LOOKING OUT FOR SIMI VALLEY'S NEXT CENTURY : RESIDENTS BRAINSTORM ON STRATEGIC PLAN FOR CITY.

Byline: Ann-Marie Sanchez Daily News Staff Writer

Visiting her brother-in-law one sunny day in May 1964, Joy Sanders and her young family fell in love with Simi Valley and decided then and there that the scenic valley was the place for them.

They bought a new tract home for $18,000, moved in and made a life for themselves. Today, Sanders and her husband, Dean, have four sons and own a health food store and holistic health center on Los Angeles Avenue.

And Sanders also is working to ensure that future Simi Valley residents will have the same opportunities and quality of life she and her family have enjoyed for the last 32 years. As one of dozens of residents on the city's Vision 2020 project, Sanders is helping create a strategic plan for the 21st century.

``We each need to take responsibility for the quality of our lives,'' said Sanders, one of five members of the environment/natural resource committee, which met for the first time last week. ``I just love this community. It has so much natural beauty.''

While a common goal of preserving the natural environment links the committee, the life experience of each member brings a different perspective to the futuristic planning.

Resident Julia Sears-Hartley, 32, comes to the table with memories of riding her bike through undeveloped parcels that are now covered with tract homes.

``There are a lot of buildings - more concrete and strip malls now,'' said Sears-Hartley, a 24-year resident of Simi Valley. ``It scares me because we don't want to go over the balance . . We need a good economy and we need our resources.''

For Sanders, educating the public about the rich local culture of the Chumash and other American Indians is an important link between the city's past and its future. Lessons like these, she says, can benefit the physical and cultural environment.

``I'd like to work with the school district to set up a program about American Indian culture,'' Sanders said. ``We need to educate our children and hope we have some understanding of the American Indian, especially with the Chumash in our area.''

Alex Walker, the city's management analyst and project coordinator, said it's the variety of beliefs and experiences that bring strength to the difficult process of planning for the future.

``It's a very diverse group. We've got committed individuals coming from a broad range of perspectives,'' she said. ``Personally, it's one of the most rewarding projects I've ever been involved with.''

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Photo: (ran in SIMI edition only) Joy Sanders, owner of Kay's Nutrition & Health Center, is participating in Simi Valley's Vision 2020 project.

John Lazar/Special to the Daily News