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Families, volunteers and Corbin Burns urge Kern County to preserve Northwest Bakersfield Baseball’s Metro Center lease
Summary
Multiple speakers told the Board of Supervisors that Northwest Bakersfield Baseball has reinvested in Metro Center for nearly 30 years and urged the county not to award an RFP to a travel‑baseball organization that they say could displace affordable recreational play.
Dozens of community members told the Kern County Board of Supervisors on March 10 that Northwest Bakersfield Baseball has stewarded the Metro Center complex for decades and should retain first right of refusal if the county seeks a new concessionaire.
Jason Royer, vice president of Northwest Bakersfield Baseball, described a 29‑year relationship under which the nonprofit league reinvested more than $1.25 million into lights, fencing, dugouts and fields and maintained the 24‑acre facility with volunteers. He said the organization serves more than 2,000 youth annually and that news of a recommended RFP award to another party prompted broad community concern. (Jason Royer)
Multiple speakers, including board members of the league and parents, warned that a travel‑baseball operator could prioritize tournament and travel teams that have higher fees and reduce access for beginners and underprivileged children. JJ Toledo read a letter from Major League pitcher Corbin Burns, a Bakersfield native who said the Metro Center fields gave him a place to learn the game and urged the county to protect the community program.
Speakers asked the board to either keep the existing lease in place or at minimum give Northwest the first opportunity to match any new terms and to communicate financial expectations rather than abruptly moving to a new operator. County staff and supervisors clarified during public comment that no contract has been awarded yet, that the RFP process is ongoing, and that staff expect to return to the board with any formal recommendation.
Why it matters: The Metro Center fields are a long‑running hub for recreational youth sports. Community speakers said the site’s volunteer base and affordable programs are vulnerable to market pressures if travel‑focused operators take primary control.
What’s next: County staff said the status quo remains until the RFP process returns to the board; neighbors and league representatives asked the board to consider written guarantees for community access and to provide transparent criteria for any new agreement.
