AT&T tower, new storefront approved by Planning Commission

Pat Doody.

After several months without a meeting, the Tehachapi Planning Commission met on Aug. 12 to consider two new projects.

The Planning Commission approved the installation of a new AT&T telecommunications tower to be located on the Rockpile located at Tehachapi Airport. The 38-foot tower will join those of Verizon and T-Mobile cellular, as well as those for the city and airport communications. AT&T customers have been waiting for such a tower for many years. A Conditional Use Permit was approved for the project in 2019 but had been postponed. A prior AT&T tower was proposed for property adjacent to Tehachapi High School but was voted down.

AT&T offered to design a camouflaged tower for the Rockpile location, but since the other towers are not camouflaged, the city suggested that AT&T could instead run an underground powerline to the top of the mound, thus improving overall aesthetics of the Rockpile.

Tehachapi resident Steven Avery and his daughter Catherine Moen presented the only objection to the project, citing the possible effects of EMF radiation on local residents. David Elliott from Eukon Group, the company contracted to construct the tower, said he could not speak to that issue as that was not his area of expertise. It was noted that the closest residents to the Rockpile are on the far south side of the airport.

Also brought before Planning and approved was a 7,200-square-foot commercial retail center to be built on a .73 acre parcel on the corner of Valley Blvd. and Aspen Dr. adjacent to the new Valley Park and on the site of the old Aspen Market. It will be constructed on the foundation of the old market.

The architectural drawings show that the building could possibly be divided into five individual units. In that case, each of the units could be 1,375 square feet, which is large enough to house a small businesses like a beauty or barber shop, or other personal care businesses. The proposed plan includes landscaping and parking for 23 cars and four bicycles.

The owner of the property, Ahmed Ghassan Nagi, stated that the current estimated date of project completion is the beginning of summer 2025.

The Tehachapi Planning Commission meets on the second Monday of the month at 6 p.m. in the Tehachapi Police Department Community Room, located at 220 W. C St.