[Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Hey. Hey. Hey. [Music] Heat. Hey, [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. N. [Music] [Music] I do. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. N. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. N. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] Welcome to the city of Bakersfield planning commission meeting. This television broadcast is brought to you by the local cable companies, the county of Kerna, and the city of Bakersfield. You can watch the rebroadcast of this meeting Saturday at 700 p.m. and Sunday at 10:00 a.m. The agenda for this meeting can be downloaded at www.bakersakersfield city. us. Presciding over this evening's meeting, Chair Daniel Kedar. Good evening. It is my pleasure to call to order the May 1st, 2025 planning commission meeting. Madame Clerk, would you please call the role? Chair Kedar here. Vice Chair Strickland here. Commissioner Biddle, Commissioner Brandt Oliver here. Commissioner Core here. Commissioner Martin here. Commissioner Neil. Madame Clerk. Next item, please. Pledge of Allegiance. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you all for attending tonight's planning commission meeting. This commission provides an opportunity for public participation in the development process throughout the city of Bakersfield. The planning commission considers a wide variety of projects including subdivision maps, general plan amendments, zone changes, and much more. When applications are received, the city planning division analyzes the request. Planning staff will present the facts about the project along with their recommendation to the planning commission who will approve the item or make a recommendation as appropriate. Madame clerk, next item, please. Public statements. Public statements are now received at different times depending on the item. I will call on madame clerk to call for public statements at the appropriate time. So please listen listen carefully for the correct time to speak. Non-aggenda item 3A public statements. Does anyone in the audience wish to address the commission regarding items that are not listed on tonight's agenda? If so, please come forward and state your name. Seeing no speakers for item 3A. Madam clerk, agenda item 3B, public statements. Does anyone in the audience wish to address the commission regarding items listed on tonight's agenda? Please note, if you're here for non-consent public hearing item 6A, now is not the time to speak. You will be given an opportunity to speak at a later time. Seeing no speakers, Madame Clerk, next item, please. Agenda item four, consent calendar items. Please note, all matters listed under the consent items do not require a public hearing and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of set items unless staff or a commissioner uh request specific items be discussed and or removed for comment or separate action. May I get a motion uh approving consent items 4 A? I'll make a motion to approve items 4 A. Commissioner Strickland, may I have a second? I'll second it. Commissioner Core. Commissioners, please cast your votes. Okay, hold on. Chair Kedar, yes. For the record, Commissioner Bidd showed up at 533. Thank you. Okay. Hi, Commissioner. Motion passes with Commissioner Neil absent. Thank you, Madame Clerk. Next item, please. Agenda item five, consent public hearing items. Now is the time for consent public hearing items. Please note if the item is not removed by the commissioner by a commissioner, staff, or a member of the public, the commission will vote on all items in one motion without further comment. If an item is removed, it will be placed at the end of the non-consent public hearing items. At this time, I will open all of the consent public hearing items. Does any member of the public wish to remove a consent public hearing item? Seeing none, does any staff or does any commissioner or staff wish to remove a consent public hearing item? I don't wish to remove it, but can I Is this the time I can make a comment on it? Uh, we would remove it uh and then make the comment and then close the hearing. Yep. Okay. Well, I don't want to keep it longer. I I guess we could do that then. Okay. I just want to make a comment on it. Was it on uh So, you're requesting 5A move to the public hearing portion. Yeah, I think so. Thank you, Commissioner Martin. I also just for the record would like to second. And I would like to move item 5A to the non-consent public agenda. Okay. Thank Thank you uh Commissioner Martin and Commissioner Strickland. So there are no other items under uh by So I'm going to try to add live this because at this time um all consent public hearing items have been moved to the public public hearing portion of the agenda. Um so we don't need to cast. We don't need a a motion. Yes. Then we will now move on to the non-consent public hearing items. Madame clerk, next item, please. Agenda item six, non-consent public hearing items. Now is the time for the non-consent public hearing items. Before we begin, I'd like to explain how the hearing will be conducted. Staff will first give a report. Then those in favor of the project will be allowed to speak. Those in opposition to the project will be able to speak after all of those in favor have spoken. Each side will be given five minutes uh total time to provide rebuttal comments. Please note that individual speakers may ask questions during their statements, but the questions will not be answered until the public hearing on that item is closed. If preferred, written comments may be given to the clerk who will provide copies to the commission. Please remember to be respectful of others participating in the hearing. Um, and please refra refrain from repeating remarks of previous speakers and presenting any new comments or thoughts in a concise and clear way. Miss Engel, would you please provide us your staff report on item 6A? I'd like to introduce Courtney Camp's principal planner overland division section. Good evening, commissioners. My name is Courtney Camps and I'm a principal planner with the development services department. I'm here today to present item 6A. Item 6A on the agenda is a request to adopt a mitigated negative declaration and approve besting tenative trackm 7471 for a proposed project at the southwest corner of Morning Drive and Paladino Drive. The applicant plans to subdivide 83.97 acres into 363 single family residential lots, five landscape lots, five private landscape lots, one retention basin, one private retention basin, and one private park with residential lot sizes ranging from 4,836 to 15,552 ft. This project builds on actions taken prior to the expiration of vesting tenative trackmap 6191 which included rough grading and development plans. Delays related to the Mojave pipeline and landscaping design required modifications prompting the introduction of vesting tenative trackmap 7471 to address these challenges. Staff has reviewed the development for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act. An initial study found that with mitigation measures for air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, and traffic, there would be no significant environmental impacts. The mitigated negative declaration was made available for a 30-day public review during which comments were addressed by consultants. Notifications were sent to property owners within a 300 ft radius and published in the local newspaper. Staff also received written feedback which was addressed in a memo in the background material. We received additional correspondence today provided to you this afternoon. The applicant is here today to respond to your questions. Staff concludes that the project complies with SQA and is compatible with its surroundings, land use designations, and zoning. Therefore, staff recommends the commission adopt the resolution approving the mitigated negative declaration and approve vesting tenative trackm 7471. That concludes my presentation of the project. