Aug. 16, 2009
It’s nice to see developers and the county creating housing plans that go beyond the mono-zoned, cookie-cutter, “un-smart” growth style that has been so highly prized here in B-town for so very long.
Nice, but in the case of the proposed Neighborhood Development in western Rosedale, no cigar.
I put this in the same category as other recently approved developments in far-flung Rosedale (along Nord Road north and south of Rosedale Highway) by Bakersfield Land Investment and Northwest Communities.
This latest development frog leapt before Supervisors last Tuesday when they tied 2-2 on requested zoning changes with Supervisor Jon McQuiston absent.
That should have killed the item, but supervisors inexplicably decided to bring it back next Tuesday when McQuiston will return.
Ah, yes, the oft-used “try, try again,” approach that’s led to success for so many developments. Wonder why that never seems to work for the regular schmoes opposed to these projects?
Anyhoo, on all of these latest western Rosedale developments, planners have required far more than they ever did before in terms of higher densities, buffers for surrounding neighborhoods (which are mostly a mix of ag land and 1/2 acre- to acre-sized ranchettes), landscaping, walkability, public transit access, higher fees and so on.
OK, that’s good.
And growth is headed that way, no doubt, so planners and politicians can’t continue to ignore problems inherent in the rural/urban face-off.
But I still maintain, as Supervisors Mike Maggard and Don Maben did with their “no” votes last Tuesday, that it’s too much, too soon.
There still are large swaths of land not only empty but there are half-done, defunct housing developments between the edge of the city and this development.
It doesn’t matter that Neighborhood Development would have housing and commercial mixed with trails, open space and more. It’s still sticking 203 units, which equals hundreds more cars trips on Rosedale Highway, in the middle of what is mostly “country” with half-paved roads and septic instead of sewer.
Bakersfield Land Investment will bring 1,100 more houses, by the by, and Northwest Communities more than 800.
The Neighborhood Development project is a little different from the others in that the land is already zoned for 1/4-acre lots so owners have the right to develop and this proposed zone change holds them to much higher standards.
But it would still mean plopping a mini-city in the middle of the boonies.
During last Tuesday’s meeting, Supervisor Ray Watson told angry neighbors this isn’t leap-frog development because the leap frogging happened long ago. His take was this will bring far more money in development fees so they can build the infrastructure to handle the increased population.
Hogwash.
If you don’t build the houses, you don’t need the infrastructure.
Two other points:
Why not wait for the general plan update before rushing to approve this and other subdivisions in that area, which isn’t slated for buildout until 2035 according to preliminary general plan maps?
Second, planners said in Tuesday’s meeting that in order to approve the requested zone changes, supervisors would have to find the development was so desperately needed it outweighed concerns about air quality, traffic and other impacts.
Huh? We desperately need another housing development? Unless Watson is holding a gaggle of home buyers captive in his garage, I don’t think so.
One neighbor I talked to said he’s not opposed to development. They all know it’s coming. He’s not even opposed to the condos being proposed as long as they’re not right on top of his property.
“But do it right,” Ed Tucker said.
And at the right time.
Opinions expressed in this column are those of Lois Henry, not The Bakersfield Californian. Her column appears Wednesdays and Sundays. Comment at people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/noholdsbarred, call her at 395-7373 or e-mail lhenry@bakersfield.com
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