A 20-acre general plan amendment would turn a farm homestead at 8339 Buena Vista Road into an event venue with a 16-pump fuel station and a fast-food pad. Here is what was filed and what comes next.
The Buena Vista and McCutchen event venue is part of General Plan Amendment/Zone Change CGPA-25-0004, a City of Bakersfield application for about 20 acres at 8339 Buena Vista Road in southwest Bakersfield, Kern County, California. Cornerstone Engineering filed it for owners Antonio Jimenez Nunez and Raymond Villanueva. It pairs an event venue in existing buildings with a 16-pump gas station, convenience store and 2,500-square-foot drive-through. Comments closed Aug. 31, 2026, and no hearing is set.
Key takeaways
- CGPA-25-0004 would redesignate about 20 acres at the southwest corner of Buena Vista Road and McCutchen Road (APN 524-160-09) to Low Density Residential and Mixed Use Commercial, with R-1 and MX-1 zoning.
- The event venue would use an existing home and outbuildings totaling 15,695 square feet and host up to 52 large events a year for 250 to 300 guests, plus one to two small events a month.
- The commercial side adds a 2,500-square-foot drive-through restaurant and a convenience store with 16 fueling positions, about 12,500 square feet of retail in the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) analysis.
- The March 2026 traffic study estimates 2,810 daily trips and recommends three new turn lanes at Buena Vista Road and McCutchen Road.
- The city’s Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH 2026071057) was open for comment July 31 to Aug. 31, 2026. No Planning Commission or City Council hearing has been scheduled.
Project at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project | General Plan Amendment/Zone Change No. CGPA-25-0004: event venue, fast-food restaurant and convenience store/gas station |
| Location | 8339 Buena Vista Road, southwest corner of Buena Vista Road and McCutchen Road, southwest Bakersfield, CA 93311 (Ward 4) |
| APN | 524-160-09 |
| Applicant and owners | Applicant: Cornerstone Engineering Inc. Property owners: Antonio Jimenez Nunez and Raymond Villanueva |
| Jurisdiction | City of Bakersfield (Development Services Department) |
| Case numbers | CGPA-25-0004; SCH 2026071057 |
| Size | About 20 acres (traffic study: about 18.82 net acres) |
| General plan change | From R-IA (Resource-Intensive Agriculture), R-MP (Resource-Minerals and Petroleum) and LR (Low Density Residential) to LR and MUC (Mixed Use Commercial) |
| Zone change | From R-1 and R-1/PUD to R-1 (Single-Unit Dwelling) and MX-1 (Mixed-Use Neighborhood) |
| Use | Event venue in existing structures (15,695 SF); 2,500 SF drive-through fast food; convenience store/gas station with 16 fueling positions |
| Environmental review | Mitigated Negative Declaration; public review July 31 to Aug. 31, 2026 |
| Status | Comment period closed; no hearing date announced |
| Next step | Planning Commission hearing, then City Council action (dates not set) |
What is proposed at the Buena Vista and McCutchen event venue site?
The plan asks the City of Bakersfield to rewrite the land use rules on about 20 acres so a rural homestead can become a commercial corner. According to the State Clearinghouse listing, the general plan amendment would change the designations from R-IA, R-MP and LR to LR and MUC.
A companion zone change would replace the existing R-1 and R-1/PUD (Planned Unit Development) zoning with R-1 and MX-1. The filings do not say how the 20 acres would split between the residential and commercial designations, and they do not describe new homes.
The project has three parts. The event venue would reuse the existing buildings and host up to 52 large events a year with 250 to 300 guests, plus about one to two small events a month with up to 100 guests, per the Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration. The commercial side adds a 2,500-square-foot fast-food restaurant with a drive-through window and a convenience store/gas station with 16 vehicle fueling pumps.
How would the event venue operate?