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Camps. Um, the public hearing is now open. Is there anyone who wishes to speak in favor of the project? If so, please step to the microphone, identify yourself, and proceed. Good evening, Chair Kedar, distinguished members of the commission and staff. My name is Brandon Martin. It's B R A N D O N M A R T I N. I represent LGI Homes, the developer of this project. Um, if you talk to people uh about local real estate, and I have a feeling the commissioners probably talk about that with people a lot more than I do, uh, you hear stories about how there's good opportunities for investors maybe from the Bay Area to come and buy a house that most of us can't afford. Um, but there's not a lot of opportunities for folks that we went to high school with. uh people who are doing exactly what they're supposed to do, pursuing careers here. Uh they're just making the kind of incomes that we make here and sometimes they feel priced out of the market. Um and that's what LGI Homes is addressing with this project, which is a project aimed at taking renters and turning them into firsttime home buyers. Um we have a somebody who comes and speaks on just this topic, Evan Lic. And we do this in various jurisdictions. The last one I was with, we showed a little bit of our product and uh the person we were talking with, it wasn't at the city of Bakersfield, sort of maybe lower self-esteem jurisdiction, but they took a look at it and said, "We can't afford that." But actually, this is it's not affordable housing, which is a term of art under the law, but it is market rate uh housing that is for lower income folks in our community, and it's something that I think they'll be very proud of. Um, let me tell you a little bit about the history of the project, too, which is something I'm proud of. Uh, we had an expiring map. We could have litigated that. I've been here before your commission on multiple times representing clients who had a map that was vested um years and years ago, sometime in the early 90s. Uh, and we get through because we have a legal right to, but the impact fees are much lower. It's not necessarily fair to the city. um building standards are different and uh sometimes we think we won when maybe we shouldn't. Um but this client uh decided to pull their track map and work with the city and redesign the map entirely with the engineering team uh behind me. Uh we met a lot of the city's extra goals. It's higher density than it was by quite a bit. Um and again more affordable and walkable. Uh I grew up in Hagen Oaks. Uh for some reason that's where everybody likes to do their trick-or-treating. This might be the type of place where you can do your trick-or-treating in the future. Um, and I think it's a it's again a project we can all be part of uh or proud of. Let me go ahead and uh introduce our team. It's Sanwaukein Engineering and they can tell you exactly the details of the project and uh a little bit more about our mitigated negative deck. Thank you. Please identify yourself and proceed. Yes. Uh good evening planning commissioners and city staff. My name is Hunter Troxell T R Oxel and I work for Sanwaqen Engineering uh locally. Uh Sanwaqen Engineering is the lead consultant on vesting tenative track map 7471. Um and we are requesting your support in approving this map. Uh this is one of many developments by LGI homes in the county of Kerna and they are targeting uh the first-time home buyers in our community. Uh a brief history of the project has been mentioned. Uh it is a rebirth of track 6191 uh which was a R1 development approved and rough graded in the mid200s. Uh like many projects during the recession it was abandoned and LGI eventually purchased it and with some complications it eventually expired in 2023. With the changes to the recent the recent changes to the zoning ordinance uh we have increased the lot yield from 279 lots to 363 lots uh with a substantial number of these lots being in the 5,000 to 6,000 foot range. Uh our client is proposing a small park near the center of the the development and uh two separate linear parks as amenities for the residents making it a walkable community. We believe the subdivision will provide new and costefficient housing for the growing area of northeast Bakersfield. We also believe this neighborhood is in line with the city's current vision of single family residential development. We'd like to thank the staff for their efforts in preparing this map for this commission and would like to thank the planning commission for their taking the time to review this. Uh we are glad to answer any questions the uh commission may have and uh we hope to have your support in the approval of this map. Thank you. Thank you. Is there anyone in the audience wishing to speak in favor of the project? Seeing no additional speakers in favor, is there anyone in the audience who wishes to speak in opposition to the project? If so, please step to the microphone, identify yourself, and proceed. Good evening, commission, um, city staff, and the birthday girl in the back. Uh, my name is Lori Pasante, and I am the director of the Kern Kawua chapter of the Sierra Club. We serve Kern County, Kings County, and Tallery County. And I believe this commission is in receipt of comments from our conservation chair, Mr. I should say, Dr. Gordon Nip. he has thoroughly reviewed um the documents in um this agenda item. And in particular, I wanted to highlight the stewardship that this commission has taken on. It's burdensome. There's zero question about that. As a planning commission in the city of Bakersfield, an area that has the worst air quality in the nation, my children have health problems. I have health problems. We all have nebulizers. You shouldn't even know what a nebulizer is, but yet we do, right? You are tasked with looking not only at this project, but the cumulative impacts of this project. This area, I drive past it every day to take my daughter to piano. Right there by Juliet Thorner Elementary, where I've sent her to summer school. It's also where you had the explosive level leaks of methane in the Morning Star neighborhood. I don't see any reference to any of those other adjacent properties. Some are mentioned, but not all. You've seen specific itemization of ways in which the M andD is inadequate, and I I refer you to that. I won't bore you with those details again. But we have to be smart about how we develop. We have to be smart about it. And the tables related to GHGs completely nonsensical. There's no explanation or analysis of those tables. They don't even correspond with the other GHD calculations for the other adjacent properties that are already on the public record. And it contradicts its own expert report. This is not a sufficient M&D. We have to be thinking about how to look at those cumulative impacts. And of course with regard to the special species out in this area, there's no plan whatsoever for how to have those species