California High-Speed Rail Route Meets 1,200-Home Plan

The California high-speed rail route through Shafter is in direct conflict with a proposed 1,200-home development on land that also lies within the state rail authority’s approved route.

The Central Valley city near Bakersfield has approved a subdivision map for Lennar Homes’ Gossamer Grove development in an area off Highway 99 where the California High-Speed Rail Authority plans to build tracks. Lennar intends to build three- and four-bedroom homes priced in the high $300,000s. The community is also planned to include a playground, picnic area and dog-walking trails.

That overlap has aligned the developer’s interests with those of residents who have opposed routing the high-speed rail line through Shafter.

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Lennar plans 1,200 homes in the approved rail route

At an April planning meeting, Lennar director of entitlement Walter Diamond stated the company’s position:

“It’s raw land, we own it, we plan to develop it,”

Lennar has indicated that it is finished waiting for the rail authority to come to the table. The company did not respond to The Bee’s request for an interview.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority says its plans for Shafter remain unchanged. Those plans were decided when the authority and the city settled an environmental lawsuit in 2018.

The agency has not decided whether it will sue and has also indicated that it remains open to negotiating possible changes in Shafter.

The Shafter high-speed rail proposal has faced longstanding opposition from city officials and many residents, who would prefer the route to follow a different alignment.

Shafter says it had little choice but to approve Lennar’s subdivision map because it complied with legal requirements. Mayor Chad Givens nevertheless believes the approval has strengthened the city’s chances of pushing the proposed rail line in a different direction. He also said Lennar is prepared to defend the subdivision map in court if necessary.

Shafter raises concerns over businesses and tax revenue

Local opposition was also evident at a packed meeting in the fall, when residents raised concerns about a revised California High-Speed Rail Authority proposal that would route the line through the city center.

Dozens of residents attended as authority representatives presented the revised plan to the Shafter City Council. Concerns focused on the possible displacement of businesses and the potential loss of millions of dollars in city tax revenue.

Shafter economic development director Kamal Saida said official figures were not available, but the proposal could uproot dozens of businesses and potentially eliminate millions of dollars in annual tax revenue.

“We’ve got jobs that would be lost. Living wages will be affected. But what’s also important is the future growth of the city,”

The dispute involves more than the physical overlap between the planned tracks and Lennar’s housing development. Shafter officials and residents have also linked the proposed rail alignment to possible effects on local businesses, jobs, tax revenue and the city’s future growth.

For now, Lennar intends to proceed with 1,200 homes, while the California High-Speed Rail Authority says its plans for Shafter have not changed. The authority has left open both negotiations over possible route changes and the question of whether it will sue.