Photos: Tehachapi News

Depot fire defendants 'held to answer,'

The two Tehachapi men charged in the June 13 fire that destroyed the historic railroad depot will be re-arraigned Oct. 10 in Bakersfield on a felony charge of causing a structure fire.

In a preliminary hearing Sept. 26 at Superior Court East Kern Branch in Mojave, Judge John Oglesby concluded there is enough evidence on that one count to hold Jason Watson and Brian O'Donnell over for trial.

He dismissed a misdemeanor charge of selling and using illegal fireworks, citing insufficient cause.

The defendants will enter a plea on Oct. 10 and a trial date will be set.

An arson investigator for the Kern County Fire Department testified at the preliminary hearing. The attorneys for the defendants had no comment following the preliminary hearing. The arson investigation office would not comment, citing possible contamination of the jury pool.

At the site of the burned depot, a group of men from Friends of the Depot for weeks have been scraping and cleaning old bricks unearthed by machines clearing out dirt and debris preparing for renewed construction. The bricks were part of the original foundation and pilasters that are more than 100 years old.

The site now reveals strata that tell the history of the depot. At the lowest level are the bricks, then remnants of charred wood from the first depot fire in 1904, then a black layer of soil that accumulated during the flood decades of the 1930s and 1940s. On top of that layer is three feet of fill that was placed on the site to hold the depot when it was raised off the ground to get above the floodwaters. The fill made the land higher than the surrounding streets.

The bricks possibly will be used in a walkway for the rebuilt depot. The men, after laboriously chipping off old concrete from the bricks, have salvaged more than a pallette of the old foundation material.

JV Tennis Pummels BCHS

With six games into the league season, only one junior varsity team stands alone atop the leader board with an undefeated record. After a resounding 8-1 victory over Bakersfield Christian last Thursday, that team is the Lady Braves
Tehachapi (6-0 SSL) has at least a two game lead in the SSL title race over Bakersfield Christian (4-2 SSL) and Taft (3-3 SSL), with a showdown looming this Tuesday with Arvin (5-1 SSL) that will all but decide the end-of-year champion.

“The girls are playing very well, we have a lot of talent to work with and they are reaching their potential,” said head coach Jim True. “This is a very coachable group with great attitudes in practice and in matches.”

Winning last Thursday in singles was Caitlin Burris (6-4, 6-3), Erica Lange (6-7, 6-3, 10-7), Elizabeth Oglesby (6-0, 6-4), Samantha Thiesse (5-7, 6-4, 10-7), and Hannah Fjeld (6-3, 7-5). Taking doubles were the tandems of Lange / Burris (6-2, 6-4), Oglesby / Daelyn Valencia (7-5, 4-6, 10-8), and Fjeld / Adriana Brewer (6-3, 6-4).
Overall, Tehachapi has defeated Taft (6-3), Arvin (6-3), Wasco (8-1), Shafter (7-2), and Bakersfield Christian (6-3, 8-1) in six SSL team contest so far.

“We have had a lot of matches that have gone to super-tiebreakers and the girls have come through,” added True. “Sometimes tennis is a game of inches and the player that wants it more is the one that comes out on top. Our girls have done a great job.”

Earlier in the week, Tehachapi also dispatched Taft with singles wins by Caitlin Burris (7-5, 6-4), Erica Lange (6-2, 3-6, 10-8), Elizabeth Oglesby (6-1, 6-7, 10-8), Danielle Amacher (7-5, 6-7, 10-5), and Daelyn Valencia (3-6, 7-6, 10-8). Winning in doubles were Hannah Fjeld and Adriana Brewer (6-0, 6-0).

Coach True has been assisted this season by Coach Natalie Franchere.

Tomahawks Impressive on Gridiron

All four levels of Tehachapi Tomahawk football are taking Kern County by storm, with the varisty, junior varsity, sophomore, and freshmen levels all sporting a 3-1 or better record at the midway point of the season.

Highlighting the efforts are the junior varsity and freshmen squads, who are both 4-0 before last weekend with wins over the Garces Irish, Southeast Wolverines, Shafter Gladiators, and Arvin Grizzlies.

