"September 28, 2006 (Bakersfield, CA)   The Kern County Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the Conditional Use Permit for the Bakersfield SVRA, and to send that recommendation to the Kern County Board of Supervisors.  County Planning staff recommended approval to the Planning Commission. 

 

Before a standing-room-only crowd of approximately 15 to 1 ratio of supporters versus opponents, the Planning Commission heard public comments relating to the project.  The room has seating for about 300 people.  All seats were filled and 60 to 80 additional supporters waited in the lobby, watching the proceedings on a big screen TV.

 

Supporters wore neon-green buttons that read, "I Support Off Road Recreation".  About 270 buttons were distributed by members of KOHVA.  The Bakersfield Californian's September 29th edition mentioned that ".....opponents were dwarfed by a sea of off highway lovers who showed up to express to the Planning Commission their support for the project". 

 

Supporters who spoke before the Planning Commission included representatives from local OHV organizations, CORVA, American Motorcyclist Sass's, District 36 AMA, International Trials School, a ranching neighbor, and several individuals including State Assemblywoman Nicole Parra.  Parra has been a big supporter of off roaders and this project since its inception.

 

One of the Planning Commissioners closing comments included that this could be a crown jewel for California State Parks."

JUNE 2006 -- THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT IS OUT FOR REVIEW AND PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE BAKERSFIELD SVRA.

FEBRUARY 10, 2006   -    Notice Of Preparation (NOP) of Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) completed and mailed out to interested parties and agencies per distribution list; prepared by the Kern County Planning Department for the Bakersfield State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA).

 

Scoping meetings conducted by the Kern County Planning Department to receive agency and public contents on the preparation of an EIR will be held 1:30 PM on Friday, March 10, 2006 at the Kern County Planning Department at 2700 M Street, Bakersfield, CA  93301. 

 

If you have any questions, please contact Cheryl Casdorph, Supervising Planner at 661-862-8624.       

July/August 2005  -  A property value appraisal has been performed on the site of the proposed Bakersfield State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA).  A Phase 1 Environmental Assessment is underway to determine if any man-made or natural hazards exist on the property.  The Preliminary Concept Development Plan has been submitted by the City of Bakersfield to the County of Kern and California State Parks for review.  This is the design and layout of the SVRA.  The Environmental Impact Report is expected to begin any day and is expected to take approximately 12 to 18 months to complete.

May 26, 2005  -  The City of Bakersfield and the State of California announced today their partnership to acquire land on behalf of California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division, for the development of a State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA).

 

The property is less than 30 minutes drive north from downtown Bakersfield.  The City of Bakersfield on behalf of the State, has obtained an assignable option using grant funds from the Off-Highway Vehicle Trust Fund, to purchase the prospective site which totals approximately 11,000 acres. 

 

The property will undergo a complete environmental analysis.  There will be several public hearings to gather input from the community regarding the development of the park, and the Environmental Impact Report is expected to take approximately 12 to 18 months to complete.

 

MARCH 28, 2005

Several confidential negotiations are underway between the City of Bakersfield and several large landowners.  Access properties must be acquired or easements for access roads purchased.  There are the usual rumors that are rampant, so be careful believing "news" you hear from sources apart from this website.

FEB 5, 2005

We enjoyed a very successful turnout at our Off Road Safety Day held at Beach Park.  We had several public safety agencies displaying their equipment including the Bakersfield Police Dept, Kern County Sheriff Dept and Search & Rescue, Bakersfield Fire Dept, Kern Co Fire Dept, Hall Ambulance, US Forest Service - Los Padres Nat'l Forest, Calif State Park - Hungry Valley, and helicopters from Hall Ambulance and Kern County Sheriff. 

 

We had displays from several OHV vendors and suppliers including the National Off Highway Vehicle Conservation Council semi truck and Kids Adventure Trail from Wisconsin, International Trials School, 3 Way Hummer & Chevrolet, Fred Cummings Motorsports, Brento's Cycle Center, Valley Cycle, Jim's Motorcycle, Venture Out RV, and North Kern Motorsports.

 

Organizations that support responsible OHV recreation were also represented including Kern Off Highway Vehicle Association, California Off Road Vehicle Association, Friends of Kern Open Space, Tread Lightly!, Stewards of the Sequoia, and Grapevine Adventure Association. 

 

Champs BBQ had a great lunch available and JoRonCo rentals helped out with tables and chairs.  Updates on progress on the Bakersfield OHV Park Project and preliminary concept drawings were provided from the stage several times during the day. 

December 1, 2004 Jack Hardisty is the retiring City of Bakersfield Development Services Director who will be replaced by current Planning Director Stan Grady, another very capable man who has served on the OHV Park Advisory Team. It was with Jack's insistence that the Bakersfield OHV Park project got its start. Both Jack and City Councilman Mike Maggard made certain the City included OHV recreation planning in the development of the Northeast Bakersfield Trails and Parks Plan.
November 3, 2004 At its regularly scheduled meeting, the Bakersfield City Council approved an agreement with Michael Brandman Associates (MBA) of Irvine, California to prepare the Environmental Impact Report on the Bakersfield Off Highway Vehicle Park project.

