I typically resist rapid and unbridled development, especially when an area grows too fast for it's infrastructure and local government to handle.  I hope this doesn't happen in Tehachapi, although I can't believe how much it has grown is just a few years.  I think the Tehachapi area has got to slow down it's growth.  People need time to adjust, and government needs time to catch up because NO local government is ever prepared for all of the unforeseen aspects that rapid development brings. 

One very important aspect to remember is that development is important, like it or not.  Here is why, and we should take note of what has happened to some of the communities in the Santa Barbara area.  Many years ago, strict building moratoriums were put in place seriously curbing development.  Sounds great, right?  Everyone gets time to adjust to the current development, and things settle down a bit.  But what happened, which no one saw coming, was an incredible increase in property values to the point that few people that worked in the area could afford to live there.  Many local workers were being forced to live outside the city and commute in.  Now in addition to the inflated property values, the road infrastructure was overburdened with people trying to get to work because they were coming from outside they city.  You can try to put whatever restrictions in place for development you want, but NO ONE can control the housing and real estate market. 

What I would like to see is land set aside for parks and hiking areas.  We can't just let the area become a concrete jungle.  Maybe we can insist (force) housing developers that a certain portion of their land must either remain natural or made into parkland.  I'm hoping that Tehachapi doesn't become like the area that I'll be moving away from when I retire!

I think development should equal demand- too little and (like GregL said) property values skyrocket and things get difficult; too much and property values tank and we're all screwed.  I think there's a little too much development right now with the KB homes and Alta Estates.  But at least Alta has a lovely park in the middle and I hear there's going to be a big park off Dennison by the high school at some point.  I agree that we should force developers to have parkland and open areas.

Sports arena, I don't care- I don't like sports anyway :)  Casino, sure- no problem for me and the benefits of the added revenue might outweigh any disadvantages.  Truck stops, wonderful- speaking as a former truck driver though, it's always nice to park at a nice place for the night.  I'm not sure if it would be super busy though because a lot of truck traffic here is local, but that would keep the size down anyway.

I wouldn't move out because of over-development.  I like living in a more suburban environment (which is why I live in town).  I'll move if yucky people start moving up here, bringing crime with them.  If I'm uncomfortable with sending my son to school, then I'll know it's time to move.  And we'd probably move to Colorado- it's nice there and we have friends there.

The beauty and appeal of Tehachapi for me was the ruralness and small town atmosphere.........and yet you wouldn't mind a casino here???  I lived in Lemoore for 3 years. My husband worked as a firefighter/EMT for the casino for about a year.  It was horrible!! Gambling just like any other addition is just horrible to witness. People leaving their kids in cars sometimes running sometimes not just so they could "run in" and play a bit. I've been there after their arcade had closed and kids were lined up (some asleep)  against the walls because their parents were still playing and kids weren't allowed on the casino floor! Then there was the ever so popular muggings. People waiting until someone would win and then "BAM" they get mugged on the way to their car!  I noticed from the poll taken that many think the drugs here are bad. It will get worse if a casino ever came here. People will do anything to stay awake to "get their money back". It's just NOT a good atmosphere. I'm not saying it would be exactly the same, but Lemoore is a fairly small town and they get people being bussed in there everyday . Just something to think about.

I have a few problems with truck stops but my main concern is the increase of transients they bring.

My husband brought up a good point when I mentioned the truck stops to him: I said earlier that most of the truck traffic on the 58 was local, but I was only thinking of dry van traffic.  He reminded me that a large portion of the trucks on the 58 are bringing produce out of Bakersfield/Central Valley to back East- which means that a lot of trucks are reefers.  So if we did have a truck stop here, it might be fairly busy, and a lot of the traffic would be reefers- loud and polluting reefers.  And you're right, Countygirl, there are a lot of transients (and just general weirdos) associated with truck stops.  And we'd need significantly more road repairs too. My husband said we should just leave the truck stops to Bakersfield and Mojave :)

I never gambled at a casino before because I know what the odds of winning are.  When the small town I lived in located in AZ allowed the local Quichan indians to build a casino  I thought... ugh "NOT GOOD"  The truth is much of the profits helped our town, it also alleviated the state of AZ from having to take care of the Quichan Indians who had nothing.  Now the Quichans have their own medical center, new housing and all Quichan children have the opportunity to go to college.  The town received an overhaul as well. New paint and reconstruction for the old buildings and a swimming pool for our local park.   I also must mention that the crime level did not rise at all.  Now whenever I go back to this small town I make the time to stop and drop a few dollars in the slots.  I bring my mother along who loves to play 10 cent bingo as well. (smile)

 SO, a casino in Tehachapi wouldn't bother me at all if that is what the majority of Tehachapi residents want.