Panel Backs Tapo Site for Simi Valley Days

After fretting over parking concerns, an advisory committee Tuesday threw its support behind a plan to hastily relocate the annual Simi Valley Days carnival in September to Tapo Street.

The vote of confidence from the Tapo Canyon Revitalization Committee encouraged Simi Valley Days organizers, who have been scrambling to find a new home since the site planned for the western carnival fell through at the last minute.

Ray Clayton of the Simi Valley Days executive committee was heartened by the support from the committee, which is helping steer the revitalization of the Tapo Street business district.

“Simi Valley Days will happen--that’s most important,” he said. “And the driving force is that these merchants want visibility. When we have 30,000 or 40,000 people coming to the carnival, they will be seen.”

But event coordinators have much more to do before the Sept. 17-21 carnival, which raises funds for clubs and charitable groups.

For starters, the nonprofit organization must secure a gratis lease from the owners of the 6-acre lot on Tapo Street where Sears and Pic ‘N’ Save once stood.

Councilwoman Barbara Williamson told the group that city staff will approach the owners, who did not attend Tuesday’s meeting.

Another challenge will be arranging a remote parking and shuttle service. Organizers are considering the Metrolink and City Hall parking lots for the event.

The half a dozen business owners who attended the meeting, though, thought the increased foot traffic that Simi Valley Days would attract could only help the shops, supermarket and pool hall that line the wide street.

“I think it’s a fabulous idea,” said Judy Shuman, who represented Whirl-Mor Appliances at the meeting. “I think this is just what Tapo needs.”

Merchants acknowledged that the event’s traffic, noise and parking crunch might be a hassle for neighbors and patrons, but said the community event was well worth it.

Marshall Shrago, who has owned Holiday Hardware on Tapo Street since 1969, said it would be tough to keep Simi Valley Days attendees from scooping up all the parking spaces. But many stores are closed during the carnival’s busiest hours--evenings and weekend days.

“There are pros and cons to relocating the carnival,” he said. “My personal feeling, when it gets down to it, is I am for the plan because it brings attention to Tapo Street.”

Recent events have forced Simi Valley Days organizers to search for a new home.

The event’s planned site--a hilly 32-acre plot at 1st Street and the Ronald Reagan Freeway--had to be abandoned for a year because grading would not be done in time for this September’s community celebration.

The Operating Engineers Training Trust has agreed to grade the site for free, as practice for heavy-equipment operators. But the trust’s current project is behind schedule, so the Simi Valley grading will have to wait.

That glitch caused organizers to scratch the annual rodeo altogether and seek other, smaller quarters for the carnival.

The event’s longtime home, at the southeast corner of Los Angeles Avenue and Madera Road, is also unavailable. That spot is being transformed into a housing development.

Until the relocation is certain, organizers will have to do lots of planning and hold off on printing posters and running advertisements.

“It’s not ideal, but it works for everyone,” Clayton said. “It would be so much nicer to be on top of 1st Street, but we’ll be there next year.”