Orchard Village Road was constructed in 1970 by the developer of the adjacent community. Maintained by the City of Santa Clarita’s Landscape Maintenance District (LMD) since 1997, the 3 acre landscaped median consists primarily of turf, shrubs and trees with the associated irrigation. A large portion of the median is located within Southern California Edison right of way beneath power lines which serve a major portion of Southern California. Each year, the median becomes a prime viewing area for the City of Santa Clarita’s Annual Fourth of July Parade. The parade route begins in in Old Town Newhall, travelling west on Lyons Avenue onto Orchard Village Road and finishes at 16th Street. The parade has been a long-standing tradition in the Santa Clarita Valley since it began in 1932.
On April 1, 2015, Governor Brown issued mandatory water restrictions calling for a 25 percent statewide reduction in the use of potable urban water and prohibiting the continued use of potable water for irrigating ornamental turf within public roadway medians. As a result of this mandate, the City is reaching out to the surrounding community for feedback on the proposed refurbishment of the landscaping within the median. Santa Clarita’s core philosophy seeks to balance public beautification while also serving as good stewards of our natural resources. The Landscape Maintenance District utilizes special assessment revenue approved by property owners specifically for landscape beautification. These revenues are dedicated to the construction and maintenance of landscaped medians within the City of Santa Clarita and may not be used for other purposes.
