ConnectingCalifornia.org: Sept 10 is First Big Hearing on Tejon development...

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Sept 10 is First Big Hearing on Tejon development...

UPDATE: The Kern County Planning Commission has approved Tejon's Mountain Village project by a 3 to 2 vote. The County Supervisors will hear the project on October 5th

to watch the hearing, http://kern.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=9&event_id=19

or try here:
http://kern.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=9

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First Big Public Hearing on Plan to Develop 10% of Tejon Ranch

http://mountainenterprise.com/atf.php?sid=5396&current_edition=2009-07-31

A public hearing is slated for September 10 before the Kern County Planning Commission (1115 Truxtun Avenue, Board of Supervisors chambers at 7 p.m.) in Bakersfield for Tejon Mountain Village, 3450 homes surrounding Castac Lake along the 5 Freeway east of Frazier Park.

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Wonder What 3450 Homes in an Eco-Paradise Looks Like?

According to the developer's pictures, they are invisible!!

FIGURE 4.1-7B from Tejon Mountain Village Draft EIR as seen from "viewpoint 2a";

"Viewpoints 2 and 2a would provide views to the
greatest amount of physical changes....overall there would be little change in views." DEIR page 4.1-16

(Click on image to enlarge)

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TRC was only planning to develop 5% of their ranch anyway…(see page 2 of their 2005 newsletter)

So the threats to develop more (claimed by some eco groups in 2008 as why they cut the deal) are bogus

http://www.tejonranch.com/data/news/newsletter/Tejon%20Ranch%20Grapevine%20-%20Spring%202005.pdf

COMMENT LETTERS ON TEJON’S CONDOR PLANS:

http://www.mountainenterprise.net/images/TejonRanch/ScientistsCommentTUMSHCP.pdf Comments from Scientists on the TUMSHCP (52 KB PDF)

http://www.mountainenterprise.net/images/TejonRanch/CBDCommentsTejonMSHCP7.7.09.pdf
Comments from the Center for Biological Diversity (5.2 MB PDF)

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WHERE TO READ ALL OF THE EIR'S

(ALL ARE MASSIVE DOCUMENTS)

http://www.co.kern.ca.us/planning/pdfs/eirs/TejonMountainVillage.pdf

THE COUNTY/TEJON RANCH'S RESPONSES TO COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT EIR:

http://www.co.kern.ca.us/planning/pdfs/eirs/TejonMountainVillage_RTC.pdf

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Also, Kern County Planners are tougher on next-door project

8/28/2009

http://www.turnto23.com/south_county/20595804/detail.html

Kern co planning dept recommends only 188 homes at Frazier Park Estates, down from 662 sought by the developer

--“The county has never approved a project built on such steep slopes in its history, according to Lorelei Oviatt of the Kern County Planning department.”

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A COLLECTION OF THIS SUMMER’S NEWS COVERAGE:

SEPTEMBER:

9/4/2009

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x616725528/Massive-Tejon-project-headed-to-first-vote

olanning commission to hear Tejon Mountain Village on Thursday sept 10

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AUGUST:

8/2/2009--Tejon Water Magick

http://www.cuddyvalley.org/blogs/nimby/?p=359

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8/3/2009

Tejon Ranch asks court to lift gag on negotiations

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/business/growth/x944962870/Tejon-Ranch-asks-court-to-lift-gag-on-negotiations

8/3/2009 TRC press release

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090803006213&newsLang=en

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8/4/2009

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/center/articles/2009/los-angeles-times-08-04-2009.html

Secret Condor Documents Released by Tejon Ranch

Thanks to relentless pressure from the Center for Biological Diversity and growing public outcry, this Monday Tejon Ranch finally acceded to the release of secret documents related to its plans for a destructive megadevelopment known as Tejon Mountain Village. The development is planned for the heart of federally protected habitat for the endangered California condor. To build there, the ranch needs to gain a "take" permit to cover its butt regarding the condor's fate (and the fate of 25 other imperiled plants and animals on the ranch). But negotiations on permits for the development -- and what to do about those pesky 26 species in the way of it -- have been kept under wraps by the ranch and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ever since the ranch sued the Service in an effort to derail the condor's recovery.

The Service kept mum on what was in the files, denying the Center's request for all documents related to Tejon Ranch's pending take-permit application, and heightening concerns about what was so "secret." We formally appealed that denial and warned the Service we'd sue. Now faced with the real threat of a lawsuit, Tejon Ranch has announced it will give up on keeping the documents confidential. But conveniently for the ranch and bad for Tejon's condors, spotted owls, and California red-legged frogs, it's too late for the public to comment on its Tejon Mountain Village plans.

Read more in the Los Angeles Times.

8/4/2009-CBD press release

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/08/04-7

8/4/2009 CBD press release

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2009/tejon-ranch-08-04-2009.html

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8/4/2009

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2009/08/tejon-ranch-co-seeks-release-of-secret-california-condor-documents.html

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8/4/2009

http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/16423/

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8/4/2009

http://ecoworldly.com/2009/08/04/tejon-ranch-companys-development-plans-include-incidental-take-permit-for-california-condors/

8/5/2009

http://rssnews.renewable-energy-sources.com/2009/08/tejon-ranch-company%E2%80%99s-development-plans-include-%E2%80%98incidental-take%E2%80%99-permit-for-california-condors/

A luxury-home subdivision in the heart of designated California Condor habitat?

That’s exactly what Tejon Ranch Company (TRC) has in mind.