Also notching victories is the varsity team, who have lit up the scoreboard with a combined 34 points per game, with the only blemish on the year coming against Shafter. In the sophomore's wins over Garces, Shafter and Arvin, the Tomahawks have only given up a total of 12 points in the three games combined.

The Tomahawks will be traveling to Foothill to take on the Titans this Saturday at Foothill High School, which is off Weedpatch Highway in Southeast Bakersfield. Times for the contests will be Varsity (6pm), Junior Varsity (4pm), Sophomores (2pm) and Freshmen (12pm). The public is encouraged to attend.

Gryphons U16 take Club Fury by storm

U16 Gryphons Girls Team
The U16 Gryphons girls team displayed a fine performance in their win against Club Fury. Within the first two minutes of the game, the girls had put one in the back of the net, which began with a pass from Eliana Navarro through to Tiffany Short. Short ran onto the ball, beating out the opposing defender. She shot while Kelsey Young followed through and scored on the deflection from the goalie. Short assisted Young on another score crossing the ball to Young on the left side. Young was in position to send the ball to the back of the net. Short recorded all 3 of the assists. Melanie Roussel scored off a corner kick as well, curving the ball into the upper right corner. Sydney Castillo played her most complete game of the year, adding an intimidating force on the field. The game ended 4-1.

“We are proud of the way the girls played”, said Coach Perris. “We've been missing one of our top defenders (Harli Smith) for two weeks now. In her absence, Alex Haleluk has taken advantage of the opportunity. Alex has helped the defense stay on course. She has really been giving it a great effort the last two weeks and we are proud of her.”

Lady Warriors with 10th straight game with victory

It was business as usual for the Lady Warriors last Wednesday evening, taking down Frasier Mountain in four games (25-18, 25-17, 22-25, 25-22) to move to an impressive 23-2 on the young season.

Aly Pulford recorded the most point wins at serve for Tehachapi with 11, followed by Jami Lankin with 10. Jasmine Julye, Sam Nunnally, and Shelby Flick all shared the top honors in aces with two each.

Julye had the top mark in kills with 13 on the night, followed by Sarah Horcher with 12 and Paige Woodward with 11. Persephonie Devereaux had 11 total blocks and Julye close behind with eight stuffs, while Shelby Flick and Jami Lankin combined for 21 digs in the contest.

Up next for Mountain Volleyball is league play, with a home game against Wasco scheduled for Tuesday (6:15pm) and an away match-up against Arvin on Thursday (6pm). Tehachapi will also have a huge SSL showdown next Tuesday (6pm) at home against league rival Bakersfield Christian, where they are hoping for a spirited home crowd to attend.

Junior Varsity
The Lady Braves split the week with a thrilling win over Frasier Mountain (25-18, 25-21) and a closely contested loss to Kern Valley’s varsity squad by a score count of 25-16, 25-13, 25-21.

Lauren Smith, Amanda Borst, and Meghan Komin were credited with strong serving games, while Colleen Chung had six winners and a plethora of impressive spikes. Bre Farinas led Tehachapi with five kills overall against Frasier Mountain.

Makenzie Stuart was credited with a strong defensive game, leading the team in digs from her specialist position in both contests.

Running Wild over Rosamond

Rosamond High might have the mascot of Roadrunners, but last Friday night, Mountain Football provided the most decisive display of road-runners.

Thunder (Adam Mullen) and Lightning (Josh Strauss) were back together again for the first time in three weeks, helping Tehachapi (2-3) to 455 yards rushing in a 34-8 drubbing over Rosamond (1-4).

In the process, Strauss set a new single-game Warrior rushing record, recording 304 yards on 23 carries. The one-game effort breaks the 291 yards rushing achieved by Eric Young in 1989 in a victory over Mojave.

Mullen capped the big runs with endzone appearances, scoring three times and collecting 108 yards on 11 attempts.

The margin of victory could have been greater if it was not for two touchdowns called back on penalties, one coming from Strauss on a 54-yard run in the first half and the second a Kurtis Knudson to JJ Balkar touchdown pass, coincidentally the only pass attempt by Mountain Football on the night.

On defense, the Warrior secondary kept Rosamond honest in the passing game with four interceptions recorded, two by Neal Herman and one apiece by Derek Lange and Nick Howell.

