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Council denies environmental appeal; 208‑lot vesting tentative tract map cleared
Summary
After hearing an appeal by SAFER that argued the project's nearly 20‑year‑old MND requires updating, the council voted unanimously to deny the appeal and uphold the Planning Commission's approval of Vesting Tentative Tract Map No. 7500.
An attorney for SAFER argued that the mitigated negative declaration for a proposed 208‑lot subdivision relied on mitigation from a now‑expired Metropolitan Bakersfield Habitat Conservation Plan and that changes in land use, new species listings and nearby sensitive receptors (a high school and new residences) constitute substantial evidence requiring new environmental review.
"SAFER respectfully requests that the city council approve the appeal and deny approval of the MND," attorney Victoria Yunt said in her summary urging additional CEQA review. The applicant and project representatives from McIntosh & Associates and counsel responded that the parcel had been planned and designated for residential use for nearly two decades, that updated 2024–25 surveys detected no special‑status species, and that the record supports the existing MND.
After presentations and rebuttal, the council voted unanimously to deny the appeal and uphold the Planning Commission's decision. Staff noted the record included responses to supplemental letters and that conditions of approval and mitigation measures in the administrative record remain applicable.
