Kern County planning commission recommends zoning changes for Lamont recycling site and removal of 4,633 acres from San Amadeo Specific Plan

The Kern County Planning Commission (date not specified) voted to recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve a general-plan amendment and zone change to allow a recycling facility in the unincorporated Lamont area and to remove roughly 4,633 acres from the San Amadeo Specific Plan and reclassify about 641 acres, the commission announced during its public meeting.

The actions were approved on the consent calendar by a 4–0 vote with one commissioner absent; both items will be scheduled for the Kern County Board of Supervisors’ public hearing on March 25, 2025.

The first consent item (GPA 27 map 1 24; zone change 20 86 map 1 24; C.P. 74 map 1 24) was described by staff as an applicant-led request from Mike Coats, Q. K. Inc., for a general-plan amendment and a zone change to permit construction and operation of a recycling facility on the north 10‑acre portion of a 20‑acre parcel. The site was described as the northwest corner of Blackburn Street and We Patch Highway in unincorporated Lamont. Staff recommended that the commission advise the Board of Supervisors to adopt a resolution finding the amendment consistent with the Metropolitan Bakersfield General Plan land-use element, approve the requested zone change and adopt the recommended conditional‑use permit and findings as set forth in the attached draft resolution.

The second consent item (S.P.A. 3 map 2 20; zone change 7 map 2 20) concerns amendments to the San Amadeo Specific Plan. Staff said the project would remove approximately 4,633 acres from the specific plan and amend underlying map‑code designations (including parks and recreation, educational, residential, commercial and resource management categories) to a map code described in the staff report as 8.3, and would include a zone change from A‑1 to A on about 641 acres. The staff recommendation included adoption of a resolution with recommended findings, enactment of an ordinance for the zone change, and application of a physical constraints overlay as described in the staff materials.

No members of the public asked to speak on either consent item, and no commissioners removed the items from the consent calendar for separate discussion. The commission took a single vote on the consent calendar: four ayes, one absent, motion carries. Staff noted that both items are recommendations and will go to the Board of Supervisors for final action at a March 25, 2025 hearing.

Also on the agenda, the commission approved minutes from a prior meeting (motion and second recorded on the transcript); the transcript does not record a roll-call tally for that minutes vote beyond the verbal “aye” responses.

Votes at a glance

- Consent: GPA 27 / zone change / conditional use permit (Lamont recycling facility) — Commission vote: recommend approval (staff recommendation adopted); commission vote recorded as 4 ayes, 1 absent; forwarded to Kern County Board of Supervisors for hearing on March 25, 2025.

- Consent: S.P.A. 3 / San Amadeo Specific Plan boundary amendment and zone change (remove ~4,633 acres; zone change on ~641 acres) — Commission vote: recommend approval (staff recommendation adopted); commission vote recorded as 4 ayes, 1 absent; forwarded to Kern County Board of Supervisors for hearing on March 25, 2025.

- Minutes: Motion to approve minutes (February 13) — Approved (transcript records vocal “ayes” but does not include a complete roll-call tally in the record).

Meeting context

The items were handled on the consent calendar and received no public comment or substantive debate at this meeting. Staff presented standard recommendations (resolutions, findings, ordinance, conditional‑use permit); the commission approved the staff recommendations and forwarded the matters to the Board of Supervisors for final consideration.

Next steps

Both land‑use recommendations will be considered by the Kern County Board of Supervisors at its March 25, 2025, public hearing. The commission’s action was a recommendation; any approvals and final conditions will be determined by the Board of Supervisors.