The offensive line for the Warriors (Kevin Ruiz, Dominic Chavarria, Drew Howell, Niko Taliulu and Vince Ortiz among others) currently have the distinction of helping THS to the most rushing yards by any Kern County team, with 1,522 yards overall and an impressive 6.32 yards per carry by the talented backfield.

The Warriors will have a bye on the schedule this week, but will be back at home next Friday (Oct-17) in a homecoming match-up with Shafter. The game will also mark the first league game of the year. Former and current THS alumni are encouraged to attend.

Junior Varsity
The Braves (3-2) scored on seven of their eight offensive possessions in a 47-0 decimation over Rosamond.

Michael Lowder had a season-best 203 yards on 13 carries and a score, while Evan Fassbender coupled the effort with 124 yards on 10 attempts from scrimmage, including three touchdowns.

Overall, Tehachapi had 526 yards of offense, with 454 coming on the ground. Other strong performances in the contest included Salvador Contreras with 61 yards on eight carries and two touchdowns, and Zach Timm, Tyler Holstrom, Cory Lange, James Register and Levi Garrett combining for 63 yards overall.

In the passing game, Adam Bullard connected with Travis Farwell for a 72 yard touchdown reception. Farwell also had a strong game on defense, continuing the previous game’s strong four-sack performance with nine recorded stops on the night.

Zach Timm was the top tackler with 10, while Tyler Holstrom had five take-downs and a fumble recovery.

Cory Lange and Cameron King both had five tackles each, while Ray Cross, Adam Bullard and Dallas Scaggs had multiple tackles. Scaggs also connected on three extra points.

Freshmen
With Rosamond not fielding a Frosh/Soph team, the Indians took to the road in a four-hour bus ride to Liberty-Madera, with the end result giving Mountain Football a 48-0 victory.

Marcus Curiel had 130 yards and two touchdowns on three carries and Wyatt Vance had 88 yards on 10 carries and a score. Overall, the Indians had 363 yards rushing.

Colt Wilson also recorded a touchdown and a couple of two-point conversion runs, while Brian Castaneda and Luke Henderson also found the endzone in the contest.

Joey Lopez returned a kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown to account for a strong Tehachapi (4-1) special teams effort.

Tehachapi Alumni Travis Workman awarded Ph.D.

Travis Workman recently completed his Doctorate in East Asian Literature at Cornell University in New York. Travis attended Cummings Valley Elementary, Tompkins Elementary, Jacobsen Jr. High and graduated from Tehachapi High School in 1996.

After high school, Travis attended the University of California at Santa Cruz where he majored in Modern Literary Studies, and spent his senior year studying in Japan.

Upon graduation he was offered full-fellowships for his doctoral studies at several major universities, including Harvard and Stanford, finally deciding on Cornell. As part of that course of study he traveled and lived in Japan again as well as Korea, studying those languages.

Having completed this program and his dissertation over this past summer, Travis was awarded his Doctorate from Cornell University, and will begin teaching in the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of California Los Angeles this fall.

Travis expresses his gratitude to the many fine educators of Tehachapi who took the time to nurture his talents. Among his many other proud family members are his mother Monica George-Halling and Step-father Bill Halling, who maintain their home in Bear Valley, as well as his aunt and uncle, Angela and John Guy, of Bear Valley.

Welcome baby Benson

Congratulations to Richard and Sharon Benson on the birth of their son, Grant Benson, born Sept. 8, 2008.

— Love Grandpa and Elba Benson

Local Jazzercisers entertain at Kern County Fair

As many onlookers gathered around the big stage Friday, Sept. 26, over 30 girls were busy getting ready for their big dance performance at the Kern County Fair.

Dancers representing Tehachapi's area schools, Cummings Valley Elementary, Golden Hills Elementary, Tompkins Elementary, and Jacobsen Middle School were anxiously awaiting show time on the big San Joaquin Community Stage.

The show was comprised of three different dance routines. The Junior Jazzercise dancers danced to the Cheetah Girls, “The Party's Just Begun." The 7th grade dancers from JMS danced to Hairspray’s "Can't Stop the Beat", and the 8th graders danced to Gia Farrel’s "Hit Me Up."

