Shafter, a city near Bakersfield, California, along with developer Lennar Homes, is moving forward with plans to construct 1,200 homes in an area designated for the state's high-speed rail line. The development, named Gossamer Grove, is described by Lennar as a master-planned community that will feature amenities such as a picnic area, playground, and dog-walking trails. The proposed homes, designed with three to four bedrooms, are expected to be priced in the high $300,000s.
Walter Diamond, Lennar's director of entitlement, stated at an April city planning meeting that the company owns the land and intends to develop it. Shafter officials have a history of opposing the high-speed rail project, advocating for the tracks to be routed outside the city's boundaries. Mayor Chad Givens indicated that the housing project could necessitate a rerouting of the train line and that the city would pursue legal action to protect the development.
"You’ve got a city and a pretty high-volume developer willing to fight against high-speed rail," Givens said.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority has expressed opposition to Lennar's development map. According to the authority, the rail line's path through Shafter was finalized after a 2018 environmental lawsuit filed by the city was resolved. While the authority has the option to sue over the development, it also stated an openness to negotiations. However, Lennar indicated at the April meeting that they were no longer pursuing negotiations. "We made the attempts. We’re looking forward to moving forward," Diamond said.
City officials cited housing laws and the fact that the rail authority has not yet acquired land in the area as reasons for their legal obligation to approve the project. Any construction of the rail line in Shafter remains a distant prospect. A risk analysis of the project projects the completion of the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment in September 2034, though officials caution that this timeline may rely on overly optimistic assumptions.
The high-speed rail project, which broke ground in 2015, has faced significant cost overruns, with the original plan's expenses ballooning past $200 billion. The rail authority maintains that the reassessed project cost is $126.3 billion. Critics, including state Sen. Tony Strickland, have described the project as a wasteful endeavor.