Calabasas is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California in the western United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 23,123. The city was formally incorporated in 1991.
The Leonis Adobe, an adobe structure in Old Town Calabasas, dates from 1844 and is one of the oldest buildings in the greater LA area. An extensive 2006 Secondhand Smoke Control Ordinance caused the city to receive international attention.
Name
It is generally accepted that Calabasas means "pumpkin," "squash," or "gourd," derived from the Spanish calabaza . Some historians hold the theory that Calabasas is a translation of the Chumash word calahoosa. In honor of its namesake, the city's Chamber of Commerce holds an annual Pumpkin Festival in October, including carnival games, exhibits, demonstrations, and live entertainment. The festival has evolved from a small town fair to an annual event. Though the location of the Pumpkin Festival changes from year to year, the original festival was meant to have taken place where, according to legend, a traveling wagon carrying pumpkins overturned and started the area's first pumpkin patch.
The City's official logo, depicting the red-tailed hawk flying over the Santa Monica Mountains, symbolizes a commitment to preserving the community's natural beauty and semi-rural quality of life. The City logo is featured on the Calabasas City flag which is flown in front of City Hall and hangs in the City Council Chambers.
Communities
Vista Pointe is located along the transverse ranges that run parallel to and in between the 101 Freeway and Parkway Calabasas Road.
From Parkway Calabasas: Westridge, Calabasas Hills, Calabasas Park Estates, Calabasas Country Estates, The Oaks.
From Park Granada or Mulholland Drive: Mulholland Heights, Mulwood, Las Villas, Bellagio, The Ridge, Creekside, Clairidge, Calabasas Highlands, Mountain Park, Cold Creek, Park Moderne a.k.a. 'The Bird Streets'.
From Las Virgenes: Monte Nido, Deer Springs, Stone Creek, El Encanto, Archstone, Mont Calabasas, Malibu Canyon Park, The Colony at Calabasas, Calabasas View
From Lost Hills Road: Saratoga Hills, Saratoga Ranch, Deer Springs, Steeplechase, Mira Monte
Civic Center
In July 2008 under the financial leadership of Dr. Gary Lysik, Chief Financial Officer for Calabasas, the City completed construction of a brand new civic center and library complex. Located at 100 Civic Center Way, the two building complex is the first municipal-owned and constructed 'green' civic center structure in the state of California. It is estimated that the complex cost approximately $45,000,000 to complete. This figure includes the outright purchase of the land on which the complex sits.
The Civic Center complex contains:
The Calabasas Library
Meeting rooms and an amphitheater
CTV - The Calabasas Channel
Public services
Calabasas funds its own public transportation in the form of a shuttle and trolley service. It augments the service provided by the LACMTA: line 161 and funds its own library (as opposed to using the County library system), runs the Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center, and has a protected and maintained historical district called "Old Town Calabasas".
Events
The City sponsors many annual events including:
The Pumpkin Festival
Eggstravaganza
The Fine Arts Festival
The Fourth of July Spectacular
Brandon's Village Universally Accessible Playground
Brandon’s Village is a universally accessible playground at Gates Canyon Park in Calabasas that serves over 5,000 special needs children from Calabasas and the surrounding communities. Designed by Shane’s Inspiration, a non-profit organization that designs and builds universally accessible playgrounds, Brandon’s Village is about 1-acre (4,000 m 2 ) in size and all playground equipment is over 70% independently playable for children with disabilities and will also provide meaningful and stimulating play opportunities for able-bodied children. Brandon’s Village opened in 2006.
Environmental stewardship
Safeguarding the environment and the protection of open space has been a longstanding priority for the residents of Calabasas. Calabasas played a vital role in the 10-year battle to save Ahmanson Ranch, a 2,983 acres (12.07 km 2 ) property in the Simi Hills in Ventura County nestled at the western edge of the San Fernando Valley, from development. The land was sold by Seattle-based Washington Mutual to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy in late 2003 for $150 million. Ahmanson Ranch is now known as the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserveand is protected from further development.
Calabasas voters overwhelmingly passed Measure D in 2005. The ordinance protects and preserves the existing areas of Open Space in Calabasas by requiring two-thirds voter approval before any land in the City designated as Open Space may be redesignated for another use.
In 2007, the Calabasas City Council adopted Ordinance 2007-233 banning retail food establishments, nonprofit food providers and City facilities from using food packaging materials made of expanded polystyrene, known popularly by the trademark name Styrofoam. The ordinance requires food service establishments in Calabasas to start using environmentally acceptable packaging by March 31, 2008, and report on-going compliance with this ordinance on the first business day of each calendar year.
Technology center
During the dot-com bubble, a number of technology companies appeared on a stretch of Agoura Rd. parallel to the 101 Freeway, leading that area of Calabasas to develop a reputation as the "101 Technology Corridor". These businesses included medical technology company Atlas Development Corporation and several computer-networking companies Xylan (later Alcatel), Netcom Systems (later Spirent Communications), Ixia Communications, j2 Global Communications, and Tekelec, as well as video-game publisher THQ, and software companies Digital Insight and NetSol Technologies. Although some of these companies have since relocated, been acquired, or ceased their operations, the area continues to be home to a significant technology presence.
Notable residents
Calabasas was the long-time home of actor Clayton Moore who played The Lone Ranger on Television and Motion Pictures in the 1950s, and he was living there in 1999 when he suffered the heart attack that caused his death. Calabasas is also the home of rock band Incubus- all five of their original members were born and raised in Calabasas. The Kardashians (including Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner) also live in Calabasas. Justin Berfield, Reese from "Malcolm in the Middle" TV Show. The most recent famous additions are pop singer Britney Spears who has moved to the Prado De Los Suenos house in The Oaks community for 8.9 million dollars and a high ranking member of her security team who purchased a home that is said to be valued at more than 12 million dollars and is also located in the elite The Oaks Of Calabasas Community. American rock legend Meat Loaf resides just outside of Calabasas, California, near Saddle Peak and Calabasas Peak. John Melendez of the Howard Stern Radio show and currently the Jay Leno show resides in the community. Also, cultural icon Siddhant Kumar lives in Calabasas.
Secondhand Smoke Ordinance
In February 2006, Calabasas enacted the Comprehensive Secondhand Smoke Control Ordinance which prohibits smoking in all public places in the City of Calabasas where other persons can be exposed to second-hand smoke. These places include indoor and outdoor businesses, hotels, parks, apartment common areas, restaurants and bars where people can be reasonably expected to congregate or meet. Under the law, smoking outside in public areas within the city is restricted to select "Designated Smoking Areas." The law went into effect in March 16, 2006, garnering much local and national media attention. The full text of the ordinance may be found at Calabasas' official website.
The Comprehensive Second-Hand Smoke Control Ordinance has been expanded in the beginning of 2008 requiring 80% of rental apartment buildings to be permanently designated as non-smoking units by January 1, 2012.
The Hindu Temple of Calabasas
There is a large Hindu Temple complex in Calabasas visited by many Hindus from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area and the wider State of California. The Hindu temple Society of Southern California (HTSSC) was incorporated in the state of California as a non-profit religious organization on August 18, 1977.
Geography
Calabasas is located at 34°8′18″N 118°39′39″W / 34.13833°N 118.66083°W / 34.13833; -118.66083 (34.138363, -118.660917).
The city is located at the southwestern part of the San Fernando Valley and comprises a portion of the Santa Monica Mountains. It is 22 miles (35 km) away from Downtown Los Angeles. It is bordered by the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles to the northeast, Topanga to the southeast, Malibu to the south, Agoura Hills to the west, and Hidden Hills to
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