The VMT analysis by Provost & Pritchard describes the existing structures as “a house, four garage structures, a covered patio, a cabana, and a gazebo for a structural total of 15,695 square feet.” It lists event hours as “4pm to 12pm,” which appears to mean 4 p.m. to midnight, and up to 10 employees on site during events. The filing does not clarify the hours.
The same study puts the convenience store at less than 10,000 square feet. With the restaurant, it treats the retail program as about 12,500 square feet.
Where is the site, and what is on it now?
The site is at 8339 Buena Vista Road, on the southwest corner of Buena Vista Road and McCutchen Road in ZIP code 93311. The city’s Notice of Intent places it in Ward 4.
Today the land is a farm homestead. The IS/MND describes a single-family residence with four garage structures, a covered patio, a cabana and a gazebo, on land “previously utilized for farming operations and a single-family residence.” The home sits among almond trees that are part of an orchard, and active farmland surrounds the site on all four sides.
The IS/MND says the state does not map the site as prime, unique or statewide-important farmland, and that the project does not conflict with a Williamson Act contract. It reports no oil wells on the property, though a small R-MP area to the northwest contains a plugged well outside the project boundary. California Water Service’s Bakersfield District would supply water, and the project would connect to city sewer.
What are the roads and neighbors like?
The March 2026 traffic study describes Buena Vista Road as a four-lane, north-south arterial and McCutchen Road as a two-lane, east-west road, with project access from Buena Vista. It analyzed three intersections on Buena Vista Road: Panama Lane, McCutchen Road and Taft Highway (State Route 119). The CEQAnet record lists Buena Vista Elementary and Independence High as nearby schools.
Housing is moving toward this corner. On the north side of McCutchen Road between Buena Vista and Old River roads, the city approved a general plan amendment and Williamson Act cancellation on March 11, 2026, for a 28.91-acre tract. The project’s MND describes 147 single-family lots at 8.64 units per acre, with a new Mountain Vista Drive connecting to McCutchen Road.
Retail has followed rooftops in southwest Bakersfield too. A new Target on Gosford Road opened March 15, 2026, Bakersfield Now reported.
Were there earlier plans for the property?
The IS/MND does not explain when part of the site was zoned R-1/PUD. The traffic study refers to a vesting tentative parcel map but gives no number.
Who is behind CGPA-25-0004?
The applicant is Cornerstone Engineering Inc., a Bakersfield firm at 5509 Young St. Its company profile says it has served clients since 1979 and began as a civil engineering and land surveying company. Its services now include planning and land development, oil and gas support and regulatory compliance.
The CEQAnet record names Antonio Jimenez Nunez and Raymond Villanueva as the property owners. The traffic study is titled “Antonio Nunez Proposed Retail Development.” The public filings do not name a fuel brand, restaurant tenant or venue operator. Provost & Pritchard prepared both the traffic study and the VMT analysis, and city planning staff signed the IS/MND on July 27, 2026.
What do the traffic, noise and environmental reviews say?
The traffic study estimates the full project at 2,810 daily trips, with 221 trips in the morning peak hour and 240 in the evening peak hour. It found that with project traffic, the Buena Vista Road and McCutchen Road intersection would operate below an acceptable level of service. It recommends adding a southbound left-turn lane, a northbound right-turn lane and a westbound right-turn lane there.
The study also found Buena Vista Road at Taft Highway would fall below an acceptable level of service with project traffic. It notes that a signal there is already planned under the Metropolitan Bakersfield Transportation Impact Fee program. The MND’s traffic mitigation requires the developer to pay into the Regional Transportation Impact Fee program.
On vehicle miles traveled, the project screened out of further analysis. The VMT study found the retail under the 50,000-square-foot threshold for locally serving uses, and the event venue under 110 average daily trips once event days are spread across the year.
What mitigation and noise limits apply?
The MND’s mitigation measures cover San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District compliance, including the Rule 9510 indirect source rule. They also require preconstruction surveys for San Joaquin kit fox, Tipton kangaroo rat and nesting birds, cultural and paleontological resource protocols, and the regional traffic fee. Construction and operating emissions were below air district thresholds. For background on how this review works, see our guide to land entitlements and CEQA in Kern County.