Environmental issues to be addressed in the OHV Park EIR include: Aesthetics, Agricultural Resources, Air Quality (Construction and Operational Emissions), Biological Resources (Flora, Fauna, and Endangered Species), Cultural Resources (Archeology, Paleontology, and Search for Historical Structures), Geology and Soils, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, Hydrology and Water Quality, Land Use and Planning, Noise, Public Services and Utilities, Transportation/Traffic, and Public Hearings.

MBA is an environmental planning services firm with a long list of successful projects, many with complex environmental issues.

 

Oct 3, 2004    

 

If any of you have every bought a house or a vacant lot, buying many thousands of acres for the Bakersfield Off Highway Vehicle Park is much the same.  However, we must determine that the location is one that can survive way beyond our lives on earth. It must withstand the test of time for future generations of off roaders with regard to location, topography, animal & plant species, etc.  We can't and won't pull up stakes in 10 or 20 years and move to a different spot.  So that means wherever we build it has got to be THE ONE.  No starter OHV Parks here. 

 

A number of potential sites are actively being pursued and investigated, with on-site visits by the OHV Park Advisory Team and real estate professionals.  This is taking an immense amount of time, but we have to do it right.  Rest assured that the City, County, & State and representatives from the OHV and other interests are doing lots of things to make sure everything happens for our OHV Park.     

October 1, 2004 (Bakersfield, CA)   Several additional potential OHV Park sites are identified for use by the City of Bakersfield and it’s real estate professional.  These were provided in addition to those already identified and examined, and take into consideration the “Opportunities and Constraints” list.

September 17, 2004  (Bakersfield, CA)  The City of Bakersfield Development Services Department Request for Proposals for Environmental Services is due today. 

 

Several environmental firms submitted proposals for the project.  The city desires to enter into an agreement with a professional in the field of environmental analysis to prepare all necessary materials for certification of a Final Environmental Impact Report including the necessary environmental findings and monitoring programs. 

 

A project Environmental Impact Report is proposed for the Off Highway Vehicle Park.    

August 19, 2004  (Bakersfield, CA)  Bakersfield OHV Park Advisory Team meets to review potential sites.  Several sites are removed from consideration as they fall out of the parameters of the “Opportunities and Constraints” list. 

 

Team also requests and receives preliminary traffic studies on State & County roads leading into several potential OHV park candidate sites.  All meet initial criteria for expected flow of traffic the park would bring. 

July & August, 2004  (Bakersfield, CA)   Bakersfield OHV Park Advisory Team visits several large potential sites.  Officials from California State Parks & California Department of Fish & Game are present on these field visits also. 

 

Officials representing law enforcement interests and OHV park operational experts that have experience with park facilities and trail construction visit several sites and like topography and soil types of our area.  

July, 2004  (Bakersfield, CA)  Officials from California State Parks Department in Sacramento travel to Bakersfield and tour several potential OHV Park sites during several separate visits.

 

They like what they see in our area and are comfortable that the City of Bakersfield is exercising good judgment in the site selection process. 

 

They also meet with officials from the City of Bakersfield to address concerns the City has regarding financial liabilities during current difficulties with other State agencies other than State Parks.

 

Meeting goes well.  State officials reiterate the “special fund” status of the OHV Trust Fund and that it comes from OHV registrations and OHV fuel taxes, and not the state general fund. 

May 20, 2004  (Bakersfield, CA)  Bakersfield OHV Park Advisory Team meets and develops “Opportunites & Constraints” list to provide guidance to City of Bakersfield when considering potential OHV park sites. 

 

Just a few items on this list include:

 

Site must be close to Bakersfield.

Site must have challenging topography.

No loss of prime agricultural land in site. 

Full Environmental Impact Report. 

April, 2004 (Bakersfield, CA)   Under the contract with California State Parks, the City of Bakersfield makes an offer on a large piece of property for the Bakersfield OHV Park.  The seller accepts another buyer’s offer instead of the City’s. 

April 15, 2004 (Bakersfield, CA)    The Bakersfield OHV Park Advisory Team met to provide input to City of Bakersfield and to promote cooperation between representatives of the City of Bakersfield, County of Kern, State of California, as well as local OHV and environmental groups in the development of the Bakersfield OHV Park. 

