Tehachapi Area General Plan – 1958

Conducting my usual “digging” through my mother Marion Deaver’s files, I stumbled onto an Outline of Major Assumptions, Policies and Proposals for the Tehachapi Area General Plan in 1958.

In light of the recent retirement of City Planner David James, who was instrumental in designing the city’s new General Plan in recent years, I thought it would be interesting to see how the city began its process for a general plan in 1958.

I found a report to the Citizens’ Committee of the Tehachapi Planning Commission from Sept. 1958. In that report the committee learned that final approval was given in August, 1958 by the Federal Government to approve grant funding assistance to pay for half of the total cost for the city to create a general plan.

The committee report noted that the plan would consist of “broad policies relating to the future needs for commercial, residential, industrial, and agricultural needs. The plan would also address transportation facilities, schools, parks and other recreation area.

“The plan will not be concerned with the specific locations of various types of development, but will outline the general areas in which they are needed.”

The plan added that the adoption of new zoning and subdivision regulations, precise plans, and other governmental actions which, when taken, will “progressively establish the precise pattern of community relationships.”

The role of the community committee would be to work with the community and ensure that the general plan “is a statement of their own desires for future development of their community.”

Research was to be conducted by the committee to include history, populations, employment, income, weather, prevailing winds and land use, just to mention a few.

The General Plan’s Major Assumptions were included in another document following public hearings and work done by the committee.

The document emphasized that the outline of the plan was not the final document. Public hearings would still be held on the outline and the city council would make the final determination on the final plan.

The writers of the outline added that it was not a zoning ordinance and that such an ordinance would be written once the general plan was approved.

The Major Assumptions, concerning future population and employment, included 15 different statements about Tehachapi.

“The ideal climate and scenic beauty of Tehachapi Valley will, in the future, attract greater numbers of families seeking relief from the state’s congested and polluted metropolitan areas.”

Another assumption was that the 10 to 15 degrees temperature differential between the San Joaquin Valley and desert would attract families to the area.

The freeway from Mojave to Bakersfield through the Tehachapi Valley would be completed prior to 1970.

Cement dust from the plant in the Tehachapi Valley would eventually be controlled by management making the valley still more inviting for living.

Water shortage would not be a deterrent to growth. “Through intelligent conservation measures and modern farming practices future demands for water will be met.”

Another assumption was that “Mojave will expand economically and will have a positive direct effect on population in the Tehachapi Valley.”

The assumptions included “no let-up in the expanding prison population of the state, creating more growth of the Tehachapi prison.”

Major Policies stated that “Urban ‘scatteration’ should not take place throughout the Tehachapi Valley.”

The outline suggested that all public buildings should be groped in a new civic center.

“Urban development should not be planned for north of the proposed freeway at this time.”

We can all see how times have changed since 1958. The newest General Plan made history in at least Kern County by the way it was developed and written.

The city staff and council held public meetings to seek public input for the new plan, utilizing a “cherette” plan. The plan encourages development other than massive housing developments but looking at smaller neighborhood developments.

Kudos to the city staff and David James for the many, many hours spent to create and complete the city’s newest plan.