Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Welcome to the City of Bakersfield Planning Commission meeting. This television broadcast is brought to you by the local cable companies, the County Of Kern, and the City of Bakersfield. You can watch the rebroadcast of this meeting Saturday at 7PM and Sunday at 10AM. The agenda for this meeting can be downloaded at www.bakersfieldcity.us. Presiding over this evening meeting, vice chair, Cassie Biddle.

It is my pleasure to call to order the 10/02/2025 planning commission meeting. Madam clerk, would you please call roll?

Chair Strickland? Vice chair Biddle? Here. Commissioner Brent Oliver? Here. Commissioner Cater? Here. Commissioner Core? Here. Commissioner Martin?

Here.

Commissioner Neil? Here.

Madam clerk, next item, please.

Pledge of allegiance.

Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag

of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you for attending tonight's planning commission meeting. This commission provides an opportunity for public participation in the development process throughout the city of Bakersfield. The planning commission considers a wide variety of projects including subdivision maps, zone changes, general plan amendments, and more. When the applications are received, the city planning division analyzes the request. Planning staff will present the facts about the project along with their recommendation to the planning commission who will approve the item or make a recommendation as as appropriate. Madam clerk, next item, please.

Public statements.

Public statements are now received at different times depending on the item. I will call on madam clerk to call for public statements at the appropriate time, so please listen carefully for the correct time to speak.

Non agenda item three a, public statements.

Does anyone in the audience wish to address the commission regarding items not listed on tonight's agenda? If so, please come forward and state your name.

Agenda item three b, public statements.

Does anyone in the audience wish to address the commission regarding items listed on tonight's agenda? If you are here for nonconsent public hearing item six a tonight or now is not the time to speak. You will be given an opportunity to speak at a later time. Seeing none, madam clerk, next item, please.

Agenda item four, consent calendar items.

All mass all matters listed under the consent items do not require a public hearing and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of said items unless staff or a commissioner requests specific items to be discussed and or removed for separate action. May I get a motion approving a consent item four a?

I'll make a motion. I'll second.

Let's Who second?

That would be commissioner Martin. Okay. Commissioners, please cast your vote. Did you get one? Mine's not working.

We'll do a roll call vote since I can over if you wanna No. That's okay. We can do a roll call. Okay. Vice chair Biddle?

Yes.

Commissioner Brent Oliver? Yes. Commissioner Kater? Yes. Commissioner Kour? Yes. Commissioner Martin?

Yes.

Commissioner Neil? Yes. Motion passes with chair Strickland absent.

Madam clerk, next item, please.

Agenda item five, consent calendar public hearing items.

Now is the time for consent calendar public hearing items. If the item is not removed by a commissioner, staff, or a member of the public, the commission will vote on all items in one motion without further comment. If an item is removed, it will be placed at the end of the nonconsent public hearing items. At this time, I will open all the consent calendar public hearing items. Does any member of the public wish to remove a consent calendar public hearing item?

Does any commissioner or staff wish to remove a consent calendar public hearing item? Seeing none. At this time, the consent calendar public hearing items not removed are now closed. May I get a motion to adopt staff's recommendation on the consent public hearing items not removed incorporating all staff memorandum memorandum and revised staff recommendations?

So moved.

Can I get a second?

I'll second.

Commissioners, please cast your votes.

Vice chair Biddle?

Yes.

Commissioner Brent Oliver? Yes. Commissioner Cater?

Yes.

Commissioner Core? Yes. Commissioner Martin? Yes. Commissioner Neal? Yes. Motion passes with chair Strickland absent.

Madam Clerk, next item, please.

Agenda item six, nonconsent public hearing items.

Now is the time for nonconsent public hearing items. Before we begin, I want to explain how the hearing will be conducted. Staff will first give a report, then those in favor of the project will be allowed to speak. Those in opposition to the project will be able to speak after all those in favor have spoken. Each side will be given five minutes to provide rebuttal comments.

Individual speakers may ask questions during their statements, but the questions will not be answered until the public, public hearing on that item is closed. Written comments may be given to the clerk who will provide copies to the commission. Please respectful of others participating in the hearing by not repeating the remarks of previous speakers and presenting new comments or thoughts in a concise and clear way. Miss Ng's not here. Miss Camps, would you please provide us with your staff report?

I would like to introduce Veronica Martinez, associate planner, to present the staff report. Good evening, commissioners. My name is Veronica Martinez, and I'm an associate planner with the Planning Division. Agenda Item 6A is the Planned Development Review 20 four-four. The applicant, Five Rivers Investment Group, represented by Nav Braar of MPS Construction Management Consulting, is requesting approval of a revised plan development review to allow the construction of a four story, 130 room hotel on a 3.62 acre site.