that are almost gone, right? And it's not just about the species themselves. It's about the impact on the food chain, the impact on human beings to be able to survive on this planet. We don't have a lot of time to deal with these greenhouse gas emissions. We don't even have a climate action plan in this city. were like the last municipality in the entire state to have a cap. That is insane to me. I already had my insurance on my house cancelled because of climate change related impacts, the wildfires. And I'm sure I'm not the only one in this room who's had that happen. We already see an increase in valley fever sports. There's nothing in here related to that either. We're experiencing extreme heat and with the combination of the bad air quality, that means that when it does get hot, our ERS start seeing admissions going up like this. Heart attacks and strokes. We already see migration related to places outside of the United States where people don't have water anymore. Not even companies are going down there to grow food anymore. We are seeing migration related to clim climate change. We are seeing very expensive impacts related to climate change. If we are not serious about handling every single agenda item that comes before this planning commission with regard to climate change and cumulative impacts, then we are doing a disservice to the young people in the back of this room. I highly recommend that you look at Mr. Nip's list of mitigations, especially related to the wildlife movement corridors. The traffic is already bad on Paladino and Morning Drive right there. It's already bad. When even more cars are going down that road, those kit foxes have no chance. There are things we can do. Planting trees for the Swainson hawks, putting movement corridors through there, kit fox um dens, artificial dens, please look at those. And also there's a the other folks in our chapter. These folks have master's degrees and doctoral degrees. They are very smart people and they're offering their services for free to you to do an urban forest manage man management plan. They've already been working with the city of Fresno to emulate what they have already done. So please, I implore you to not approve this at this point and to reach out to the folks in our chapter who are willing to help support the city's efforts to do the right thing for the future. Thank you. Thank you. Are there any other speakers who wish to speak in opposition to the project? If so, please step to the microphone, identify yourself, and proceed. Good evening, commissioners and city staff. My name is Jeremy Bowman. I'm a resident of the adjacent track to the south. uh this highdensity development is not congruent with the overall rural nature and scenic vistas of this area. Specifically, uh on Eagle Ridge Street, the lot sizes are 5,000 square ft. Across the street on the south side of Eagle Ridge, the current lot sizes are about 8 to 9,000 square ft and the frontage is drastically different. Um, also on Bald Eagle Street, the street was built orienting northwest and southeast with the intention of providing owners with a vista of the mountains. Uh, most of the lots will be low enough to where that won't be interfered with, but lot 17 of phase three specifically will directly interfere with the view of three of the lots. So, I'd like some consideration as to potentially combining that with lot 18 to the north. Thank you. Thank you. Are there any other speakers who wish to speak in opposition to the project? If so, please step the microphone, identify yourself, and proceed. Seeing no additional speakers in opposition, um does any commissioner have any questions for the public or staff on this item. Please uh remember this is not the time to what rebuttals after comments. Yeah. Uh this is comments so or questions not comments. Please remember this is not the time to express any opinions on the matter. Only time to ask questions. So commissioners any questions? My apologies. Pull up my Okay, Commissioner Core. Um, I have question for this staff as uh Miss Lori mentioned something about methane leak on the property. Is it on the property or on the surrounding areas? Was there any leak found? Uh staff has no knowledge of any leak within this property. Um several I think a couple years ago there was leaks found to the east of this property. Um and for the client um was there any phase one or phase two done on the on the property? Hi Hunter Troxel again. Um can you uh clarify what you mean by phase one and phase two? Phase one study or phase two study environmental any leaks of any um yeah pretty much for leaks. Uh I do not have any knowledge of any leaks studies that have been done. Um there were several oil wells that have been abandoned on the property. I do know of that. And then um uh running along the east and the west of this property is the Mojave pipeline that was mentioned earlier. Uh but we are unaware of any leaks that have occurred at the from the Mojave pipeline especially in our area or specifically in our area. And those oil wells um they have been capped and um properly closed off. Yes, they've been abandoned. Um I believe there was one in the north uh east corner that was in the process of being capped. Uh but it has substantial work has been done by our client to ensure that they are uh being abandoned properly to current standards. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Core. I I would just add that we have Brandon Martin also adding uh in response to Commissioner Carr. Um the project was essentially graded in 2006, at least the land. Um I'm not sure how that would happen if there wasn't phase one soil testing for environmental concerns. Um just as a matter of the law. Uh, and we're a little short-handed tonight because our project manager is sick and he's not able to be here, but I can hear him in the back of my head saying, "Oh my gosh, why didn't you know, please don't allow if if you need us to if it's a really pressing matter, I'll get him on the phone if I need to. Just let me know." And the I'm sorry, u you said the property has been graded. My understanding is the property was graded as part of the earlier development effort in 2006. But then the wells are not capped off at that time. I'm not sure when the wells were capped off. Okay. They were they were I've just been I just don't know but I was just told by engineering that the the wells were capped off previous to that. Okay. Thank you. Sorry. the new technology. Um, thank you, Commissioner Core. Commissioner Strickland, I've got a I guess first question for staff. Um, speaking to takes and related to studies of habitat for protected species, the studies done in pre-construction, can you speak to in construction activities what the expectation is if uh burrows for kit foxes are found or protected species, they they still have protection under the project, right? That's correct. Um there is a biological study um submitted or completed and submitted to the state prior to ground disturbance and that's at our at the city level it's grading permit application and there's a list of standard mitigation measures that the state applies if endangered species are um found on the property. depending on the particular species, there's a whole list of mitigation measures that are attached to the project that the developer must comply with and they they exist throughout the entire project, right? So, we're not done talking about protection of the Kip Fox today when they start constructing