TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

The Kern County Planning Commission voted 3-0 Thursday night to permit an artist to bury a commercial jetliner 38 feet below the surface of the Mojave Desert as part of a land-based art project.

No one expressed concerns that it might cause extreme confusion for future archeologists.

Swiss artist Christoph Buchel applied for the conditional-use permit that will allow him -- if multiple requirements are met -- to dig a huge hole on his property near Boron, place a 153-foot-long Boeing 727 in the hole and cover it with soil.

"This has to be the most unique thing I've had to look at since I've been doing this," said planning Commissioner Pete Belluomini.

The engines and jet fuel will be removed prior to the plane's installation. The interior will retain the appearance of a commercial passenger jet, but new electrical, plumbing and ventilation systems will be installed.

The desert landscape over the plane will be restored to look as if nothing has changed. According to the artist's plan, a 400-foot tunnel will connect a small parking area to the door of the jet to allow visitors to enter.

Derrick Roorda, a structural engineer with the firm Buro Happold, attended Thursday night's meeting. Roorda said he is assisting Buchel in realizing his vision for the project.

In reading a statement describing the artist's approach, Roorda said Buchel "creates hyper-realistic environments that are, in essence, like walking into a mind at work." Buchel, he said, has developed "an artistic sensibility that allows layers of social and political commentary to permeate within a uniquely contemplative space."

Just one member of the public expressed reservations about the project. Arthur Unger, a member of the executive committee of the Kern-Kaweah chapter of the Sierra Club, suggested that solar panels should be placed as a roof over the parking area at the site. He also expressed concerns about the emissions created by vehicle trips from a museum in Los Angeles.

But the conditions of the permit -- which apparently mesh with the artist's concept -- place a severe limitation on the number of visitors to the subterranean airliner. A maximum of just three van trips per week, each carrying five visitors and a docent, will be allowed. That's just 15 visitors per week.

They will be able to use the plane's restrooms, which will be connected to an on-site septic system.

Cornelia Providoli, who represents Buchel's artistic interests, said in an email Thursday that construction plans are ongoing and will be finalized within the next couple of months.

The number of visitors is very low, she said, because each visitor must have an opportunity to explore the artwork in an environment that is as private as possible.

Limited visitation will also prevent an increase in traffic to the remote landscape, she said, "out of respect to the desert environment."

"Terminal," the title of the piece, "should be experienced in the silence of the desert," she added.

But before any work begins, additional requirements, including fire safety, must be clearly defined.