BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — There's hope for local veterans this week as the Bakersfield City Planning Commission is set to review an environmental report for a new United States Department of Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic Thursday.
Over a decade ago, Congress authorized construction of a new Outpatient VA Clinic set to be located on Knudson Drive. However, legal woes and appeals have delayed the construction and 13 years later the lot is still vacant.
A group of veterans, ranging from Vietnam to post-9/11, said they're taking up a new mission: attending the meeting and speak in favor of the new clinic.
“It just makes us feel like it’s never going to get done," said Bakersfield Army vet Jason Geis. “Our veterans deserve the very best medical care, whether that be from the Veterans Administration or from this local community.”
Following its congressional approval in 2010, the project lagged until 2018 when San Diego-based developer SASD was awarded the $40 million contract from the VA. But owners of the existing VA clinic objected, filing appeals and a lawsuit under the Beverly Hills-based organization Progress for Bakersfield Veterans, LLC, according to city documents.
When speaking to Congress in 2018 about the need for the new clinic, Bakersfield native and now House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said the 30,100 square foot clinic would be state of the art and provide needed services for veterans. He said unfortunately delays have continued due to legal woes.
"The new clinic has been subject to what I would call dilatory actions, most of which have been dismissed which only furthers the delay," McCarthy said in 2018.
In response to the new report heading to planning commission Thursday, McCarthy offered the following statement:
"I am pleased to hear that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Community-Based Outpatient Clinic is expected to be considered by the City of Bakersfield’s Planning Commission, and I urge the Planning Commission to approve this project as expeditiously as possible. Approving this project would be welcome news and put our veterans one step closer to getting the local care they have patiently waited for and deserve.”
The latest appeal citing review of the new clinic under the California Environmental Quality Act, however, the report concluded the new VA project was found to be consistent with the general plan and city zoning requirements.
"The Planning Commission finds that each of the Project’s benefits separately and individually outweigh all of the unavoidable adverse environmental effects identified in the EIR and therefore finds those impacts to be acceptable," said the Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic Findings of Fact report.
As for the veterans themselves, they believe they've waited long enough. While they are hopeful the commission will push the project forward, they know there's still more steps.
Geis said construction for the project is nearing a deadline at the end of the month, so he hopes the Bakersfield City Council will take action.
“Get the word out call your city council member and get this added to the next agenda," Geis said. "We just want to see this thing get going because we know we’re still a few years away from us going and getting our care."
The Planning Cmmission is set to review the CEQA report Thursday at 5:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and will be held at City Council Chambers on 1501 Truxtun Avenue.
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