A proposed Costco, fuel station and cluster of restaurants could transform a quiet neighborhood near Bakersfield into a busy retail hub — and some nearby residents are already preparing for the impact.
Tammy York, who lives directly across from the planned site in Gossamer Grove, said she was first excited by the possibility of having a Costco and gas station so close to home. But as she considers the number of shoppers the project could draw, her biggest concern has become traffic at an intersection she says is already congested.
“Community Drive is already packed all the way back at 8 o’clock in the morning. I think the traffic is just gonna be the worst part of it,” York told KERO-TV.
The development is being proposed near Seventh Standard Road and Calloway Drive, in a fast-growing area where the new Costco, gas station and several restaurants could bring a major increase in daily activity.
York said she has seen several crashes at the intersection already and fears the added traffic could make safety problems worse. She also worries the project may lead to an increase in crime.
“I’m just worried about the crime, and I’m worried about the traffic. That’s my main concerns,” York said.
Even with those concerns, York acknowledged that a nearby Costco and gas station would be convenient for residents in the area.
She said she now drives roughly seven miles to Rosedale to buy gas, in part because she feels the nearby Chevron stations are more expensive.
Her husband, Mike York, said the couple moved to Gossamer Grove in 2020 in part because of its separation from the rest of Bakersfield.
But the neighborhood has grown considerably since then, and he acknowledged that a development of this size was bound to follow.
“I was initially kind of excited. And, you know, one of the main reasons was gas station — because it’d be nice to just hook up my trailer, pop across the street, get gas and be on my merry way,” he said.
He nevertheless shares his wife’s concerns about crime, telling KERO-TV he worries a major shopping center could attract homeless people and lead to more theft, which he said is already a problem in the area.
The biggest question now may be whether the neighborhood can handle the traffic that comes with becoming a shopping hub.
Developer Jim Halferty says the answer is yes — because the project comes with a major road overhaul.
Plans call for the southern half of Seventh Standard Road to be expanded to six-lane expressway standards, along with an auxiliary lane for right turns and vehicle acceleration and deceleration. A 30-foot landscaped parkway would also be added.
Calloway Drive would be upgraded to arterial roadway standards, with three lanes in each direction and a fully improved intersection at Seventh Standard Road.
The development would have five access points: two along Seventh Standard Road restricted to right-in and right-out traffic, and three along Calloway Drive with dedicated right-turn lanes.
The central Calloway Drive entrance would serve as the main entrance and get a new traffic signal.
The development would have five access points: two along Seventh Standard Road limited to right-in and right-out traffic, and three along Calloway Drive with dedicated right-turn lanes. The central entrance on Calloway Drive would serve as the development’s main access point and include a new traffic signal.
Halferty told KERO-TV that all of the road improvements would be finished before Costco and the other businesses open.
