BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Several parks in Bakersfield are set to go through a revitalization soon. But now there are plans for a whole new local park, and that is being discussed Thursday during the planning commission meeting.
The zone change before the commission will help build the future Stockdale River Ranch Community Park and benefit the North or the River services to the public.
“This would be 22 acres, more regional in use which implies why they requested that we get them the zoning to be more active for baseball, all the other facilities that you would like to see at a regional park,” said Bruce Davis Senior Vice President of Development, Bolthouse Properties.
Bolthouse Properties and NOR entered into an agreement in 2015 for the purchase and development of the Stockdale River Ranch Park.
“Ultimately that would be a NOR facility, at the point the park is completed and turned over to NOR, so ultimately it will be a NOR Park that covers the adjacent region,” said Brad Debranch the Project Planner for Bolthouse Properties.
Now in 2021, the companies are finalizing their plans for the park where construction is planned for next year the hope is to have multi-use fields, baseball fields, a community center, playgrounds, sports courts, picnic facilities, and other small amenities making it a regional park.
“It covers the entire region which is important to note, it's not a typical neighborhood park which is 2 to 8 acres,” said Davis.
To better support their plans, Bolthouse properties said the zone change is needed.
“Tonight, we have requested a zone change on the park and another area, the park is going from open space park to recreation,” said Debranch.
Both Davis and Debranch from Bolthouse said it will only benefit the community.
“We see it as a very positive, it’s the heart and soul of our development, its where all the public can go and get together, that’s what makes communities, communities,” said Davis.
That the change will help NOR accommodate the needs of everyone.
“The use is still a park, we’ve all committed to the park. What this does is give NOR who will be operating the park more flexibility to accommodate the needs of the entire region, not just the community,” said Davis.
Bolthouse said whether or not the zone change is passed by the planning commission the park will still be built, it just won’t accommodate as many amenities as they would’ve liked.