homes. If they were to see a Kip Fox, then they have to follow those mitigated declarations, right? It depends on the mitigation measures that the state applies to the project. There could there could be a mitigation measure that requires them to provide artificial dens um or not. It just depends on a case- by case basis that is in in the inventory of mitigation measures available. Okay. Thank you. And then for the applicant, I I think I had two questions. One was related to grading. This was graded previously. I've driven by this lot quite a bit. It's been graded for a while. Is is the current development plan for the track map to regrade again or are you planning on using the grading as it is today? The plan is to regrade the site. It was originally graded uh I believe back in 2006 um and then the as I mentioned earlier the project was abandoned due to the recession. So they got to grading and then stopped at that point. Um the grading will the grading design has changed to accommodate the increase in lots. We've changed some road paths as well. Um, as mentioned, this Mojave pipeline, uh, we have avoided crossing over their pipeline with our roads. So, things of that nature have been redesigned. Okay, cool. Thank you. And then following on, Commissioner Core, the capped wells, if there's any uh capping that's done above ground, will there be any protection installed by the owner during or is everything going to be sub ground? Nothing to Uh, everything I believe is underground. Cool. Great. Thanks. And then uh I guess the final question would be if approved when do we when do we think construction would begin on the first phase? Uh that's largely dependent on um how quickly we can get through plan review. Um and then I believe there were some special studies uh for the bi that our biological consultant would complete. Uh I believe starting this summer there are more studies. Uh I would imagine it depends on a plan check log and how quickly we can turn those around. maybe conservatively 6 to 12 months. There's a range. Um, our developer uh intends to begin construction as soon as possible. Okay. So, we we shouldn't see anything delaying this. You're you're expecting once you get through plan check, you're ready to construct. Yes. Cool. Thank you. That no further questions. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Martin. Yes. So I think you guys asked a couple questions that I was going to ask. Um I did read the letter um Miss Pantes while that was submitted and one thing you mentioned and what is our obligation or what would be customary staff regarding valley fever and any type of of testing that happened at the greeting process or um what is the requirement on that? That's the only question that wasn't answered yet. I believe the developer is obligated to u consult with public health department from the county and the county has protocols related to training on-site personnel and guidelines related to weather conditions and whether construction activities would occur or not and at what time would that uh take place prior to prior prior. Okay. Okay. Very good. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Martin. Seeing no additional commissioner questions, um we will now move into the rebuttal period. As discussed, um let me um we will move into rebuttal period. Please note uh this is a fivem minute total time for both sides. Um is there anyone who wishes to provide a rebuttal on this item? If so, please be prepared to step to the podium. Each side will have a total five minutes to so make your comments succinctly without repeating the remarks of previous speakers to ensure that everyone who wishes to provide rebuttals uh comments has a chance to do so. And um as we last heard from those opposed to the project, uh we will begin with those in support of the project. If you'd like to come to the front to uh save transit time, please make your way and uh we will begin with those in a fivem minute total time for those in favor of the project. Please uh introduce your or My name is Brandon Martin. B R A N D A O N M A R T I N. No relation to Commissioner Martin. Uh but addressing Commissioner Martin's concern, if it's not already a condition of approval, uh we will yield to the county's uh protocol for uh protecting um construction workers from uh our valley's uh valley fever concerns. Um I had my father collapsed on stage in in Texas as a result of his battle with valley fever. Uh and we definitely want to make sure that uh we condition our product our project to to uh to support um the people who will be working on it and helping to build our homes here in our community. Um on the aesthetic issue, there's not really that much we can do. Uh the bottom line is I came up here and I discussed the economics of this. Uh what what the city's asked for and what the state is asking for in housing product has changed and I think the economics of it has changed. Uh it's true there are houses in neighboring that are on larger lots. Um if we're going to make this affordable for people, they can't be those same large lots. Uh it's just a different thing. Um we stand open to discussions uh if this is appealed and hopefully it won't be um where we could have some kind of mitigation. I just don't understand how it could really pencil out. Uh I also frankly from your commission standpoint uh creating a kind of informal viewshed protection precedent that you guys would put into effect by voting for that kind of protection just doesn't make sense for the economics of building here. Um that's something that has driven Orange County to disaster and we don't need it here. Um, in terms of uh in terms of the Sierra Club's comments, um, again, you know, if we had a a vesting map that would have been an environmentally inferior project by quite a bit, uh, we would have been lettered by the Sierra Club, uh, they would have written a very similar letter to they did, but we went ahead and changed it and created a drastically environmentally superior project, and yet we're still lettered. Um, perfection is the enemy of good. Um, but we will uh certainly work with the Sierra Club um to address any concerns that we can. [Music] Please identify yourself and proceed. Yes. Uh Hunter Troxville. Again, um I will comment on uh Mr. Bowman's concerns. Um unfortunately uh that neighborhood that uh is just directly south of our project uh there are no uh protected uh viewsheds at this time for that uh development. Um and uh I believe we addressed that and then uh planning staff addressed that comment earlier. Um, and then in terms of the increased density of the lots, uh, we are still in compliance with R1 lowdensity zoning, um, for single family homes, uh, excuse me, R1 single family home zoning. Um, the new the updates to the municipal code allow up uh, as little as 4,500 square feet. Um, and so with most of our product being in the five to 6,000 range, we are above the minimum uh by a size. But, um, as Brandon has mentioned here, uh, this should allow a easier a less a smaller barrier barrier to home ownership, uh, to a lot of, uh, residents of the the city. So, um, I think this is all I have to say. Thank you. Seeing as um as you're not speaking in favor of the project, I assume, right? No, I just assume there was nobody else. Yeah, I I I'll formally close those in in favor unless uh Yeah. So, at this time, um are there any other speakers wanting to provide rebuttal comments in favor of the project? Seeing none, um we will close the rebuttal