Results from Phase III Community Forums:

The Bakersfield Californian - March 29, 2000

Our Slogan:
· A better place to live
· Getting better all the time

Our Image:
· New high tech center of California
· Attractive on and off ramps to freeway system
· Demetris Southerd (the Greek)
· Strong supporter of the Education System
· Our students have highest GPA in state

Our Reputation:
· Shady, beautiful, not dusty
· Not the butt of jokes
· Broad based economy-recession proof
· A Great Place to Visit..the Greatest Place to Live!

Civic Culture:
· Strong planning committee
· City and county governments work together

Business Environment:
· National companies with employment presence
· All businesses are on the leading edge of technology
· Industrial park land is developed & occupied
· Light manufacturing
· Software development

Arts & Culture:
· More activities that Bakersfield is known for
· Movie theater that shows independent films
· Affordable family entertainment
· Public art
· Downtown activities (more like 1st Night activity)

Heart of the City:
· Large park surrounded by modern buildings, restaurants, and cultural centers
· Cool new baseball stadium
· Downtown high rise condo's
· Trees, fountains, river emphasis, green, shade
· Art! To buildings - Centers - more
· Water theme Park - more for kids/families
· Quality redevelopment to replace blighted areas

Technology:
· Hub for software development & manufacturing
· Strong division at Cal State Bakersfield

Transportation:
· Vastly improved traffic light system
· More telecommuting - less congestion
· Bikes!
· Speed rail

Our Values:
· Sense of community
· Hardworking workforce
· Cleaner air - trees, water, awnings, lampost - ie: asethetics, caring for the earth!

Biggest Changes:
· It actually looks nice when you drive down 99
· Feel safe strolling downtown after dark

Break Thrus
· Fuel cells - no gas, each house business has own generating plant.
· Longevity - longer productivity
· Ability to improve air quality developed
· People are aware that they can make a difference - it's up to them

Looking back I'm most proud of…
· We've become a diverse, integrated community
· We learned tolerance
· We planted 1,798,300 trees to become a shady community
· We preserved our identity as a city of hard working people

Our Vision for our Economy over the next 10-20 years
· More diversity
· Higher median incomes
· Lower unemployment rates
· Strong & visible
· Ethnic presence - ie: Hispanic culture integrated and celebrated

What kind of Economic Development Initiatives do we want to create?
· Create incentives to attract supplier companies to tech. Backbone of California
· Ensure Airport expansion happens

What kind of Jobs/Work do we want to attract here over the next 10-20 years?
· High technology jobs
· Higher paying
· Manufacturing/more stable blue collar employment opportunities
· More artistic jobs
· Work at home
· Flex-time jobs - walking to work opportunities

Our Vision for Downtown:
· Speed rail from Truxtun depot to connect with N/S speed rail along 99
· Cool landscape concepts at all exits of 99
· Really attractive people's (visitor's) first impression @ California & 99
· Trees all along Hwy 58
· Union Ave. - clean it up! It's so visible - better housing, trees, attractive mobiles, clean up trash & litter!
· Golf course downtown N. of 24th St.
· Water park, wave pool, water slides at N end of town
· Entertainment - parks near Museum
· Manufacturing center near Golden State Hwy
· A Riverwalk thing with a real river (So. Fork of Kern) instead of canal. Parks with paths etc. alongside; Hi Tech Building, Vetern building, shops and restaurants all along with art on the buildings/ Museum and TREES
· Downtown #2 North of Union Ave. between Truxtun and Hwy 178
· Tear down the old JLJ apartments alongside 178
· Water in mad made lake - East Bakersfield
· Redevelop Lakeview - tear down projects and build new housing

In our Community's Future We Wanted and We Got:
· A real Kern River - has water, wildlife and is buffered by natural boundaries and flows
· Efficient roadways, freeway system with well-engineered traffic signals
· Expanded cultural offerings
· An airport to accommodate high tech companies/growth
· Strong economy with job opportunities for professional, technical and labor
· A zoo that compliments the community
· A bullet t5ain to San Francisco and Vegas and L.A.
· Vital downtown with upscale residences
· Aggressive enforcement of air quality laws and regs
· Highpaying clean industry
· Safer neighborhoods
· Places to relax in - walk, stroll, enjoy outdoors
· Old Town -refurbish & Museum redeveloped
· Upgraded public transportation, lower auto use
· Downtown street life - café's shade, pedestrian walkways
· Access to health care for all
· Wide bike lanes - a bike friendly community
· Public art/statues
· Access to river
· Tree-lined streets everywhere

What we Didn't Want and Didn't Get:
· Higher unemployment rates
· Dirtier air
· More potholes and bad roads at rail crossings
· No more asphalt patch
· No more prisons!
· No more homeless!
· Trash, litter
· Crime
· Gangs
· County islands within Metro Bakersfield
· To lose our city's unique identity
· Demetris Southerd ( The Greek)

Common Themes:
· Clean up and beautify
· More activity to city
· Upgrade jobs
· Real river
· More trees
· Higher paying jobs
· Better transportation
· Acceptance - embracing diversity
· Downtown focus
· Better education
· Diversified economy

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