Chris Duff, Jazzercise Instructor at the Tehachapi Valley Recreation and Parks District, began working with these groups of girls in August. Some of them practicing after school and some of them giving up their lunch break at Jacobsen Middle School to work on their routines.

"These girls did a great job! It’s always so rewarding to work with kids. My programs are only about six weeks in duration and then end with the culmination of a performance — perfect for busy schedules. And the dancers get immediate gratification without a long drawn out year of practicing!" Duff said.

Duff also paid a visit to Tompkins Elementary and delighted the after school program with a performance earlier this week. The performance ended with the audience also getting a chance to learn a few basic dances.

"Music is a big part of our kids lives — they love listening to it, playing it and moving to it,” said Duff. “ There are so many ways our schools could incorporate music to enrich our students daily lives."

The next big event and opportunity for Tehachapi area kids and teens will be Oct. 7, when practices will begin for anyone interested in performing in the Disneyland Parade on Nov. 22. For the past three years, Duff has taken a large group to participate with 300 other dancers from California in this experience of a life time — dancing in the parade! For more information regarding this program, please call the TVRPD office at 822-3228.

Tehachapi News Salutes...

Under a hot Mideast sun at Mina Salman Anchorage in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Lt. Cmdr. Mark Stefanik assumed command of Mine Counter Measures Crew Leader, as well as USS Dextrous, one of the Navy's forward-deployed minesweepers.

As Captain he now has absolute responsibility for the ship and her crew of 80 sailors, and places him as one of only 14 officers in the Navy to command a ship at his relatively junior rank.

Stefanik was selected for early command-at-sea in 2006 and has served as MCM Crew Leader’s executive officer onboard USS Warrior and USS Dextrous before becoming the ship's commanding officer. MCM Crew Leader is a rotational crew which trains in Ingleside, TX and then deploys to one of the four minesweepers that remain in the Persian Gulf year-round. USS Dextrous was commissioned in 1994 and is the second ship to bear that name in the U.S. Navy. She has been homeported in Bahrain since 1996. The sailors of MCM Crew Leader represent almost every state and range in age from 18 to 45. The crew is currently on the fifth month of a seven month deployment which has consisted of routine security patrols of the Persian Gulf and two major mine clearance exercises with British allies.

Capt. Stefanik is a 1994 graduate of Tehachapi High School and a 1998 graduate of the United States Naval Academy. Since 1998 he has served on three other warships and has made five deployments. He is married to the former Catina Bloodworth, of Georgia, and they have three daughters, Ashton, Makenzie and Kelsyn. His parents, Rhonda and Jerry Stefanik, and his grandparents, Howard and Mary Kelso, still live in Brite Valley.

Stallion Springs CSD General Manager David Aranda wins Award of Excellence

The California Special Districts Association (CSDA) is pleased to report that David Aranda, general manager of Stallion Springs Community Services District (SSCSD) and certified Special District Administrator (SDA), was awarded the William Hollingsworth Award of Excellence at this year's CSDA Annual Conference and Exhibitor Showcase held in Irvine, Calif. last week. The award, CSDA's most prestigious, honors individuals for their extraordinary dedication and contributions to California's special districts.

A former long-time CSDA Board member, Aranda has devoted much of his time and career to CSDA and special districts. He has been a driving force in the development of today's very successful CSDA Education program and, under his leadership, CSDA has been able to develop an educational program relevant to the needs of all special district directors, managers and employees. Although Aranda no longer serves on the CSDA Board, he remains highly involved as an advisor and instructor with the CSDA Special District Leadership Academy, one of the most recognized educational programs for special districts in the state.

In May of 1994, Aranda assumed the position of general manager of SSCSD. Over the last fourteen years, Aranda has worked to build an operation founded on cooperation, communication and consistency. He has an in depth knowledge of all aspects of the operation of the district including water, sewer, roads and police services. Aranda has established an outstanding working relationship with the other entities SSCSD relies on, such as Kern County Fire Department and Tehachapi Cummings Valley Water District.

In addition to serving SSCSD and CSDA, Aranda also has served as board president of the Special District Risk Management Authority (SDRMA), California Rural Water Association (CRWA) and remains president of the Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF), which he served on since the foundation's inception in 1999.