period for those in favor and move to the rebuttal period for those in opposition. Um, as mentioned previously, this is a fivem minute total time. So, please uh be succinct, respect others wishing to make comments, and if you wish to make comments, I might recommend you move to the front row. So, with that, we have five minutes on the clock. Please identify yourself and proceed. Yeah, Lori Pasante again. Uh, the the very existence of the questions that I heard tells me that the M&D is totally inadequate. Those questions needed to have been answered before approval of this, right? It is improper to defer the formulation of mitigation measures until after project approval. It's totally inapprop. They have to be answered now. Right? And yes, there is a settlement on this property that hasn't really been mentioned in any kind of detail. Nobody here seems to know that there's already a settlement on this exact property. So, I would highly recommend that you go back and look at that. Additionally, uh I just attended an oil well remediation conference. Those are a thing now, right? We have been poking holes in the ground for over a hundred years. And as our city grew, that means that we developed on top of them, there are oil wells that have been abandoned that we don't even know where they are. They are so-called undocumented wells. No joke, that is what they're calling them. There is no reason to believe because no analysis has been provided, no survey has been conducted that there isn't something like that in and especially in this area, especially in this area. And even the USC professor who spoke as a keynote, who works for oil companies, by the way, said that you have to monitor wells forever, even if they have been properly abandoned and plugged and capped. And I hear nothing from the project proponent about monitoring in this area. Nothing. We've already had the methane leaks at the Morning Star development. We have to be smarter. That methane is 300 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. We cannot mess around with this. And one final note, um, it's a common last name, but I just want it for the record. Is there any kind of conflict of interest between Mr. Martin and Mr. Martin? Um, no. Please don't take that personally, but I did want to note that for No, there is not. I know Brandon Martin, but no. But no relation, no conflict. No. Fantastic. Or I would have conflicted out and I wouldn't have asked the questions I did. Well, I've been to the Kern County Planning Commission, so you got to ask these questions. You know what I'm saying? Fair enough. Yes, ma'am. Thanks. Thank you. Are there any other speakers wishing to speak in opposition uh and provide rebuttal comments? Seeing no additional uh rebuttal comments, I will now close the public hearing on the item and return it to the commission for comments and action. Commissioners, Commissioner Martin. Yeah. Um, I want to thank the the applicant for mentioning my concerns with with Valley Fever. I too had a family member who um nearly died in early 30s who was in ICU for several weeks over that. So, it's something I take very personally. I think overall, I mean, this it seems as though the applicant has um has complied with with what they need to do. And additionally, you know, we do have a lot of folks that need to average home price in Bakersfield now, I believe, is about $367,000. So, you know, this is a 25% reduction from when the first track in the early 2000s was about 31 of an acre uh at at 269 lots now at 363 0.23 of an acre. So, it is smaller. So, I understand um the neighbor who who brought up Jeremy in your your letter, you know, that the you know, it could block the view and different things, but unfortunately, as it goes, you know, it appears to me they they have a right to to build and they've gone through what they've needed to to do to be compliant. And perhaps this allows more folks to to have a single family home in this town where 5 years ago the average home price was 260, 250. So, we're really jumping up there and we have to have these type of things so people can continue to have the American dream um in our in our great community. So, um that's just a few thoughts on my end um to my fellow commissioners and the public. Thank you. Thank you, uh Commissioner Stricklin. Yeah, thank you. So, I I kind of wanted to echo the same. This is kind of a great project location. Like I said, I've driven by it quite a bit. It'd be a really good use for affordable homes. Um, I tell people all the time, I'm originally from South Carolina. We didn't pay $300,000 for 5,400 square foot, right? So, it it's a culture shift to come to California and look at now the standard is 4,500, right? So, these are bigger than that, but it is the way California is going to handle the population density. And I I know it's not a favorable thing, but if that's what we've got to do to make affordable housing so people can get out of apartment locks and get into their own property, then I'm in support of that. especially this is a challenging location with the pipeline through it with the abandoned wells to find someone willing to develop on a property that has unique challenges and build a community. Um, you know, I really look forward to that. You know, the only comment I would make is I would like to see a phased plan once that builds the park in phase one and not phase two or three. I understand the economics of it, but we do look at a lot of houses where we get phase one or two or three done. we don't have the park and then that's in the later phase and you've got half the houses built and no park. I know we've got a public park nearby on this but anyway that's a soap box but I appreciate the applicant for bringing this forward and if approved I would like to see kind of where this goes in the next couple years. So thank you. Thank you Commissioner uh Brent Oliver. I just want to tell the um the lady back there from the Sierra Club that we we do hear all your concerns or at least I hear the concerns. I appreciate your passion for that. I appreciate your passion for our community and your kids and everybody else's kids. Um I do think that the developers have done a a good job and our staff has done a great job of um doing the testing and the exploration and there are measures in place that during construction there are standards they have to meet and as things come across I mean there I've heard of a project out south of town that they got going and man they had to stop that week. So we there are measures in place that if they run across biologics things will be handled and they will be held to those standards. So, I just feel like the applicant and our staff has done their job and I support I support this truck map as well. Thank you. There any other commissioner comments? Commissioner Biddle, sorry, not to repeat what everybody else was saying, but yes, I do hear you on the valley fever and and looking at these lots and how we build and making sure that we are good neighbors when we do do these developments is very important. So, that is something that's watched the entire time and valley fever is something that's on all of our minds. So, we do expect our developers to take caution when they do develop, but this is the type of housing that we do need. someone like me that lives by myself, it's not, you know, feasible for me to have a 15,000 square foot lot, but it is for something that's about 5,000 square foot lot. So, it's nice to see options. It's not