BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A new Costco, gas station, restaurants and other businesses could be coming to the area near Seventh Standard Road and Calloway Drive in Bakersfield, and while some Gossamer Grove residents welcome the convenience, others are raising concerns about traffic and crime.
Developer Jim Halferty says the project would include significant road improvements designed to handle the expected increase in traffic. Plans call for the south half of Seventh Standard Road to be built to future six-lane expressway standards, with an auxiliary lane for right-turn movements and acceleration and deceleration, along with a 30-foot landscaped parkway.
Calloway Drive would be constructed to arterial roadway standards, providing 3 lanes in each direction and a fully improved intersection at Seventh Standard Road. The development would include 5 total access points; 2 on Seventh Standard Road restricted to right-in and right-out movements, and 3 along Calloway Drive with dedicated right-turn lanes. The central Calloway Drive access would serve as the primary entrance and would include a new traffic signal.
Halferty said all city-required roadwork would be completed before Costco or any other business opens.
"The project will be conditioned by the City of Bakersfield to complete all required roadway improvements prior to the opening of Costco or any other businesses within the development," Halferty said.
He added that the current roadway network includes a capacity constraint created by developments to the south, which limits northbound and southbound capacity on portions of Calloway Drive. He said the planned improvements are expected to address existing congestion while improving overall roadway safety and connectivity.
"This will improve the current Calloway road conditions considerably," Halferty said.
The projected number of daily and peak-hour vehicle trips has not yet been released publicly. Halferty said those figures will be included in the project's traffic impact analysis, which will be part of the public filing materials.
For some Gossamer Grove residents, the project brings a mix of excitement and worry. Tammy York lives directly across from the proposed development site. She said traffic at the intersection is already a problem.
"Community Drive is already packed all the way back at 8 o'clock in the morning. I think the traffic is just gonna be the worst part of it," York said.
York said she has witnessed multiple car accidents at the intersection and is also concerned about crime.
"I'm just worried about the crime, and I'm worried about the traffic. That's my main concerns," York said.
York said she would prefer the primary entrance to the development be placed on Verdugo rather than Calloway. She also said she would like to see neighborhood access points closed off to prevent people from entering the subdivision, stealing and quickly exiting back onto Seventh Standard Road.
Her husband, Mike York, said he was initially drawn to the area in part because of its isolation from the rest of Bakersfield. The couple moved to Gossamer Grove in 2020. He said the neighborhood has grown considerably since then, and he understands why a development of this scale is being proposed.
Mike York said his first reaction to hearing about the Costco and gas station was excitement; particularly because of the gas station.
"I was initially kind of excited. And, you know, one of the main reasons was gas station — because it'd be nice to just hook up my trailer, pop across the street, get gas and be on my merry way," York said.
He currently drives about 7 miles to Rosedale for gas, citing high prices at nearby Chevron stations. But he said the overall trade-off is mixed.
"It's probably fifty-fifty in my book," York said.
He said his biggest concern is crime, specifically that a large shopping center could attract homeless individuals and increase theft in the neighborhood, something he said is already occurring.
Not all residents share those concerns. Other neighbors I spoke with called the project a great addition, saying Costco and the surrounding stores would be so accessible they could walk there.
The environmental review is just beginning, and no construction date has been announced. But for the people who live across the street from the proposed site, the outcome of that process will determine whether a new Costco feels like a convenience, or a disruption.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