CSDA is pleased to honor Mr. Aranda with this prestigious award recognizing his ongoing leadership, dedication and service to special districts throughout California.

The California Special Districts Association (CSDA) has over 1000 member agencies and provides independent special districts with representation, advocacy, education and value-added services that can positively effect their operations and service to constituents.

Bear Valley Community Services District Honored

Last week, during the California Special District Association's Annual Conference in Irvine, Calif., Bear Valley Community Services District received two awards from the Special District Leadership Foundation and its partners.

The first award was a resolution from Senator Roy Ashburn and Assembly Member Jean Fuller for becoming a “District of Distinction” through the Special District Leadership Foundation. The District of Distinction program is an accreditation program that enables districts to demonstrate to their communities, the media and legislators their commitment to operate in a sound, responsible manner. The District of Distinction program began in 2002 and there are currently only six districts who have achieved this distinguished honor statewide.

Bear Valley Community Services District also became the first “Gold Recognition” under the Special District Leadership Foundation's Recognition in Special District Governance program. Each of the following board members, general manager and assistant general manager have completed the CSDA Special District Leadership Academy, which includes training in Governance Foundations; Setting Direction & Community Leadership; the Board's Role in Finance & Fiscal Accountability; and the Board's Role in Human Resources. They also each completed at least 10 hours of elected continuing education credits to qualify for recognition.

Bear Valley's Recognized Board Members and Staff are:

• Bob Sheppard, Director
• Don Kordes, Director
• Phil Darling, Director
• Alfonso Romano, Director
• Ron Samuels, Director
• John Yeakley, SDA, General Manager
• John Martin, SDA, Assistant General Manager

In order to receive the “Gold Recognition” all Directors and the General Manager are required to complete the entire academy, the elective credits and become recognized by the Special District Leadership Foundation. Bear Valley CSD is the first to achieve the Gold Recognition since 1999.

Not only has Bear Valley's entire board and executive staff been recognized and achieved Gold Recognition through the Recognition in Special District Governance Program, but both John Yeakley, General Manager and John Martin, Assistant General Manager have successfully passed the Special District Administrator examination and are certified as Special District Administrators (SDAs).

The SDLF Special District Administrator program is a voluntary designation sought by individuals who strive to be the best. Administrators with various academic and professional backgrounds as well as from all types and sizes of special districts can be candidates for the program. The certification examination and study guide were developed through the participation of over 100 volunteer subject matter experts who know special district administration. Guided by the Foundation Board, Certification Advisory Committee and under direction by a professional examination development firm, this certification gives successful candidates recognition unmatched by any other program. Certification helps document and recognize a candidate's knowledge, skills and capabilities as a special district administrator. The two-hour examination covers all key aspects of special district administration.

'Sgt. Joe' transfers to Bakersfield

After five years as sergeant of the Kern County Sheriffs Tehachapi Substation, Joe Giuffre has transferred to the Special Enforcement Division in Bakersfield.

Sgt. Richard Wood, formerly of the Mojave Substation, has taken charge of the Tehachapi Substation.

Guiffre, a 27-year member of the department and a member of Kern County's Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team for 12 years, said making the job change was a hard decision.

“My wife [Jeannine] felt that as a citizen she would like to see me stay. But as a spouse she knew it was time for me to go,” Giuffre said.

The new job involves drugs and gangs and other law enforcement challenges.

Known to all as “Sergeant Joe,” Giuffre wrote in a “thank you bouquet” in this edition of the Tehachapi News, “I would like to thank the public for all the support they give us daily. “I will miss the cookies, jams, cards and other goodies brought in for the deputies, which I had to sample.

“I will miss the interaction I have had with you.”

Giuffre's work as a senior tactical leader for SWAT has kept him in training, as team members must qualify four times a year on all weapons and pass rigorous physical testing.

Shooting qualifications for regular department staff is 70 percent accuracy, he said, while SWAT team members must shoot significantly smaller targets with 80 percent accuracy.

SWAT team members must be willing to put in long hours.

“It takes a lot of dedication,” Giuffre said. “All of these guys are doing their regular jobs too. Not every guy wants to be SWAT.”