quite the missing middle ground that we need, but it is something that's going to bring the densifications out there that'll bring the schools and the grocery stores and all the amenities that make communities unique. So, I um am the commissioner for this area, so I would like to move to approve this project. Thank you. Um, I'm just going to give my comments and then we'll we'll we'll note that Commissioner Bill, sorry. I um and Commissioner Biddle, you I will gladly let you make the motion. Um, I just want to say um I really appreciate the conversation tonight. I appreciate the Sierra Club showing up. I think um we look about we look at how we grow as a community. I think um we have micro and macro decisions and they aren't they aren't exclusively independent but I do think that um you know the city as a policy looking at things um distinctions like the last community without a climate action plan. The things that we don't address at a macro scale can sometimes make these conversations at a project scale very difficult because they're conversations that we need to have as a community. I applaud staff for the work that has been done in the aspects of um biological resources uh valley fever. I think uh those conversations have been going on in the city. I've seen a lot of movement and uh you know I think we live in a time and we live in a state where those conversations are always moving and I think I I want to both applaud and challenge the staff to just um keep advocating for our community but keep also learning because this these are things that at kind of a macro scale we need to work on. That being said, I I do um you know, I've been on this commission for a while and um vesting track tenative track maps that never change is just part of doing business on this commission. Our city's policy grants extensions to where um track maps that have were approved when I was in high school are still working through the system and it it shores up it ties up a lot of land from learning from our past because they are tied to a size. They are tied to a number of units. They're tied to a development style. I appreciate um the work of this developer to bring back a project that appears to address um you know when I look at this portion of the northeast. It is walking distance to a school. It is near a regional park. Our city has made a decision that we are moving in that direction. There is infrastructure in place. We can talk about the coveted grocery store too or other features that still need to make their way out there, but the community has made a decision that this, you know, and this decision was made in the early 2000s. And so to me, I just want to applaud um a project that makes um a truly walkable path from all of these residents to a school. It doesn't require them to cross an arterial street or walk a quarter mile out of their way to cross a street to come back. Um I think you know as we look at these projects that um were dreamed up by our predecessors 20 25 years ago um I just I I do appreciate that um somebody saw an opportunity at this land to both meet a goal of California which is to provide more housing. look at the challenge of that as we've learned from the housing element that providing housing is not a one-sizefits-all and this meets that sort of middle area. And so and then acknowledging circulation patterns, open space um and kind of playing off the Thorner Elementary neighborhood. I just um I just wanted it to be noted that that to me is appreciated and um but al and so with that I will return it to Commissioner Biddle um to make your motion. Yeah. One more time. Sorry. All right. I'll make a motion to approve um line item A 6A. I'll second. Thank you, Commissioner Martin. Commissioners, please cast your votes. Excuse me, Chair. Yes. May I recommend um to clarify and to document the applicant's statement that they will follow the county's county health's protocol regarding valley fever that we add that condition. Yes. Tonight that Thank you for the recommendation. And can we have commissioner make a third motion? Do you mind noting the um addition of that? I move to approve 6A with the addition of uh following the Kern County Health Department's uh what is it called? Ballet fever guidelines. Second. Thank you, Commissioner Bill. Commissioner Martin, commissioners, please cast your votes. Motion passes with Commissioner Neil absent. Thank you, Madame Clerk. Next item, please. Item 6B. Excuse me. Chair, may I read the appeal? Yes, please read the appeal. Thank you. You may appeal an a decision by the c by the commission to the city council within 10 days of the commission's decision. The the appeal must be submitted to the city city clerk at 1600xen Avenue Bakersville, California. Your appeal must satisfy the requirements of the Bakersville municipal code and may require a non-refundable fee filing fee. If you are a if you are a resident within sorry if you are a property owner within the notice area there is no charge. Thank you. Thank you. May we move on to um is it formerly 6B now or is it 5A? It's 5A. Yes, that's what I thought. Yeah, it's item 5 A. Um, Miss Ing, would you please provide us your staff report on item? I'd like to introduce Michael Bell, a planning technician for the planning department. Good evening, commissioners. My name is Michael Bell, development service technician with the development service department. I'm here to present agenda item 5A, comprehensive sign plan 24-006. The project is located at 2201 Taft Highway near the southwest corner of Taft Highway and Capani Street. The site is situated with within the M1 and M2 zoning districts. The general plan designation for the site is LI and SI. The applicant NK Signs is representing the property owner Bakersfield 119 LLC. They're proposing a comprehensive sign plan with the deviation from Bakersville Municipal Code that includes the following. A proposed 75 foot tall pylon sign where the ordinance permits a maximum height of 35 ft. A directional certified CAT scale sign located at in the center of within the center at a height of 20 21 ft totaling 113 square ft where the ordinance allows 6 feet in height and 6 feet in area. The other two proposed signs meet the guidelines within the municipal code which include a monument reader board on Taft Highway and a pylon sign on Campyani Street. The wall signage within the project will conform to the sign standards as outlined in the municipal code. Planning spoke with the applicant and they have agreed to meet all requirements stated in the municipal code pertaining to the signs, specifically lighting standards and setback location restrictions for pylon monument signs. The sign is part of a previously approved conditional use permit. This up permit authorized the development of facilities and services for travelers and truck truckers on site. uses include restaurants, a convenience store, fuel stations, and truck services. The the proposed signage is consistent with the goals and policies of the general plan related to the industrial development. We've received no public opposition and uh for the project. The staff recommends the adoption of the resolution and the approval of comprehensive sign 24-00006 as described. That concludes my presentation. Thank you for your time. The applicant, Mr. Singh, is here to answer any questions pertaining to the proposal. Thank you. The public hearing is now open. Is there anyone who wishes to speak in favor of the project? If so, please step to the