California Site Fight:  Two Bakersfield Wal-Marts inch Closer

Wal-Marts clear 2nd vote [Bakersfield Californian]

Supercenters next go to court for hearing

Two Wal-Marts were rubberstamped and the city agreed to turn streets over to developers at a short Bakersfield City Council meeting Wednesday.

The two Wal-Mart supercenters were approved last month, but the City Council had to give them a second vote Wednesday. The stores now go to Kern County Superior Court for a determination whether the environmental reports are complete enough to allow construction.

In other action, the council:

* Voted to vacate four blocks of street—13th Street between N and P streets, and O Street from California Avenue to 14th Street. The streets will be turned over to the companies developing the planned movie theater and retail center in the area. An alley parallel to California Avenue was also to be vacated.

* Entered into an agreement with the Kern County Water Agency for installation of a box culvert in the Cross Valley Canal. Having the culvert instead of a bridge is estimated to shave $1 million off the cost of the Allen Road bridge project. Bids on the project are scheduled to be open in January.

* Reappointed Stuart Patteson to the North of the River Recreation and Park District board; Morris Mahlmann to the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District; Gonzalo Ramirez and Percy Robinson to the Miscellaneous Civil Service Board; Thomas Edmonds to the Fire Civil Service Board; and William Perry to the Police Civil Service Board.

Posted by Andrew Yonki on Thursday, December 13, 2007

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