California City third fastest-growing in state in 2007
Serves high-tech industries
QUOTE: "We're a very affordable community."
—Mayor David Evans
BY JILL BARNES NELSON- Mojave Desert News
CALIFORNIA CITY - Good schools, good weather, affordability, and a location among some of the top high tech industries has made California City one of the fastest growing cities in California.
According to the Department of Finance, California City grew from 13,123 residents in 2006 to 14,365 in 2007, an increase of 9.6 percent. Although the numbers don't look so big, it qualified as the state's third fastest growing municipality in 2007. San Joaquin in Fresno County was first with an increase of 17.4% (3,851 to 4,521), and Beaumont in Riverside County was second with an 11.3% increase (28,271 to 31,477.)
"We're a very affordable community," said California City mayor David Evans. "A family can buy a home here and not stretch their budget too much. And we have lot of high tech industries in the area such as wind, solar and aviation in and around us. So those who get jobs in those industries can find a variety of homes in California City. We believe the heartbeat of California in the future is going to be right here in the high desert."
Infrastructure
Another reason for the growth is the many
improvements to its infrastructure over the past few years. A new high
school and elementary school opened in 2007. The city has been working
on improving city streets, putting in new pipelines for a better water
and sewer system and has held citywide clean-up days, and has increased
its police force, hired a new city manager and public works director and
increased its code enforcement.
"All those things have made us more desirable,"
said Chamber of Commerce president Buford Land. "We also are near recreational
sites. We have a lot of off-roaders that come here and we're not that far
from ski areas. Plus, we have a lot of sunshine, good weather and a lot
of open space."
In addition to being the third fastest growing
city, Cal City also is the third largest city in size in California, encompassing
204 square miles.
Evans says he's sometimes surprised that people
from around the state have heard of his city. "They know of our off-road
potential and our nice weather," he said. "But becoming more well known
offers it's own special benefits and challenges."
Police force
Evans feels that the improvement of its police
force, which added additional officers, a new K-9 dog and new patrol cars,
a plus better code enforcement will keep California City safe for families
and all new residents.
"We're working hard to keep our city safe
and our police department has made major strides," Evans said. "We're not
just that little town in the middle of the desert."
Opening up a new high school also has added
to Cal City's appeal. "Having a brand new high school increases housing
values," Land said. "And with the bond issue passing, we can complete the
athletic fields."
"The new schools also save on gas," Evans
said. "Parents don't have to drive so far to take their kids to school."
The high school will have a full complement of students with the next two
years. Previously, high schoolers attended Mojave High School.
Land, who has lived in California City for
18 years, also noted that the Chamber has had an increase in calls over
the past year. "We had to redo our package of information that we send
out because it was out-of-date," he said. 'We should have it all done within
the next few weeks."
Positive future
Evans, who has owned property in California
City since 1992, sees a positive future for his city. "We're almost finished
with the Youth Center and the high school," he said. "We're also working
on a health care district, and possibly additional retail stores and hopefully
a grocery store. We're ready to bust wide open as long as we can keep our
infrastructure strong. We can become the gem of the high desert."
Maybe the long-range goals of real estate
developer Nat Mendelson finally is coming to fruition. In 1958, he purchased
80,000 acres of Mojave Desert land with the aim of master-planning California's
next great city. He designed a model city, which he hoped would one day
rival Los Angeles, around a Central Park with a 26-acre artificial lake.
The city recently held a 50 Year Anniversary Celebration.
Other numbers of interest from the Dept. of
Finance -- Kern County grew 2.1%, from 800,699 to 817,517, and California
as a whole grew 1.3%, from 37.56 million to 38.05 million residents.
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