The City of Turlock will return more than $400,000 in park fees to landowners of the proposed site of a Turlock bowling alley, following a 2011 rezone that eliminated the possibility of residential development on the site.
That money will not go to the bowling alley's developers, despite others' erroneous reports.
Numerous media outlets inaccurately reported that the funds would be returned to developers of the Ten Pin Fun Center, a bowling alley, arcade, laser tag arena, and sports bar now planned for site.
“We don't get the money,” said Jerry Powell, a partner in the Ten Pin Fun Center development. “It has nothing to do with us.”
The money will be refunded to Genesis Family Enterprises, a Modesto-based developer which owns the Rite-Aid shopping center at the corner of Monte Vista Avenue and Crowell Road.
Genesis Family Enterprises originally intended to build apartments on the L-shaped parcel of land behind Rite-Aid, which it also owns. As required, Genesis Family Enterprises paid $400,796 in park development fees to the City of Turlock for the parks that future residents would use.
But Genesis Family Enterprises abandoned the apartment plan as the residential market softened. And in 2011, the Turlock City Council approved rezoning the parcel from residential to “planned development” to allow construction of the proposed Ten Pin Fun Center.
As the land will no longer bring new residents to Turlock, developers are not responsible for building parks to accommodate the residents – necessitating the return of the funds to the original developers, Genesis Family Enterprises.
“When you don't do residential, you don't have to pay that fee,” Powell said.
The Ten Pin Fun Center development is to be built by a group of developers including Powell and local real estate agents Jim Theis and Rod Scott, doing business as either Central Valley Property Investments LLC or Ten Pin Fun Properties LLC. The 34-lane bowling alley would also include a 4,000 sq. foot multi-level laser tag arena, an arcade, a sports bar and grill with a two-story Jumbotron, and three outdoor bocce ball courts.
The development remains stalled, due to lack of financing. Powell said that developers have additional meetings scheduled this week with potential financiers.
“Once we get a bank that will do it, we'll do it,” Powell said.
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Oh my god just creat a facebook page and ask people to donate some money lol.. I mean I am for it if we’re gonna have something to do in Turlock..Or go after invenstors around bay area or Sac area I am sure there must be a lock around there for Powell.