The project site is located at the Southeast corner of South H Street and Hossing Avenue, specifically 1631 Hossing Avenue. The site is part of a larger commercial center and is already partially developed with a convenience store. The development will occur in three phases. Phase one will construct the hotel, phase two will reserve space for future commercial uses, and phase three will complete the build out of the site. Surrounding uses include single family residences to the north, east, and south with undeveloped commercial land to the West.

The general plan designation is general commercial, and the zoning classification is regional commercial slash planned commercial development. The proposed hotel is approximately 71,519 square feet and is designed with guest amenities such as an outdoor pool, fitness center, guest laundry facilities, indoor and outdoor eating areas, and landscaped open spaces. Vehicular access is provided from Hosking Avenue and South H Street. The site plan was designed with consideration for the surrounding neighborhood. The hotel is set back more than 175 feet from the eastern property line, which exceeds the 150 foot threshold in Bakersfield Municipal Code section seventeen point zero eight point zero nine zero b.

This section normally requires screening for upper story windows and balconies when the building is within 150 feet of a residential property. While screening isn't required here, the project still incorporates landscaping, a block wall, and additional setbacks to buffer nearby homes. No public opposition has been received for this project. Based on the findings and conditions in the resolution, staff recommends that your commission approve plan development review number 25Dash004. Thank you. Staff and the applicant are available to answer any questions.

The public hearing is now open. Is there anyone who wishes to speak in favor of the project? Please step up to the microphone, identify yourself, and proceed.

Hi, everyone. Thank you, commission. Thank you, staff, for this time. My name is Nav Barar. I'm with Five Rivers Investment Group.

I've been privileged with this opportunity to present this development on the Southeast Corner of Hosking and South H, kind of the joining between Ward 1 and Ward 7. Just about a year ago, we had presented just about a year ago to this day, around this time, we had presented a revised PDR to add a car wash in a certain area of this development. And now our gas station of this development, the AMPM, is open of this property, and we have a mister car wash which has been constructed. If you go out there and drive out there, it's very beautiful. I was born and raised in this area, Ward 7 on Hosking area my whole life.

To see the development that's happened on Hosking is quite remarkable. Between Southeast and Southwest Bakersfield, it's a privilege to see these things in addition to what's on the West Side Of The 99, and hopefully, we continue to grow further and and develop this this side of town on the East Side Of The 99. Like staff has said, we have met all the obligations required as if this was just a regular c two. But, obviously, with the PD, we've met all the requirements to develop this site upon the city code. We appreciate your all consideration, and thank you for all the support that you have provided on this project.

It's been many years as some of the city engineers and and and staff with planning have known they've been a big support on this project, we sincerely appreciate everyone's, support and the commission's support as well. I'm here if there's any questions. Thank you so much.

Are there any other speakers in favor of the project? Seeing none, is there anyone who wishes to speak in opposition of the project? Please step to the microphone, identify yourself, and proceed. Seeing none, does any commissioner have any questions for the public on this item? Remember, this is not time to express any opinions on the matter. It is only time to ask questions. My request to speak button is not working. Show of hands if anybody needs to Question

for the staff. What type of buffer is being provided between the residential properties and the hotel?

Good evening. Tony Hawkez, principal planner. There's landscape buffer, seven foot wide landscape, between the residential and the commercial property, as well as a solid six foot tall block wall.

Is that gonna still continue from that mister car wash and continue all the way?

That's correct.

Okay. I will now close the public hearing on on the item and return it to the commission for comment and action. Do any commissioners have any comments? Okay. At this time, the consent public hearing items not removed are now closed. May I get a motion to adopt staff's recommendation on the consent public hearing item not removed incorporating all staff memorandum and revised staff recommendations.

I move to adopt, item six a.

Do I get the second?

I'll second.

Okay. Commissioners actually, madam clerk, roll call, please.

Vice chair Biddle? Yes. Commissioner Brent Oliver? Yes. Commissioner Cater?

Yes.

Commissioner Core? Yes. Commissioner Martin? Yes. Commissioner Neal? Yes. Motion passes with chair Strickland absent.

Madam clerk, next item, please.

Agenda item seven, communications.

Does any staff have any communication items?

Yes. There will be an October 16 planning commission meeting.

Thank you. Madam Clerk, next item, please.

Agenda item eight, commissioner comments.

Oh, I have a comment from commissioner Neil.

I just wanna thank the, developer for coming out, even though there was no opposition on file or anything but showing up and actually speaking to us about that. That's one of the things that we're hoping that more developers will do. And I just kinda love hearing about your personal connection to the area too. So thank you.

I'd like to thank everybody for coming out tonight too. I'm not usually the chairperson, so I got a little nervous when I saw a lot of people in in the audience. So thank you for taking the time out of your schedules to participate in this very, very important issue. So let's see, madam clerk. Next item, please.

Agenda item nine, adjournment.

This meeting is adjourned at 05:45PM.