Val Verde, California
| Val Verde | |
|---|---|
| census-designated place | |
 Location of Val Verde in Los Angeles County, California. |
|
 Val Verde
|
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| Coordinates: 34°26′43″N 118°39′26″W / 34.44528°N 118.65722°WCoordinates: 34°26′43″N 118°39′26″W / 34.44528°N 118.65722°W | |
| Country |
 United States
|
| State |
 California
|
| County | Los Angeles |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.565 sq mi (6.644 km2) |
| • Land | 2.565 sq mi (6.644 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 1,188 ft (362 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 2,468 |
| • Density | 960/sq mi (370/km2) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 91384 |
| Area code(s) | 661 |
| FIPS code | 06-81967 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1661607 |
Val Verde is a census-designated place (CDP) in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 2,468 at the 2010 census, up from 1,472 at the 2000 census.
Originally the settlement of Val Verde was a short-lived boom town built by Spanish settlers near a gold strike in the 19th century. In 1924, the modern settlement was founded by Sidney P. Dones, as the name Eureka Villa. That later incarnation was designed as a resort community for African Americans as in that period African Americans were frequently barred from public beaches and swimming pools. The town became known as the "Black Palm Springs." By the 1930s the area was wildly popular, mainly because it was one of only a few places blacks could go for recreation. Other sites included Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, a section of Venice Beach and a park in Pasadena that was open to blacks one day a year.
In 1939, the cornerstone for the Olympic swimming pool was laid. In the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the original pool was damaged and has since been repaired and shortened. The pool is part of the Los Angeles County Park system. It opens late spring until early fall. Day and evening swimming sessions occur daily.
With the advent of civil rights reforms in the 1960s, many African Americans moved out of the area for larger areas they were previously segregated from. The town now boasts a large percentage of Latinos and Whites. The 1994 Northridge earthquake wreaked tremendous havoc on the town, damaging most of the original structures.
In 2011, Verizon Wireless attempted to build a 30,000 watt, twelve panel antenna array cell site in Val Verde, less than 50 feet from an adjacent residence. Verizon Wireless and it's contractor claimed that the main reason for the cell site was for community of Val Verde, however inquiries were made and the cell site is designed to fill coverage holes in the adjacent Valencia Commerce Center industrial park, Hasley Hills housing tract, and for future developments outside of Val Verde. Local residents banded together and protested the cell site claiming that big business was trying to run rampant over the little community of Val Verde. As of early 2013, Verizon Wireless has not built the cell tower, and has decided build the tower on a hillside away from homes.
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