Castle & Cooke got the OK Thursday night from the Bakersfield Planning Commission to make design tweaks to its Windermere development in the southwest.

Several residents told commissioners they loved Windermere's design touches, including garages that are tucked away in alleys instead of being "front-loaded" or on the street.

But realtor Louie Gregorio told commissioners he had a listing in Windermere for four months and clients consistently said they didn't like the alley feature.

The neighborhood doesn't look like most Bakersfield subdivisions. And that's the problem, according to Castle & Cooke. People who toured models told pollsters they wanted larger yards for their money. The company has sold less than 20 homes since the development came online.

I went through a home in Windermere and its yard was plenty big. The woman has  a lovely pool,  lawn and storage space. Her house is gorgeous.

What do you think? Is there an obsession with big lots in Bakersfield? Could Westchester, arguably the city's most desirable neighborhood, one that has homes that don't look the same, be built today? Would it fly?

— Jenny Shearer, staff writer