He said the stressful situations the team handles don't faze him.

“The stress is not so bad when you get to be old like me,” he said. “I'm used to it, but it's still hard on my wife.”

“Old” Sgt. Joe is 50.

Wood, 52, watched Giuffre pack up his office Oct. 2. Giuffre carefully placed awards and personal photos and a silk ficus tree in boxes and the hallway in preparation for his move down the hill.

Wood was taking over for Giuffre sooner than he had anticiapted.
“I had my eye on Tehachapi,” said Wood, who has served 22 years in the Sheriffs Department and was posted in Mojave for the past year and a half. “I didn't think Joe was going to transfer so quickly.”

Giuffre said, “I never thought I'd leave [Tehachapi]. The opportunity came up in the Special Enforcement Division.”

Giuffre called his friend Wood and they put their names on the transfer list. The move was effective Sept. 26.

The movement of personnel has a ripple effect, Wood said, and “This was a very big transfer department-wide.

“The physical movement was fast too.”

Wood and his wife Vickie live in Bakersfield and have property in Tehachapi on which they hope to build. She works in the petroleum industry. They have two grown children.

“We both like it here.”

In Mojave, Wood said, he worked frequently with security at Edwards Air Force Base and at the Mojave Airport. He served as a Public Information Officer in the department for several years and was senior deputy in Tehachapi in 1999-2000.
Wood plans to drop in to introduce himself to local groups and organizations. He hit the ground running with a visit to the Common Interest Group at the Golden Hills Community Services District.

Wood will be settling into his Tehachapi Substation office at 22209 Old Town Road.
He doesn't have a lot of stuff to move.

“I was so busy in Mojave I never had a chance to decorate my office,” Wood said.

Landlord backs down after city gets tough

In an 11th-hour capitulation, the owners of the run-down High Mountain Apartments agreed to tough demands by the city of Tehachapi that they rehabilitate their property or lose their business license.

“They don’t want us to air their dirty laundry,” said City Manager Greg Garrett.
He said the new agreement shows that “The owners are working toward certification and they’ve done the right thing.”

A special City Council meeting scheduled for Monday, Sept. 29, to hear an appeal of the business permit suspension the city had imposed on the apartment owners was canceled early that afternoon when Steven Glass, attorney for Cherry Mountain, L.P./High Mountain Apartments, confirmed that his client would meet the conditions demanded by the city.

The owners transferred a fine of $3,500 imposed by the city into the account of the law firm the city hired to handle the case, LeBeau Thelen of
Bakersfield. The amount of the fine, according to City Manager Greg Garrett, is the highest that could be levied in the matter.

A letter from attorney Kevin E. Thelen to Glass, dated Sept. 29 and transmitted by facsimile and U.S. mail, referenced “City of Tehachapi re: Building code Enforcement (Cherry Mountain, L.P.)” and said that “in order for the appeal hearing to be taken off calendar,” the apartment owners must agree to four conditions:

• They sign a letter dated Aug. 22, 2008, acknowledging the acceptance of the conditions in that letter.

• They pay the $3,500 fine.

• They obtain a permit to demolish the burned out recreation building.

• They write a letter to the Tehachapi City Council officially withdrawing their request for an appeal of the code enforcement action.

The Aug. 22 letter, signed by LeBeau Thelen attorney Bob Joyce, spelled out in detail the city’s remediation demands and revealed the city’s growing irritation with the apartment owners. It included a formal notice of the suspension of the apartment owners’ business permit.

“Based on your conversation with Mr. Thelen this morning,” the Aug. 22 letter said to Glass, “it is clear that your client has reverted back to the same approach taken in the two years previous to our firm’s retention and intervention in this matter. You confirmed to Mr. Thelen that your client had not solicited bids for the demolition until yesterday and only after we spoke with you and reminded you of your client’s earlier commitments. Your client has habitually failed to act on the conditions and problems brought to its attention by Inspector [John] Hasselbrink. Your client ignores its responsibilities to the tenants and the community. The City will not be patient any longer.”