The IS/MND concludes the project would not substantially raise noise above city standards and rates noise impacts less than significant. The document lists no event-specific limits on amplified sound or hours. Such limits could be added as conditions when the project reaches a hearing.
What did the state toxics department say?
The state Department of Toxic Substances Control sent a comment letter on July 31, 2026. It asked the city to check for historical pesticide use and test for organochlorine pesticides and arsenic. It also asked for surveys of existing structures for lead-based paint, mercury, asbestos and PCB caulk before any demolition, and for testing of any imported fill.
What does it mean for southwest Bakersfield retail and pad sites?
New retail land is scarce in Bakersfield right now. A regional brokerage’s Q2 2026 Bakersfield retail report, based on CoStar data, put vacancy at 5.2%, the average NNN asking rent (tenant pays taxes, insurance and maintenance) at $20.26 per square foot and 12-month net absorption at 344,991 square feet. Only 8,630 square feet was under construction across a 37.5-million-square-foot inventory.
Shopping centers ran a little looser. A national brokerage’s Q2 2026 U.S. Retail MarketBeat put Bakersfield shopping-center vacancy at 6.5% (preliminary) with average asking rent of $21.86 per square foot.
Fuel and drive-through pads are often among the first commercial uses to follow new rooftops. The VMT study classifies the roughly 12,500 square feet of retail here as locally serving, which fits a corner meant for nearby households and drivers on Buena Vista Road. Our coverage of 7th Standard Marketplace and Riverview Marketplace tracks other Bakersfield retail projects in the pipeline.
For investors, single-tenant pads like these usually trade as net lease assets. A national Q2 2026 net lease report (July 7, 2026) put national cap rates at 5.85% for corporate quick-service restaurants, 6.85% for franchisee quick-service restaurants and 6.60% for single-tenant retail overall. Those are national benchmarks, not Bakersfield figures.
The event venue is the less common piece. Because it arrives as part of a general plan amendment and zone change, the conditions the city attaches at the hearing will define how the venue can operate next to future neighbors.
What happens next for the Buena Vista and McCutchen project?
The city has not set a hearing. The 30-day public review period for the MND ran from July 31 to Aug. 31, 2026, according to the Notice of Intent. The notice says future public hearings “will be appropriately notified per City and CEQA requirements.” No Planning Commission or City Council hearing is on the calendar, and CEQAnet shows no Notice of Determination.
General plan amendments and zone changes in Bakersfield go to the Planning Commission for a recommendation and then to the City Council for a decision. The staff report and conditions of approval will show how the city handles event hours, sound and the turn lanes.
The application amends the current Metropolitan Bakersfield General Plan. The city is also writing its Bakersfield 2045 General Plan, whose draft comment period closed Sept. 27, 2026, according to the city’s project site, with no adoption hearing set. Both maps affect land near this corner.
Documents are on file with the city’s Development Services Department at 1715 Chester Ave. and on the city’s environmental documents page. The notice lists the department’s planning staff line at 661-326-3191.
- July 28, 2026: MND received by the State Clearinghouse (SCH 2026071057)
- July 31 to Aug. 31, 2026: public review of the MND; state toxics department letter dated July 31
- Planning Commission hearing: not yet scheduled
- City Council hearing on the amendment and zone change: not yet scheduled
Frequently asked questions
Where is the proposed Buena Vista and McCutchen event venue?
The site is 8339 Buena Vista Road, at the southwest corner of Buena Vista and McCutchen roads in southwest Bakersfield (ZIP 93311, City Council Ward 4). The roughly 20-acre parcel is APN 524-160-09. A single-family home, garages, a cabana and a gazebo stand there now, surrounded by almond orchards and active farmland.
What would be built at Buena Vista Road and McCutchen Road?
