Willow Springs development approval put on hold until April 8th

Relationship to specific plan checked

BY BILL DEAVER Mojave Desert News

WILLOW SPRINGS - County planning commission approval of a giant housing development near here was delayed until April at last week's meeting of the commission, which is chaired by Chris Babcock of Mojave.

Dave Rickles of the Kern County Planning Department, said consideration of the proposal to build 1,201 homes in the area bounded by Avenue A, Gaskell Road, and 110th and 120th Streets West, was delayed until April 8th because of some questions relative to the project and the implementation of the Willow Springs Specific Plan, "that we have to look into and resolve."

"There are a couple of policies in the specific plan that require certain things be done before a project can proceed, and there's a question as to whether or not these things have been done," Rickles said. "We need to look at these policies and see if they have been complied with, or whether the policies need to be changed." The department is also consulting with the county counsel concerning the issues.

Policies involved

Rickles said one of the policies relates to payment of a fee for developing a program, before a project can proceed, and the fee has not been paid.

"The program involves the development of a master services and facilities plan," Rickles said.

Big project

When fully built out, the new community could have as many residents as currently live in Mojave. In addition to homes, an 18-hole golf course with nine small lakes is planned for the development along with a three-acre commercial area with a service station and store. Houses are planned to be built around the golf course and the store will be located at the northeast corner of Gaskell and 120th Street.

Developers will be required to pay transportation mitigation fees of $1,461 per dwelling unit and a per-square-foot fee for commercial property. The $1.7 million that would be raised at full build out will be used to handle increased traffic loads on roads leading to and from the project

The developers are working with the Rosamond Community Services District concerning standards for water and sewer services to be installed in the development. They are also working with Air Force and Navy officials to require residents of the development to be notified that military aircraft on low-level operations will be flying over the project.

Mojave plan change

In other business at the commission's meeting, commissioners approved a minor change in the county airport land use compatibility plan to recognize future expansion of the Mojave-Rosamond Sanitary Landfill in the airport's area of influence.

They also okayed a conditional use permit to allow a mobile home and kennel to be built on Gaskell Road near the proposed Copa de Oro development. Responding to a question from the commission, planning staff said they foresee no potential conflict between the Haskell Road project and Copa de Oro.

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