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Commissioners split over city policy after heated debate on larger residential care homes
Summary
The commission’s denial of CUP 25‑0023 highlighted long‑running concerns about Bakersfield’s zoning threshold that treats 6 or fewer residents differently from 7 or more, prompting calls for clearer city standards on capacity, parking and neighborhood impacts.
The Planning Commission’s decision to deny a proposed 12‑bed residential care facility at 12411 Riverfront Park Drive reopened a broader policy debate about how Bakersfield regulates residential care uses in single‑family neighborhoods.
Several commissioners said the hearing exposed a gap in local rules: the city’s ordinance permits residential care uses for six or fewer residents by right but requires a conditional use permit for seven or more without setting an upper limit. "The 7 or more doesn't have a ceiling," Commissioner Kater said during deliberations, arguing the lack of a clear…
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