Tehachapi City Council Update

Walmart update

At the April 17 City Council meeting, Development Services Director Jay Schlosser presented two Walmart related issues. At their Feb. 21 Council meeting, the Tehachapi City Council voted for Mayor Ed Grimes to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Tehachapi and Walmart for the formation of a Mello-Roos Communities Facilities District. This CFD, financed entirely by Walmart, would ensure that Walmart would pay for landscaping, lighting and any additional police services through a tax administered by the CFD.

The requirement for the CFD arose out of the CEQA Environmental Impact Report which outlined around 200 mitigation measures. The formation of the CFD was Mitigation Measure 106.

Schlosser said that before formation of the CFD, the Council must first adopt its goals and policies. "We are just setting the framework, not setting the tax," he said

The Council voted for both the goals and policies and for the formation of the CFD. As companies must vote themselves into a Mello-Roos CFD, the City will send a Notice of Intent to form a CFD and Walmart will vote themselves in, something they have already agreed to do. The 151,000 square foot superstore should have permits in place by the end of this year and will probably break ground in early 2018.

Flying J Travel Center

The City Council also voted to approve the Tentative Parcel Map for the Flying J Travel Center which will be located at the corner of Tehachapi Blvd. and Steuber Rd. The map had been approved by the Planning Commission at their March 13 meeting. It was asked if the High-Speed Rail would come through Tehachapi near there and City Manager Greg Garrett replied that according to the current plan, it will pass right behind the Flying J and most likely be elevated.

Schlosser told the Council that the City will soon be repaving Tucker Road between Valley Blvd. and Cherry Lane. He said that they will be incorporating a product called Petromat, a non-woven fabric saturated with asphalt cement which is used to extend the life of paved areas including roads. He added that it is hoped that the work will be done by June.