Motorcross Report from City of Tehachapi

In a four to one vote, the Tehachapi City Council voted to assess the value of the property located north of Tehachapi Airport which includes the Tehachapi Event Center , the Rock Pile behind the Rodeo Grounds, and the property set aside for the proposed motocross track. It is this next small step that could affect future development of that entire parcel.

Assistant City Manager Chris Kirk outlined the vote request for the Council. In 2013, the City Council adopted a Master Plan for the Event Center and Rodeo Grounds with the purpose of enhancing underutilized property for the benefit of the community and to build a long-term revenue source for the airport. Part of this plan was to include a motocross track on the west side of the Rock Pile. To support this vision, City staff submitted a grant application to the State of California for development funds generated through Off-Highway Vehicle registration fees and was subequently awarded nearly $1 million in grant funds for the construction of the motocross track and the infrastructure to support it. Under the terms of the grant, the City had three years to complete the project. All funds were to be paid out first by the City and then reimbursed by the State. To date the City has not requested any reimbursement. An environmental document has been completed under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and a facility design completed.

The problem is that the FAA has asked for a second environmental document under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). NEPA documents are only required for projects that are on Federal land or that utilize Federal funds, criteria that it was felt the project does not meet. However, NEPA is now being required because of negative letters received from a few local pilots and because of the prior acceptance of Federal grant funds. These types of documents are very expensive and, more important, time consuming (nearly $100,000 and as long as 24 months).

There now appears to be three possible options for the City to pursue.

Option 1 is to abandon the project and lose the funds already poured into it and desert the Kern County OHV community who are crying for an easily accessible place to ride. Kirk pointed out that there are over 30,000 OHVs registered in Kern County and only 11 tracks or areas to ride. This compared with 1127 airplanes registered to Kern County residents and 14 General Aviation airports.

Option 2 is to pursue the NEPA document and hope to receive an extension from the State of California for the expenditure of the OHV Grant Funds. The chance of completing these requirements before expiration of the grant funds is highly unlikely and could also result in the abandoment of the project and loss of the up front costs.

Option 3 would be to work with the FAA to release the Event Center grounds from Airport encumbrances and make it a separate entity, an option that could be accomplished within a year.

Assuming that Options 1 is the least desirable, Options 2 and 3 require steps from the FAA that must be met prior to receiving Federal approval. The first step to be considered prior to the Council making any decision on either option is to assess the value of the property.

Assistant Manager Kirk also pointed out on a map areas on the north side of the airport that are still planned for airport and business expansion including areas that could be used for fly-in parking and an airport walk-through entrance to the Rodeo Grounds and Event Center.

Many members of the airport and OHV communities attended the meeting and Mayor Wiggins told the assembly that the Council will ultimately have to make a decision. She said that the Council had received a few communications but urged the groups to write letters and emails to the council members with their thoughts, desires, and concerns. This input, she added, would be important in assisting the Council in making their ultimate decisions on the project.