BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 Kern County residents looking for new ways to cool off may eventually have another option, but a proposed waterpark project is still years away from opening.<\/p>\n
The Bakersfield City Council recently approved a zoning change for a future water park, golf and shopping facility, and authorized the start of an environmental impact report process. However, city officials emphasized they have not approved the actual waterpark project.<\/p>\n
“There’s been some press that indicated that we were approving whatever a water park. So I just wanted to be clear,” Ward 5 Council member Larry Koman said.<\/p>\n
Phil Burns, the city’s development services director, told the council the environmental impact report process alone will take significant time.<\/p>\n
“6 to 9 months before it comes out to the planning commission,” Burns said when asked about timing by Ward 4 Council Member Bob Smith.<\/p>\n
Mike Ross, developer of the Tortuga Bay Water Park project, acknowledged the lengthy timeline ahead.<\/p>\n
“The hope is I’d like to have it open in a couple of years, but to be honest, I can’t even tell you what step this is. We started this process a while ago,” Ross said.<\/p>\n
The project remains in very early stages, though some residents have already raised concerns about potential traffic impacts. One resident spoke at Monday night’s council meeting about existing congestion issues.<\/p>\n
“Traffic is backed up really badly. I can just imagine what it will be if this huge development is built. Hageman and Mohawk are not built wide enough for this huge development,” the resident said.<\/p>\n
The proposed facility would include water park attractions, golf amenities, and shopping options.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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