New projects approved

New businesses were front and center at the Tehachapi Planning Commission meeting on Feb. 10 beginning with The Village Collective that will be located on South Green St. at the corner of F St. Mountain Top Real Estate Holdings, LLC submitted new architectural designs for the business that at one time held the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store. The original architectural design changing the building to a restaurant with outdoor dining and office and co-workspace was approved by the Planning Commission on Oct. 8, 2018. Although there will be no changes to the interior layout, the architecture will be changed from modern to "Urban Contemporary."

Said Nikki Cummings of Mountain Top, "We wanted the building to look like it is several small businesses instead of one big business; sort of like a Disneyland facade where there are open businesses inside but several facades."

Cummings added that they would like to keep the outside paint color complementary to the Stray Leaves tasting room across the street that just recently received its final coat of paint. The new architectural design was unanimously approved by the Commission.

The Commission also approved work on several of the Walmart out-lots. A new Panda Express and drive-thru was approved for the pad at the northwest corner of the Walmart parking lot. Entrance to the Panda Express area will be through the Walmart parking lot with the restaurant entrance on the east side of the building facing their parking lot. There will be an additional 46 parking spaces adjacent to the restaurant. Two other lots facing Tehachapi Blvd. were approved for additional parking and landscaping as they remain unsold.

Also approved was the Kern River Propane facility to be developed on West J St. The 2,500 square foot metal building and two 20,000 gallon propane tanks will be constructed on the back of the property near Industrial Parkway accessed by an entrance on West J St. This entrance is necessary as Industrial Parkway is actually a private road. Landscaping and fencing is planned along the Industrial Parkway side of the property. Owner Clinton Cawley of Lake Isabella addressed the Commission stating that the family-owned company has been in business for 30 years with no accidents.

The Tehachapi Planning Commission meets the second Monday of the month at 6 p.m. in the Wells Education Center, 300 S. Robinson St., Tehachapi.