Bishop Nursery to shut its doors?
Neighbors squawk as owner unveils plan to replace nursery on Home St. with 15-unit residential development.
Bishop Nursery owner Bob Kingston is hoping to sell a different kind of perennial.
Kingston, who according to a Nursery employee bought the property at 785 Home from the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power last year (he was the only bidder), plans 15 single-family residences on the 2.75 acre parcel.
City of Bishop Public Works Director Gary Schley doesn’t know anything about an auction. He does know the property is in escrow and he has a letter in hand from the LADWP which grants approval to go through the design/review process.
Schley noted that the project is in the beginning stages of review. What was discussed Monday at the Bishop City Council meeting was a draft mitigated negative declaration.
The drafdt is available on the City’s website and the public comment period has been extended until August 15.
At Monday’s meeting, several neighbors spoke out against the project.
Terry Tye, who lives at 747 Rome Drive, said the proposal probably wouldn’t have had significant opposition if only 8 or 10 homes had been proposed.
This project, he said, is meant to improve the quality of life of the developer, not the quality of life of his neighbors.
“How can 15 homes on 2.75 acres be considered ‘medium density’?” he asked rhetorically.
The area is zoned for 5.1 to 9.9 units dwelling units per acre. Accounting for an access road that would need to be built, the proposed project would have a density of 7 units/acre.
Bishop Nursery, 8:20 a.m. Wednesday.
Tye also testified to impacts such a project would have on wildlife, noise, aesthetics (the removal of 31 of 60 mature trees), traffic and water use.
It hasn’t been determined, however, that 15 residences would use more or less water than a nursery.
It also hasn’t been determined whether or not a business would generate more or less traffic than 15 residences.
Noise? Jara Halfen said she moved here specifically to get away from noise. She bemoaned the loss of privacy and the addition of 30 to 60 people “making a racket” in a small space.
Rebecca Velasco, an employee of the Nursery, also testified as she was not only worried about her job, but also about the important role the nursery plays in the community. During peak season, the Nursery employs about 20 people.
While Kingston could not be reached fro comment, an employee did say that the Nursery business may be relocated as opposed to being closed.
One issue opponents of the project did not raise, however, was the larger issue of housing – namely, that the State has determined Bishop has a housing shortfall of 60-odd units.
The City’s General Plan also talks about a need for more housing.
The next public hearing on the project is scheduled for August 10.
