Extra time, smaller lots face commissioners
| Tuesday, Aug 04 2009 05:51 PM
Last Updated Tuesday, Aug 04 2009 05:53 PM
A major homebuilder wants to temporarily shelve a southwest tract; a major developer wants to squeeze more houses into a partially built senior's community.
The subtle reminders of Bakersfield's real estate doldrums face city planning commissioners Thursday.
Here are details:
Southwest chill
Who: Lennar Homes of California Inc.
What: A request to extend development rights for a planned 300-home project.
Where: 78 acres at the southwest corner of Panama Lane and Mountain Ridge Drive, east of Ashe Road.
Details: Lennar's routine request is interesting because it happens to come on the tails of emergency state legislation enacted last month.
Assembly Bill 333, signed by the governor July 15, automatically added an extra two years to the life of development projects that already have approvals -- so-called "vested tentative" maps. A bill last summer had added one-year extensions, but the market has since stayed molasses-slow.
Lennar's map was set to expire this month.
The city planning commission's likely approval of a separate extension Thursday will lock in the Miami-headquartered homebuilder's development rights until July 2013.
Jim Eggert, who became Bakersfield's planning director last month after Jim Movius retired, said about 31,000 residential lots around the city are subject to the state extension. Developers can apply for city extensions as well.
When maps expire, developers have to start from scratch to get time-consuming and often expensive project approvals.
Smaller lots
Who: Castle and Cooke California Inc.
What: A request to squeeze 15 additional homes into an age-restricted community.
Where: 104 acres north of Stockdale Highway, between Allen Road and Jewetta Avenue.
Details: The developer's request applies only to an unbuilt southern portion of an existing tract originally slated for 425 homes.
Shrinking lot sizes on the lower 29 acres will allow construction of 143 houses there, 15 more than originally planned. Floor plans won't change.
Other business: The commission will also consider a zone-change request for about 9 acres at the southeast corner of Hageman and Allen roads. Owner Craig Hummel, through his Hageman Road Property Inc., plans to develop some 90,000 square feet of industrial space.
How to Go
The city planning commission meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in council chambers at City Hall, 1501 Truxtun Ave.
