SIMI VALLEY : Panel Seeks Funds to Restore Rail Depot

Hoping to use the money to restore an historic railroad depot near Simi Valley and to provide landscaping for a Newbury Park intersection, the Ventura County Transportation Commission has applied for $400,000 in state beautification funds.

If the projects are approved, the money would be used for landscaping, irrigation and outdoor lighting at the 90-year-old Santa Susana Railroad Station depot in Santa Susana Knolls and for landscaping at the corner of Borchard Road and Michael Drive in Newbury Park.

Although the old Southern Pacific railroad depot has operated as a museum for several years, it is only opened on special occasions because it is in need of major structural and renovation work in order to meet all county building codes, officials said.

The two projects were selected for the grant applications after the commission agreed that they met the state criteria to “enhance quality of life, in or around transportation facilities.”

A proposal by Caltrans to remove debris from California 33 and build a scenic overlook at the end of the road was rejected after the commission decided that the project was focused on maintenance and not beautification.