Bid to Annex Gorman to Kern County Denied

Over the protests of some property owners, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted this week to oppose a boundary change that would have allowed the tiny mountain community of Gorman to be annexed by neighboring Kern County.

The board voted unanimously Tuesday to oppose the boundary change following a public hearing on the issue. Gorman sits at the northern edge of Los Angeles County along Interstate 5.

Six of the town’s 11 registered voters had voiced opposition to annexation, and the county also did not want to lose the $800,000 of sales and occupancy tax revenue it collects annually, said Paul Novak, planning deputy for Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who represents the area.

Gorman property owner Clyde Martin said he initiated the proposed boundary change after running into a wall of red tape when he sought permits to build a 3,000-square-foot home and to convert an abandoned state Department of Water Resources building into a Mennonite Church.

The Kern County resident organized 32 of Gorman’s 75 property owners -- most of whom live elsewhere -- and petitioned to have the unincorporated town annexed to Kern County. A boundary change probably would take less than the 18 months it would require to get the permits, he said.

After Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors’ vote, Martin said he’s now thinking about selling his land and buying a lot in Kern County for his home and the church, now temporarily housed in a three-car garage.