microphone, identify yourself, and proceed. Good evening commissioners. My name is Gurrit Singh. I am the developer of the this project under NK signs. So just request uh because is identical sign for a stop is necessity to for a uh to develop a business. So please um whatever we will do is under the law of of uh city laws and uh we are just uh everything uh whatever the guidelines we will do before building permit we will um it will be in the in the file and we just request to approve this plan. Thank you. Thank you. Are there any other speakers in favor of the project? Seeing no additional speakers in favor, is there any who wishes to speak in opposition to the project? Seeing no speakers in opposition, does any commissioner have any questions for the public on this item or or staff? Please remember this is not the time to express opinions, only ask questions. Oh. Uh, Commissioner Brandt Oliver. Oh, yeah. Y um please I have a question for staff about our guidelines on the LED message board. Um I have experienced several signs in our city that are extremely bright and this looks to be an awfully large um sign and I would like to know where those standards are and how they were addressed in looking at this applicant application. Good evening. My name is Tony Hawz, principal planner for the planning department. Uh with these uh signs, uh I've spoken to uh the applicant, Mr. uh Mr. Singh, and he said that these uh LED lights, lighting or illumination will have dimming functions to it. Therefore, if there's anything that is too bright for it that uh he can always dim it down. So, just to clarify, there would be a complaint procedure that would go through if there was constituent constituents that were um concerned about the lighting e emanated from that sign. That would be one u result. Yes. Yeah. Does that answer your question or Okay. Thank you. Uh, thank you, Commissioner Brandt Oliver. Commissioner Strickland, thank you. I'll try not to make opinions here, even though my comments and questions tend to tend to blend. So, um, I just want to confirm a couple of items. I've already talked to staff on some of these items, but I wanted to bring them back up. So, can you Tony, do you mind explaining on Taft Highway the two signs allowed on Taft Highway and the frontage requirements to have signs that close together? Yes, the proposal is uh two mon excuse me, pylon signs uh one being a uh 35- ft and the other being a 75 ft. um with the uh requirements of the city standards for signs. Uh the 75- ft pylon sign that would be located at the uh along Tapped Highway to the eastern east boundary. It would be 100 ft away from the existing sign there to the east of United Rental uh to meet our standards. Sure. Um, also the two signs, proposed signs there on Tapped Highway would require a minimum of 50 ft distance between them. Sure. But there the the frontage road is sufficient to have two signs there within the city code. The frontage road uh consists of over 500 uh linear feet. Okay, great. Thank you. And then tying on to Commissioner Brent Oliver's question around the LED. Uh, can you confirm city municipal code does cover requiring dimming features on signs even if they're in the freeway oriented zone? Those signs still require dimming? Yes. Okay. So, so no condition needed to ask for dimming. Even if they say they're going to put it in, they're required to regardless, right? That is correct. Okay, cool, vice chair. Thank you. Cool. Yeah, no worries. And then just to confirm, there's no condition needed to require. So, I'm I'm backward on the map because it's north is down, but I want to say to the west is the United Rentals. Is that correct or no? You know what? There's a United Rents facility nearby that's going to have the large 75 ft sign. It's to the uh the United Rental that's existing uh sign is to the east. East. Okay. Uh and yes, from that sign, uh the proposed sign would have to be 100 feet away from the United Rental. Got it. And and there's no condition required for that. That's again going back to city development standards that they just have to do that regardless of where it shows on their current map. Correct. Following the municipal code of 17.60, uh the standards and setbacks and distances are there and would have to be met unless a deviation was requested and there was no deviation upon that. Cool. Well, thank you so much. No further questions. Thank you, Vice Chair. Thank you, Commissioner Strickland. Commissioner Martin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, so I just wanted to confirm with with staff and I I think you you did make that clear, Jenny, but I also wanted uh my fellow commissioners to hear this as well. One question that I had, I mean, understanding M2 limits signs like this at 35 ft, but I wanted to know 35 feet above grade, but I I wanted to know um if there were others in the area, specifically those that are of a similar business, if they were also afforded that same 75 ft sign and their justification letter, they mentioned, you know, it allows us to stand out and it's it's great and it looks it's a very nice sign, Mr. Singh. Um and so I just wanted to make sure they were afforded that same luxury and they were um that loves travel on the northwest corner of Taff Highway and H also got the exemption, you know, for 75 ft sign. So I think that that helps me because I always want to make sure that the competition is fair that if we allow one and the gas station or or beautiful beautiful first class truck stop rather, excuse me, also got that same uh that same exemption so that that way we have fairness across the board and and that was the case. So that's why I I just wanted to make that comment today and that's why I wanted to to see it pulled. So forgive me for wasting more time on it, but I think that's important. So thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Chair Kedar. Yes. I just had a comment in regards to Commissioner Bryant Oliver. Um I found the section in the MUN code that talks about how we're able to regulate the brightness and so it is covered in our MUN code. Um it's uh 17.60 subsection A subsection E. Thank you. It's really important to me to know that we have a process that we've addressed that and that I might be calling about a sign that's near near where I live. And now that I know they have dimmers, that's that's amazing. Thank you. You're welcome. Not uh under the purview of this hearing, but good to know. Yeah, perfect. Yeah. Um I appreciate it. Um okay, I see no other commissioner uh questions. And um as there are only speakers in favor, I'm going to opt if the speaker that we forgo the rebuttal because there's no speakers in opposition. That's fine. Yes, you're okay. Then I will close the hearing and move to the commission for comment and action. So move to Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Uh Commissioner Murd. Okay. Oh, let me uh I will note your intent and provide uh uh Commissioner Strickland. He has to say it twice now. Um but maybe not three times. Yeah, we'll see. So I just want to make a couple comments. Mr. Singh, I really appreciate you coming here. Um, I know that this is a consent item and we typically don't it's rare that we pull consent just because they're usually developed by staff. It's all understood. So, I appreciate your time. I'm sorry for that. Um, I would like to thank staff. I had quite a bit of questions on this one. Um, and I've worked with uh Missing and Tony on on getting those clarified over the