BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) – The battle against a Northwest Bakersfield Cemetery continued today as county supervisors considered an appeal by residents. The only thing dead here is those who will now call this new cemetery home, as plans to move forward with the development of the only Catholic cemetery in Bakersfield will proceed.
“It could be a workable problem,” said Bishop Joseph V. Brennan. “And if it was a problem, we can work with our architects and find a solution.”
Back in July, residents near Allen and Renfro Roads were informed of plans to bring a cemetery to their neighborhood. They were invited to a hearing to voice concerns. Residents came out in droves.
One resident voiced her opposition by saying she ‘spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on their home that will now be by a cemetery.
The cemetery would be built near the Ashton Falls neighborhood in Northwest Bakersfield, just east of Renfro Road. Concerns of safety, the foot and vehicle traffic, and the overall effects of having a cemetery near the quiet suburban neighborhood were shared.
“Our area is still considered one of the safest areas in Bakersfield,” said Melody Ray, one of the residents that have actively represented her neighborhood.
After the proposal was approved by the planning commission in August, residents filed an appeal which was denied Tuesday afternoon by supervisors. A huge loss for residents now weighing their options.
