroyo would still be maintained for its primary use as a flood control channel. Ferber said that all proposed enhancements would be made with careful coordination with the Ventura County Watershed Protection District, the official owner of the corridor.

Paul Callaway, an engineer with the Watershed Protection District, said the county is willing to work with the committee in making the concept a reality.

"The district supports the use of the Arroyo Simi for recreational purposes," Callaway said. "The county will work with Simi to support the effort, but the city will have to do the ongoing maintenance."

Members of the ad hoc committee generally had positive things to say about the presentation and made suggestions to further improve the vision. Rob Collins, SVUSD board member, suggested increasing police patrol on bridges that would connect to schools. Councilmember Barbra Williamson suggested implementing a "safe house" program along the greenway for children to use as a resource.

"This will be a long journey," Ferber said. "We now should go forward without trying to do too much at one time."

Henry Graumlich, manager of special projects with Calleguas Municipal Water District, said that putting together an integrated watershed management plan could possibly open an opportunity to receive state funding for development of a greenway.

California Proposition 84, which passed last year, allows the state to sell bonds in order to fund programs for maintaining water quality, flood control and natural resource protection.About $215 million has been earmarked for the Los Angeles region, which includes Ventura County, Graumlich said.

"We're currently working with L.A. County to come up with a plan on how that money can be allocated," he said. "The better integrated the project, the (greater) chance there is for funding."

Prop. 84 is only one of several possible funding sources for the project. Other sources may include development impact fees, local bonds, government grants and private sponsorships.

Ferber said the next step is to prepare an Arroyo Simi Greenway Master Plan that will set forth the exact details of the proposed development. All the concepts mentioned in the visioning study would be addressed in greater detail and would begin the process of planning and development.

"I think staff should start taking steps to get this show on the road," Sojka said. "This is a very fluid vision. I think funding is possible and I truly believe this community will wrap their arms around the concept."