weekend this morning or this evening. Um, just as a general comment, a lot of the questions I had are when I when I look at staff development plans and signed development plans, whatever comes in from the applicant, I try and look at it from how the public would look at it, right? If the public lived in the area, they pulled up the map set and they want to say, "Hey, you know, is this something I want in my area or is this something that fits or whatever?" And I I just had a lot of issues with some inconsistencies on this map set. There's a couple of tables for sign criteria that don't match the drawings, that don't match the comprehensive sign plan, that don't match the overall site plan location. Um, and I I thank staff for clarifying that with me, but just as a comment, you know, it's it's it's difficult for the public to be involved on things like this as it is, right? It's hard for engagement on the public typically and it's not incredibly helpful if the drawings are inconsistent, right? So, a lot of my questions were really just, well, what are they actually putting here? What is the actual size? It was all in that uh CAT scale which is probably the least important sign on this whole deal. Um similar comment on the drawings that we get in the staff plan. It it it is difficult to read the frontage numbers. Some of these don't have measurements. So the sign locations are showing kind of right against the street. So a lot of my questions are hey this is well within the 25 foot from the property line. This is you know we're seeing 300 foot here and the code is 500t for two signs on the same frontage. Um, and I I understand Mr. Singh, I'm sorry for bringing your project through this, but I really just wanted to express those that sometimes these are a little difficult to see. Either it's an upload issue or the raw files. Um, so a lot of these questions are really turning into clarifications on drawings that are a little um hard to read. So I I really want to thank staff for their time this week. Thanks again, Mr. Singh, for coming. Uh, I wish you luck again and and thanks for Commissioner Martin for bringing up the uh competiting gas station across the freeway and and again this is only 100 or so feet outside the freeway oriented zone so shouldn't even come to us other than it's just outside of it. So again appreciate all the time today and and I'll let Mr. Martin make his motion again. All right. So move Mr. Chair. Good time Mr. Charm. All right. May I get a second? I'll second. Thank you, Commissioner Brandt Oliver. Commissioners, please cast your votes. Motion passes with Commissioner Neil absent. Thank you, Madame Clerk. Next item, please. Agenda item seven, new business. Missing, would you please provide us with the new business items? Uh, tonight is the night that you will select a new chair or vice chair and is the termination of this commission who those people will be. Fantastic. [Music] Do we have a nomination? So, it's actually in your script if you want to look at it. Oh, thank you. Whoa. All right, then. Let it be known. Nominations are open for a chair. There is no need for a commissioner to be physically present to be nominated. Are there any nominations? Sure. Um, yes. Request to speak. I would like to nominate Adam Strickland. Oh, I would like to second that nomination. I'll third that nomination. All right. I think uh are there any other nominations? Does your script have my speaking part? Says uh nominations are now closed unless you uh I think you can reject the nomination. No, I'll accept their nomination. But okay, you accept the nomination. I accept the nomination. Yeah. Okay. So then um there were there were three nominations. So then we do need to motion and second. So is there a motion to elect Commissioner Strickland to chair? I'll make a motion to elect Adam Strickland as our chair. Thank you, Commissioner Biddle. Is there a second? I'll second. Commissioner Core. We will conduct a roll call vote. Keeping it old school. Commissioner Kedar. Yes, Commissioner Strickland. Yes, Commissioner Biddle. Yes, Commissioner Brandt Oliver. Yes, Commissioner Core. Yes, Commissioner Martin. Yes. Commissioner Neil absent. Motion passes with Commissioner Neil absent. Thank you, Madame Clerk. Uh, nominations are now open for vice chair. There is no need for a commissioner to be physically present for a nomination. Are there any nominations? I'd like to nominate Commissioner Biddle for vice chair. Okay. Commissioner Biddle are there. So, I'll second it. Commissioner Core, I'll second as long as you'll accept it before I before I throw in my third. I'll accept. All right. Then I throw my third. Fantastic. All right. Cool. Um, are there any other nominations? Okay, the nominations are now closed. May I have a motion to elect Commissioner Bidd to vice chair? I'll motion. Commissioner Martin, may I have a second? I will second that motion. Commissioner Strickland. Madame Clerk, would you please conduct a roll call vote? Yes. Commissioner Kedar. Yes. Vice Commission. Wait. Chair Strickland. Yes. Commissioner Biddle. Yes. Commissioner Brent Oliver. Yes. Commissioner Core, yes. Commissioner Martin, yes. Motion passes with Commissioner Neil absent. Fantastic. All right. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Next item, please. Item number eight, uh, item agenda item eight, communications. Does staff have any comm communication items? Yes, I do. I'd like to congratulate Vice Chair Bidd and Commissioner Brent Oliver for reappointment to the planning commission for another four years and we will have a meeting May 15th. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Next item, please. Agenda item nine, commission comments. Does any commissioner have any comments? Commissioner Strickland, thank you. I prepared an acceptance. Uh, no, I I just want to say thank you for the nomination and especially the uh acceptance of that. And I I just want to say I was fortunate enough to come in uh under chair Basher who's gone to bigger and better things and at the time vice chair Kater and the last year under chair Kater has been great. I I think one of the most professional people I've met in both private and personal life um in public speaking has been just great to learn from. I uh I really really hope that next year goes just as smoothly. Um and if not, I uh look forward to blaming it on someone else. So, thank you so much and uh sorry for sorry for delay in the evening. I'll add thank you for the comments, the kind words. I am really excited to see both of you in this new capacity. I look forward to sitting at the edge and moving away from the middle. Um but no, but just thank you uh for taking the responsibility. Thank you for It's been a pleasure to serve with all of you. Um, it is shocking that Commissioner Brandt Oliver has already been reappointed because I feel like you just joined us. Uh, that felt a little quick, but congratulations. Uh, if it had gone the other way, that would have felt kind of weird. So, thank you. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, yeah. Um, but I just want to say, uh, we look forward to the upcoming Yep. And uh there no other commissioner and I'm sad that I cannot introduce you to my family who is now off um creating what I'm sure will be heritage level pottery uh that we make ourselves. So we shall see. But um with that, Madame Clerk, next item, please. Agenda item 10, adjournment. This meeting is adjourned at 6:39. Have a great evening. Thank you. [Music] [Music]