Matt Martz/Special to the Sun

After several hours of intense debate, negotiations between property owners and the surrounding neighborhood residents reached a stalemate regarding the ongoing issue concerning short-term vacation rentals in Alta Sierra.

Nearly 60 attendees, including four to six rental owners who paid for the arbitration, packed the Greenhorn Grill in Alta Sierra for more than three hours on Sept. 24, to take part in a Vacation Rental Workshop mediated by facilitator Jack Hardisty of South Valley Solutions. The room was lined with large poster-sized sheets that listed all of the problems, issues, and comments that have been expressed over the past several months, from residents who are outraged at Kern County Planning Director Lorelei Oviatt’s interpretation of the area’s R‐1 zoning ordinance that allows short‐term renting in their community.

It didn’t take long for attendees to begin expressing their grievances verbally, as participation from both rental property owners and non-rental property owners ignited a rather lively discussion.

The first two hours of the meeting dealt with identifying conflicts perceived to be a direct result from the short‐term renting of Alta Sierra properties, while the final hour focused on finding solutions.

Near the end of the workshop it was clear that an agreement would not be reached, and according to a report prepared by Hardisty, “Regrettably, no agreements between the two sides were reached to help the Board of Supervisors in their consideration of this situation.”

Hardisty’s report also noted that many of the participants left the meeting before the final hour, citing that to offer solutions to conflicts would give the impression that they have conceded that short-term renting is a permitted use in an R-1 zone. As a result, many residents declined to participate in a solutions discussion, leaving primarily owners who rent out their properties, to come up with workable solutions.

Among those were to establish reasonable limits, rules and permitting requirements that would regulate their activities, prohibit open fires, establish on-street parking guidelines, limit the number of occupants in accordance with local housing codes, and organize a group or groups, or hire a local property manager to serve as an emergency contact to ensure compliance with short-term rental rules.

Amid those in attendance was resident property owner, and attorney Sheri Vining, who expressed that while she was disappointed in the mediation, alluded that some progress may have been made to help mitigate problems in the interim.

“The good thing that came out of it, was that the reasonable people of Alta Sierra met and spoke with the rental owners after the mediation fell apart,” she wrote in an email to the Kern Valley Sun. “We were able to resolve some issues concerning what information will be provided to renters in the future to help minimize trespassing, fire danger, and other disturbances.”

However, both parties will still have to wait for the County’s decision on whether or not they will continue to allow short-term renting of properties in Alta Sierra.

According to an email from Oviatt to Hardisty obtained by the Sun in response to Hardisty’s conclusions regarding the recent workshop, Oviatt stated, “I appreciate the feedback and will convey it to the Board of Supervisors along with options for permitting.”

This doesn’t resonate well with many of the area’s permanent residents, including Greenhorn Mountain Property Owners Association President Penny Lampkins.

“The big thing that bothers the property owners is the total disregard by the county for R-1, residential housing in Alta Sierra,” she said, referring to Oviatt’s response to the mediation, “The county is just going to skip over R-1 definitions, and head to permitting as you can see in Lorelei’s email. There’s something wrong about that when it is upheld in other Kern County locations.”

Other locations being considered in the Board’s decision to require rental property owners to obtain conditional use permits, include areas around Tehachapi.

Oviatt also stated in her email to Hardisty that she did not have a timeframe yet for Board consideration, but will let everyone know when that is developed.

In the meantime, area residents and rental property owners will continue to voice their arguments until the Supervisors have spoken.