The Bakersfield Californian

Sage Ranch gets green light from City Council,

BY CLAUDIA ELLIOTT

As expected, the Sage Ranch planned development got a green light from the Tehachapi City Council at its meeting on Sept. 7. Developers of the 138-acre project south of Valley Boulevard and west of Tehachapi High School expect to build 995 residential units in six phases over seven years.

Council members also took action that they were told will improve cell phone reception for AT&T customers and bring the city’s zoning codes into compliance with state law or court decisions.

Present in the board room at Wells Education Center were Mayor Phil Smith and council members Christina Scrivner and Susan Wiggins. Councilmember Joan Pogon-Cord participated in the meeting electronically. Mayor Pro-Tem Michael Davies was not in

attendance.

AT&T TOWER

AT&T Mobility has proposed construction of a 65foot cell tower on property owned by Tehachapi Unified School District southeast of the intersection of Valley Boulevard and South

Snyder Avenue. The city’s Planning Commission previously approved the project but because it involves a zoning change for the land, the council’s approval is also needed, according to Jay Schlosser, development services director.

A representative of the contractor said construction is planned sometime in 2022.

The tower, called a mono-pine, will resemble a tall pine tree and the company has agreed to plant five Coulter Pine trees alongside to create a more natural appearance. Initially, the company had proposed a mono-eucalyptus tower without any living trees.

With a 4-0 vote, the council approved a conditional use permit and architectural design and site plan review for the project, along with the first reading of an ordinance amending the Tehachapi Regulating Plan. The final reading and vote likely will take place at the next council meeting.

SIGN REGULATION

In 2014, the city approved an updated Zoning Code which included regulation of signage, Schlosser told the council. But in 2015 a U.S. Supreme Court decision determined that it is unconstitutional to regulate signs on the basis of content.

Following the decision in Reed, et al. v. Town of Gilbert Arizona et al, the city waited for the industry to evaluate the decision and then contracted with Lisa Wise Consulting to evaluate and update the sign code, Schlosser said. Wise authored the city’s zoning code. He noted that several operational changes were considered, as well.

The main point of the update was to ensure that the city’s sign regulations are constitutional. With a 4-0 vote, the council approved a first reading and introduction of an ordinance replacing Article 7 and modifying Section 11.10.030 of the city’s zoning code.

‘GRANNY’ UNITS

Officially, they’re called Accessory Dwelling Units but you might have heard them called “granny units” or backyard cottages. There was a time such units might not have been allowed on most lots within the city, but state law effective in January 2020 requires cities to permit both ADUs and Junior Accessory Units.

The units may be added to an existing dwelling or separate structures. A JADU may share a bathroom in the main residence and have limited cooking facilities. Schlosser said as long as the units are less than 850 square feet they are permitted by right, requiring only a building code review by the city.

According to the California Department of Housing and Community Development, ADUs and JADUs are considered one way for the state to increase the supply of affordable housing.

Schlosser said the city processed four applications

for the small units during 2021, following state guidelines. The council’s action, 4-0, was to introduce an ordinance amending various sections of the zoning code to align with state law.

SAGE RANCH

At a meeting Aug. 16 the council certified the Environmental Impact Report for the Sage Ranch planned development, adopted a resolution approving the related tentative tract map and introduced by first reading an ordinance approving the project. The final reading of the ordinance was approved 3-0 with councilmember Scrivner recusing herself again. As she explained at the earlier meeting, the developer previously made a donation to Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley Foundation, which she manages.

Mayor Smith allowed questions from the public, although the public hearing was officially closed.

Gabriele Martin and Laurie Collom live in the Heritage Oaks neighborhood south of the proposed Sage Ranch development. They shared their concerns about the development, including the higher density and large homes on small lots and asked if the city had considered the impact on nearby property owners. Specifically, they asked about property values, water, traffic and why the city would allow such a large new development when some previously approved subdivisions remain undeveloped.

Schlosser said the city will require the developers to help pay to mitigate impacts on sewer, traffic and other city services and that the 175 acrefeet of pumpable water rights that Sage Ranch must bring to the city is “every year, forever.”

As to the local water supply, he said there is “350,000 acrefeet of water under the city right now. I’d go so far as to call it drought-proof because of management.”

He said single-family homes will be built in the areas immediately adjacent to earlier subdivisions of the same type and that the apartments and other housing types will be located in other areas of the project.

As to why the city would allow the new development when previously approved subdivisions have not been built out fully, Schlosser said private property rights are at play.

At the Aug. 16 meeting, the lead representative for the project, Paul Morris, said it will help address the housing shortage by offering eight product types in six phases built over seven years. The mix includes single-family homes, townhomes and apartments — some targeted for senior citizens.

The next step for Sage Ranch will be to present a Precise Development Plan for the first increment of the project.

The Tehachapi City Council meets on the first and third Mondays of each month at 6 p.m., usually at the Wells Education Center, 300 S. Robinson St. The next meeting is set for Sept. 20.

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