 

The team includes a resource ecologist and a wildlife biologist to provide technical advice.  The members represent the following agencies and groups:

 

Kern Off Highway Vehicle Association

California Off Road Vehicle Association

Friends of Kern Open Space

Bakersfield City Council

Kern County Board of Supervisors

City Planning Department

County Planning Department

The Sierra Club

Kern River Parkway Committee

California State Parks – OHV Division

California State Assemblymembers McCarthy & Parra

California Department of Fish & Game

State Vehicular Recreation Area-Hungry Valley

Bakersfield Police Department

KOHVA

Kern Off Highway Vehicle Association

413 Countryside Drive

Bakersfield, CA  93308

661-399-6360     www.kohva.com

 

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:  Dick Taylor, President

Telephone:  661-327-0216

E-mail:  rdtusmc@msn.com

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

OFF ROADERS PRESENT CITY OF BAKERSFIELD $500,000 CHECK

 

          APRIL 14, 2004, (BAKERSFIELD, CA) – Members of the Kern Off Highway

 

Vehicle Association (KOHVA) presented a $500,000 check to the City of Bakersfield

 

during the Wednesday City Council meeting.  Mayor Harvey Hall accepted the check on

 

behalf of the city;  KOHVA members were assisted in their presentation by six local boys

 

& girls in riding gear.  The check represents money from the California OHV Trust Fund,

 

for the purpose of beginning preliminary work to site an off highway vehicle park

 

proximate to metropolitan Bakersfield.  Through an agreement with the state Department

 

of Parks and Recreation, the city will undertake a portion of the project including Land

 

Acquisition Activities, Environmental Studies and Compliance, Site Design, and Public

 

Noticing.  The project commenced in 2001 with the establishment of the Northeast

 

Bakersfield Open Space Plan.  Historical OHV use in that area will be eliminated by

 

passive recreation areas and urbanization.  “For more information, contact:  Dick Taylor,

 

661-327-0216”.

 

                                                                   ###

 

“Promoting responsible motorized recreation and environmental stewardship”   

 
March 12, 2004  The State Dept of Parks & Recreation has given the City of Bakersfield a contract for their approval for lots of work with regard to the OHV Park Project.  We're working with the City Attorney's office and City Manager's office, as the City still has to approve this contract sent to them from the State.  We expect that to happen in the next few weeks.     
 
In short, here's what it does:  provides $402,000 (plus the $98,000 already awarded, for a total of $500,000) to the City of Bakersfield.  This is part of the $2,098,000 committed thus far out of the OHV Trust Fund. 
 
In summary, the Contract reads like this:
 
As per the Budget Act of 2003, the Department of Parks and Recreation is authorized to acquire properties in the Central Valley area for the development and operation of and OHV facility.  Such acquisition shall include associated buffer lands to address environmental considerations. 
 
Through this agreement the City of Bakersfield has agreed to undertake a portion of the project for acquisition of lands, which will entail providing the following services:
 
1.  Land Acquisition Activities
        -Identification of potential sites.
        -Consultation with property owners.
        -Negotiation, appraisal of parcels.
        -Mapping, detailing of easements, rights, etc.
        -Real estate consultation.
 
2.  Real Estate Options (Negotiate with willing property owners, and document for State's review and approval, the terms of the proposed sale and purchase; prepare an option agreement for purchase of properties to be entered into between seller and the State)
 
3.  Public participation
        -Environmental Impact Report
        -Stakeholder participation
        -Site design
        -Legal review
        -Associated permits ( US Fish & Wildlife, Calif Dept of Fish & Game, Cal Trans, Army Corps of Engineers)
        -Public noticing
        -Public hearings
        -Workshops
        -Land use approval
 
There you have it.  The State sending the City this contract for their approval is the result of hundreds of hours of work, discussions and negotiations from a lot of people here in Bakersfield and in Sacramento.  The Kern Off Highway Vehicle Association and the California Off Road Vehicle Association have been working with government agencies on this project and will continue to monitor expenditures from the OHV Trust Fund throughout the process.  We knew from the start that this would be a lengthy process, and never fast enough for most of us.  Remember that rewards come to those who are patient and persistent.   

BAKERSFIELD AWARDED $98K PLANNING GRANT FOR OHV PARK

OCTOBER 2, 2003, (FOLSOM, CA) – Today, the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission approved a $98,000 Planning Grant for the City of Bakersfield, at a grant hearing in Folsom, California.  The money will be used for a Site Selection Feasibility Study to find an appropriate site for an Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) park near Bakersfield. 

$2 million has been committed to this project in the last few weeks for land acquisition.  It will have a neutral effect on the state budget.  Funding for the Bakersfield OHV park project comes from the state Off Highway Vehicle Trust Fund, paid into by OHV registration fees and excise tax for fuel consumed by off highway vehicles. 

Bakersfield City Councilman Mike Maggard said, “This will help fulfill a promise the City of Bakersfield made to the OHV community; that we would help them relocate to a new site after ongoing development and open space in Northeast Bakersfield eliminates riding areas for OHVs”.

“This is fantastic news for our community,” said Dick Taylor, president of the Kern Off Highway Vehicle Association.  He continued, “This planning stage of the project will consider possible sites, as well as community and environmental benefits.  This project will be done right – it will be data driven to find the right location for the OHV Park.  It will be a place the community can be proud of, an appropriate site for motorized recreation to be set aside in perpetuity”.

The Kern Off Highway Vehicle Association is a group of outdoor recreationists that promotes responsible motorized recreation and environmental stewardship.  

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