BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A proposed shopping and housing development near the intersection of Cottonwood and Planz Roads in southeast Bakersfield has become the center of a debate over whether the city should spend taxpayer money to clean up a private property dealing with illegal dumping and homeless encampments.

Councilmember Eric Arias proposed a cleanup initiative for the property last week, bringing the issue before the full council at the final meeting of August. The city put forward an option to assist the developer to the tune of $500,000, which the city would recoup over time through tax liens on the property.

Arias said the investment goes beyond a single property.

“I would just ask that this council take this into serious consideration. That you know this is not just an investment on this particular property, but actually I see this as an opportunity for us to procure some of the materials and equipment that we’re going to be able to need to prevent future dumping,” Arias said.

Not all councilmembers were on board. Councilmember Zack Bashirtash questioned why the city would intervene on private property.

“I know it’s tough for everybody, but I think it sets a bad precedent as a city to spend taxpayer money regardless of whether it would be a lien on the property or not. With so many small businesses going out of business and people struggling just to make ends meet, it’s not a wise thing to do,” Bashirtash said.

The item was ultimately tabled to be discussed at a later date while city staff refines the details of the proposal.

The property’s developer, Max Becerra, has been pushing for progress in the area. During a tour of the property in July, Becerra spoke about his vision for the site.

“We can do a lot more, and we want to be resilient. We want to stay positive. We want to manifest good progress in this part of town, so it can be a contributing part to the city of Bakersfield,” Becerra said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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