In fact, Tejon Ranch Company (TRC) has had it in for the California Condors since at least 1997. That’s when they sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prevent the reintroduction of the species into Southern California.

Also links to the Ecoworldly story

8/5/2009—links to Ecoworldly story

http://help4wildlife.wordpress.com/2009/08/05/double-blow-for-ca-condors/

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8/7/2009--Big Greens Ask that Tejon's Condor Gag Order be Lifted

http://mountainenterprise.com/atf.php?sid=5399&current_edition=2009-08-07

“The June 29 letter, signed by Joel Reynolds for the Natural Resources Defense Council and Bill Corcoran for Sierra Club, continues: “...we are writing to urge you to resolve this dispute over public access to information, which is something we all should be able to agree is in the public interest and, more specifically, the best interest of our joint efforts toward conservation of Tejon Ranch.”

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8/7/2009

http://pinguinus.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/things-fall-apart/

Now that the public comment period is over, suddenly the Tejon Ranch developers are getting all disclose-y. http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/center/articles/2009/los-angeles-times-08-04-2009.html

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8/26/2009

http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/17244/

Lynne Plambeck: Condors and confidentiality

Environmentally Speaking

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JULY:

7/7/2009

My overriding considerations

http://www.cuddyvalley.org/blogs/nimby/?p=348

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7/7/2009

http://mountainenterprise.com/atf.php?sid=5244&current_edition=2009-07-03

Scientists Submit Opinion on Survival of California Condor Under Tejon Ranch Plan

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Condor Experts Condemn Proposed Tejon Ranch Development

7/8/2009

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2009/tejon-ranch-07-08-2009.html

7/8/2009—CBD press release

http://www.redrockaudubon.org/other-news/condor-experts-condemn-proposed-tejon-ranch-development/

7/8/2009

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/08/state/n134715D56.DTL&type=printable

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7/10/2009, Dry Wells, Student Safety Issues Raised to Trustees,

http://mountainenterprise.com/atf.php?sid=5247&current_edition=2009-07-10

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7/13/2009

http://www.cuddyvalley.org/projects/tmv/tmv_deir.pdf

Tri-County Watchdogs’ comment letter on the TMV DEIR,

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7/14/2009

http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/environment/no-days-of-the-condor-will-tej/

No Days of the Condor: Will Tejon Ranch Doom the Birds?

Comment by Kristian Cowan

(Rare Earth News received a comment on one of our stories from a Kris that was received from Tejon Ranch Company’s internet server, so it’s possible that the comment critical of CBD on the L.A. Weekly website is from the same person. In both cases, Kris doesn’t reveal her ties to TRC). So consider the source…

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7/17/2009--

Watchdogs Bite into Tejon Village EIR,

http://mountainenterprise.com/atf.php?sid=5297

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7/17/2009

Tejon Ranch’s project in L.A. County: Centennial and Gorman School District Sign $233M Deal to Build Schools

http://mountainenterprise.com/atf.php?sid=5328&current_edition=2009-07-17

“About Centennial
Centennial is planned to be a self-contained, self-reliant community that generates its own economic vitality. The new town will be set in harmony with its environment and fully integrated with housing, jobs, shopping, medical facilities, cultural and recreational amenities and educational institutions. It will not spring up overnight – but will grow organically over 20 years.

Centennial will have approximately 30,000 jobs along with 23,000 homes (12,800 single-family detached homes; 6,200 attached condominiums and townhomes; and 4,000 rental apartments). The homes are designed to be affordable to 74% of those working in the community.”

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7/31/2009

http://mountainenterprise.com/atf.php?sid=5396&current_edition=2009-07-31

Sierra Club and NRDC push TRC to release secret docs…

A public hearing is slated for September 10 before the Kern County Planning Commission (1115 Truxtun Avenue, Board of Supervisors chambers at 7 p.m. in Bakersfield

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JUNE:

6/2009

LA Magazine story on Tejon

http://www.lamag.com/featuredarticle.aspx?id=16048

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6/5/2009-

http://swiftspeech.blogspot.com/2009/06/tejon-ranch-and-subdivision-of.html

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6/19/2009

Tejon seeks permit for small building

http://mountainenterprise.com/atf.php?sid=5161&current_edition=2009-06-19#thumb

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6/19/2009-

http://mountainenterprise.com/atf.php?sid=5125&current_edition=2009-06-19

Gag Order on Secret Condor Documents Targeted by Lawsuit

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6/26/2009

On old plans for development around Castac Lake

http://www.cuddyvalley.org/blogs/nimby/?p=338

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6/26/2009

Kern County Planner unclear on Condor facts

http://www.mountainenterprise.com/atf.php?sid=5176

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6/26/2009

They Tried Before (and Failed)

http://www.cuddyvalley.org/blogs/nimby/?p=338

Plans to build houses around Castac Lake have been around for a long time. Samuel Bishop talked about in 1860, the Holabird appraisal in 1891 talked about it, and Harry Chandler thought about it around 1930. But the first serious plans were proposed in 1972. This resulted in the Tejon Ranch Lake DEIR and Specific Plan.

The project area was 8,100 acres, which includes Castac Lake. Of this 2,800 acres were to be developed, with about 6,000 dwellings. …

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OLDER STORIES, ASSORTED STUFF

6/29/2007

Showdown at Tejon Ranch

http://mountainenterprise.com/atf.php?sid=1106

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http://images.tribe.net/tribe/upload/photo/909/8aa/9098aa23-d318-46fa-a32c-7d4eec26cd60

wildflowers photo

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Tejon Ranch, Ritter Ranch: More Goodbyes to California

Same old same old