The Aug. 22 letter spelled out a list of nine non-negotiable terms, including a prohibition against placing tenants in a unit that has not been inspected; the completion of a mold inspection; the creation of a flyer to inform tenants of the right to a pest inspection; the completion of pest/rodent inspection of designated units; an adjustment of coverage to include rodents as well as “just pests;” repair of furnaces; and the fine “for operating a business with a suspended or revoked business permit.”

The Aug. 22 letter was signed belatedly Sept. 29 by “Saumil Dave, as Pres. of S.R.P. Property, Inc., G.P. of Cherry Mountain, L.P.,” who acknowledged receipt and pledged compliance.

Planners proposal 'modifies and tweaks' downtown zoning

Tehachapi city planners are toiling over what Community Development Director David James calls “the most tedious” part of the master plan process - establishing a zoning law that will enable the community's ideas to become a legal reality.

James and Design Manager of Planning Jami Williams of RRM Design presented a proposed zoning map to the Tehachapi Planning Commission workshop Oct. 2 at the Veterans Hall that creates three new zones and restructures another in the downtown area from Snyder to Mill Streets and from a diagonal line of C and D Streets to the railroad track.

With the current zone designations as a baseline, Williams said, “We took the existing ones and modified and tweaked them slightly.”

James said the new zoning designations would carry out the wishes of the public as expressed in the charrette process by preserving the downtown residential housing stock and restricting other uses.

“Now, if someone wanted to put an auto repair shop next to Kelcy's, there is no legal way we could say 'no',” James said.

The proposed zones would allow a commercial retail focus on Tehachapi Boulevard, mixed-use development downtown, a buffer residential area with residential/professional and an expanded R-2 medium density residential zone.
In the proposed zoning plan:

• A two-block stretch of Curry Street south of E Street would be designated C-1-V, or “neighborhood commercial,” allowing limited neighborhood-serving commercial uses to serve nearby residents. Examples of commercial enterprises in this zone given in the proposal include antiques, barber or beauty shop, ice cream parlor, picture framing and multi-family residential, when part of a mixed-use project and when not located on the ground floor street frontage. The proposal gave “tennis club” as an example of prohibited uses - which led to some puzzled questions from the Planning Commissioners. Williams explained that a tennis club takes up a lot of room.

• A section of blocks roughly along F Street between Mill and Robinson streets, and including part of the north side of E Street would be designated C-2-V, or “central commercial - village.” This area would be home to pedestrian-oriented retail and service uses for the entire community. The zoning is less restrictive than C-3-V.

Examples of new uses are music store, nursery/garden supply store, readio and television store and multi-family residential when part of a mixed-use project and when not located on the ground floor street frontage. Prohibited uses would be automobile sales and repair, fast food restaurants and mini-warehouses.

• Tehachapi Boulevard between Snyder and Mill streets would be designated C-3-V, or “general commercial - village.” It would be home to pedestrian-oriented retail commercial activities located along the boulevard. The intention for people to park and walk from one store to another rather than driving from place to place. Examples of new uses, according to the proposal, include art supplies and hobby stores, multi-family residential when part of a mixed-use project and when not located on the ground floor street frontage and bed and breakfasts. Prohjibited uses would include automobile sales and repair, fast food restaurants and mortuary or funeral parlor.

The planners explained that auto sales and repair establishments that already are in existence cannot be forced out, but if they go out of business or are dormant for six months, the new zoning can take effect.

• The RP designation, which would appear in a checkerboard fashion, mostly on the south side of F Street, provides for the development of professional offices and residential structures. Examples in the proposal for allowable uses include art gallery, clinic, medical or physical therapy, day care center, offices with no retail activity and multi-family residential when part of a mixed-use project and when not located on the ground floor street frontage. A statement from the audience pointed out that art galleries are retail establishments. The planners said the uses might have to be modified to take that into account.

“We are hoping to have it wrapped up and to the Planning Commission in November,” James said. The Planning Commission should be able to get it to the City Council by December or January.

This type of consistency planning is vital, he said, because “The state dictates the rules and we are limited as to how tough we can be. Communities can get real brutal on non-conforming properties.”

Copies of zoning proposal maps are available on the Tehachapi News web site, www.tehachapinews.com and are scheduled to be on the city web site, www.tehachapicityhall.com.