The plan converts the existing home and outbuildings, about 15,695 square feet, into an event venue for up to 52 large events a year with 250 to 300 guests. New construction would add a 2,500-square-foot drive-through restaurant and a convenience store with 16 fueling positions. All of it is filed under case CGPA-25-0004.
Who is the applicant for CGPA-25-0004?
Cornerstone Engineering Inc., a Bakersfield civil engineering and surveying firm founded in 1979 by its own account, filed the application. The State Clearinghouse record lists Antonio Jimenez Nunez and Raymond Villanueva as owners. No fuel brand, restaurant tenant or venue operator appears in the public filings.
How much traffic would the project generate?
A March 2026 study by Provost & Pritchard projects 2,810 daily trips, with 221 in the morning peak hour and 240 in the evening peak hour. Its fixes at Buena Vista and McCutchen are a southbound left-turn lane, a northbound right-turn lane and a westbound right-turn lane. The developer would also pay regional traffic impact fees.
Has the City of Bakersfield approved the event venue and gas station?
No. The city has only circulated a Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH 2026071057), with comments accepted July 31 to Aug. 31, 2026. The amendment and zone change still need a Planning Commission recommendation and a City Council vote, and neither hearing has been scheduled.
Can the public still comment on the Buena Vista and McCutchen project?
Written comments on the MND closed at 5 p.m. on Aug. 31, 2026. People can still speak or submit comments once the Planning Commission and City Council hearings are noticed. The City of Bakersfield Development Services Department at 1715 Chester Ave. keeps the CGPA-25-0004 file.
If you own land or a pad site in southwest Bakersfield, or you are weighing a fuel, restaurant or event use near Buena Vista Road, we can talk through how this project could affect your options. Call Kern CRE at 855-KERN-CRE (855-537-6273) or contact us. Get Kern County CRE news monthly: subscribe to the Kern CRE report.
Sources
- General Plan Amendment/Zone Change No. CGPA-25-0004, SCH No. 2026071057, Mitigated Negative Declaration, CEQAnet / State Clearinghouse, Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, July 28, 2026.
- Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration, CGPA-25-0004, City of Bakersfield, July 27, 2026.
- Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration, CGPA-25-0004, City of Bakersfield, July 2026.
- Antonio Nunez Proposed Retail Development Traffic Study, Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group, March 2026.
- Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Analysis for Proposed Commercial GPA/ZC on Buena Vista Road in Bakersfield, CA, Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group, Jan. 21, 2026.
- Comment letter on CGPA-25-0004, California Department of Toxic Substances Control, July 31, 2026.
- General Plan Amendment No. 21-0424, SCH No. 2025031371 (MND), CEQAnet / State Clearinghouse, March 28, 2025.
- General Plan Amendment 21-0424/Williamson Act Cancellation 25-0001 (recirculated MND), CEQAnet / State Clearinghouse, July 23, 2025.
- General Plan Amendment 21-0424 and Williamson Act Cancellation 25-0001, Notice of Determination, CEQAnet / State Clearinghouse, March 16, 2026 (approval date March 11, 2026).
- About Cornerstone, Cornerstone Engineering Inc.
- Q2 2026 Bakersfield, CA Retail Market Overview, Lee & Associates, July 2026.
- United States Retail MarketBeat Q2 2026 (shopping centers), Cushman & Wakefield, July 2026.
- Single Tenant Net Lease Report for Q2 2026, The Boulder Group, July 7, 2026.
- Grand openings set March 15 for new Target stores on Gosford Road and in Delano, Bakersfield Now, Jan. 29, 2026.
- General Plan, Bakersfield General Plan Update, City of Bakersfield (bakersfield2045.com).
- Environmental Documents, City of Bakersfield.
About this article
Kern CRE prepared this article with help from AI research and writing tools. An editor reviewed the draft, checked its facts against the sources linked above and edited it for accuracy and clarity. Details come from public records and the sources cited; unless stated, Kern CRE and ASU Commercial were not involved in the transaction or project.