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Target moves closer to River Walk
| Thursday, Apr 3 2008 10:39 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Apr 4 2008 10:02 AM
Developer Castle & Cooke is one step closer to nailing the bull’s-eye and getting a Target to anchor its Shops at River Walk in southwest Bakersfield.
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The Bakersfield Planning Commission voted 4-0 Thursday to approve the company’s request to add more square footage to an individual retail space and a traffic signal for center access. The City Council will next review the change to the store’s footprint. Raul Rojas, the city’s Public Works director, will consider adding the stoplight.
Three members — Chair Ted Blockley and Commissioners Russell Johnson and Murray Tragish — recused themselves from considering the requests because they had real or potential conflicts of interest.
Bringing in a Target is key to luring other retailers, said Bill Sampson, Castle & Cooke’s senior vice president for commercial properties.
Without Target in the lineup, the shops could be delayed indefinitely, he said.
“We’re asking to move forward for the betterment of Bakersfield,” Sampson said, adding the architectural style would make it a great-looking store.
Richard Chapman, president of the Kern Economic Development Corp., told commissioners a Target at River Walk “would be a perfect catalyst for the small retail that we all crave — the Pottery Barns, the Restoration Hardwares.”
Resident Nancy Newman told commissioners Bakersfield has an abundance of “big stores in this town. Please, we need one area that will have a different tune or attitude.”
Sampson said as much as the community would like a Nordstrom, the city doesn’t have the demographics to attract one.
Although Castle & Cooke is not increasing the overall size of the Shops at River Walk, Thursday’s request was a change from two conditions of project approval that were granted in 2001, said Marc Gauthier, a principal planner with the city.
Back then, residents told the City Council they wanted upscale and unique tenants to be housed at Castle & Cooke’s site. They didn’t want a big-box retailer.
On the second go-round, Gauthier said he was inclined to recommend against the square footage change, but then the city received many letters in support of Target coming to that site.
Commissioner Tom McGinnis asked project representative Roger McIntosh if the letters in support came from people who had a business connection to it.
McIntosh said he didn’t know, adding that because city planners weren’t supportive of the request, Castle & Cooke did some public outreach.
The Planning Department received about 10 e-mails Thursday against the size change and Target’s tenancy and two in favor.
Bo Lundy has been working to recruit tenants to the Shops at River Walk for many years and said Bakersfield can be a tough sell.
Retailers do examine the community’s education and income levels when making choices about where to do business, and Bakersfield’s numbers are low.
After the meeting, Lundy said Bakersfield has been on the short list for some retailers but lost to cities such as Minneapolis and North Carolina’s Raleigh and Durham.
But he said stores he’s been talking to don’t have qualms about being in the same center as a Target because the big-box retailer is “fashion forward.”
Planning staff also advised denying the additional traffic signal because they thought it would slow down traffic on Stockdale Highway.
But McIntosh said the requested signal made sense to help route River Walk-bound delivery trucks more safely and efficiently.
Without it, truck drivers and patrons would have to cut through restaurant parking lots or drive a quarter-mile out of their way to make a U-turn.
Commissioners agreed with McIntosh’s argument.
The commission approved other requests, including:
• Multifamily housing on land south of Bernard Street between New Market Way and Oswell Street.
• Apartments at the north side of Niles Street, about a half-mile west of Morning Drive.
• Multifamily homes and a commercial development on land between Paladino Drive and the future Morning Drive, east and west of the future Riviani Drive.
• A map submitted by Gregory D. Bynum and Associates for 14 buildable parcels for commercial office and industrial development at the southwest corner of Ashe Road and the Southern Pacific Railroad Asphalto Branch, about a quarter-mile south of District Boulevard.
• A zone change and general plan amendment for land owned by Structure Cast at the southwest corner of Gosford and McCutchen roads.
• Multiple zone change requests within McAllister Ranch to consolidate drilling island zones.