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Bakersfield College - March 24, 2000

Our Slogan:
· The best kept secret in California
· Working together for a better tomorrow
· The Heart of California
· Bakersfield - If you haven't been there lately, you haven't been there!
· Bakersfield-the Best of California


Our Image:
· Cultural center
· Vibrant
· Family oriented
· Clean!
· Friendly
· Modern
· Business center of the South San Joaquin Valley
· Silicon Valley of the Southern Valley
· Culturally diverse
· A place to visit and have fun when you were on vacation
· A little bit country, a little bit Rock N Roll


Our Reputation:
· Great hospitality
· We enjoy our familes, friends, & visitors
· Safe
· Smart
· Ethical
· Diverse
· A place to get a high dollar job in a pleasant living area
· Excellent place to get a vocational education


Business Environment:
· More job for children - to feel good about themselves
· Knowledge based
· Jobs/professional opportunities
· High tech/high pay jobs that support oil & Ag - process, package, etc. here
· Tourism = economic development "We are a destination"
· Fair to all participants
· Access to Federal Courts


Arts & Culture:
· Lincoln Center Complex
· Performing Arts Center (free for the children)
· Larger Art Museum
· Noon concerts downtown
· Historic theatre districe and arts and cultural center
· Youth oriented concerts
· More than just the Crystal Palace
· Keep our Symphony - new facility


Education:
· Vocational education
· Computer Tech/Science Univ.


Heart of the City:
· More recreation for teens: teen club 15-18 yers; Recreation Center
· Promote urban village community - residences, shops, recreation in the heart of the city
· Easy transport from everywhere to the heart of town - for business, entertainment, shopping, dining and seeing people
· Homeless in homes outside of city limits
· More boutique shopping
· Famous Medical Center -Ex: UCLA/USC


Technology:
· Virtual reality entertainment complex
· Center for high tech development in oil & ag and "new industries"


Our Values:
· Collaboration
· Honesty
· We Care About Kids
· MidWestern - strong work ethic - still
· Family values
· Embracing our differences


Transportation:
· Circulari - Beltway
· Airline connections
· Hi-speed rail system
· Metro Rail System: Rosedale-Downtown
· Light rail/Expressways
· Shuttle from hotels and major centers to recreation/art/sports areas
· Major airlines


Biggest Changes:
· Financial district
· Knowledge based economy
· Loop freeway
· Nordstroms
· Downtown is (again) the major site of business, entertainment, & govt.
· Theme park
· Bakersfield - as far South as you can get in Northern California


Break Thrus:
· Acceptance of cultural differences
· Valley Fever
· Great grandkids not afraid to go out on Halloween


Looking Back I'm Most Proud of…
· The Vision 2020 process!
· …being involved


What is our Vision for Our Economy over the Next 10-20 years?
· Destination Market - tourism - sports & entertainment
· More technology business
· A haven for professionals
· Complaints from L.A. Chamber of Commerce of flights of businesses to Bakersfield
· Shopping & restaurants around professional office buildings
· Neighborhoods built to last
· Less reliance on oil/agriculture
· Clean industry
· Promote image of economic activity by development and concentration of high-rises in downtown area
· Knowledge based cow …?
· Educating hispanics about ressources available to them
· Show people how to get involved more for children


What kind of Economic Development Initiatives do we want to create?
· Airport access
· Plan to apply for all grant issues - used more widely in other areas
· Tax incentives for new development that stays within the 2020 or 2010 plans
· Solid diverse economy
· Youth job development (training)
· Youth internships in farm businesses -volunteer organizations


What kind of Jobs do we want to attract here over the next 10-20 years?
· Computer technology
· Good teachers
· Major manufacturing
· Excellence in education beyond secondary level
· Craftment to support new and existing industries
· Professionals: architects, doctors, lawyers
· Multinational businesses - manufacturing and technology
· High tech corporate offices
· Light industrial/manufacturing
· Health care
· Technology support services


Our Vision for Downtown:
· Remove Hwy 178 in Downtown
· Light rail alaong Truxtun to Rosedale, along Union, Proceed from downtown to the Northeast
· Green belt along 34th
· Big Park in center
· Fresaurant Fow
· Fountains
· Hi storied walking/working
· Baseball stadium
· Federal Court and Federal Agencies on California and Chester
· Busines corridor on Lakeview
· Indoor shopping mall on Truxturn and Union
· Outdoor shopping mall closed to traffic, e.g. Santa Monica
· Recreation Complex - Nascar/Softball/water Park/hiking pathe, etc.
· Focus on the River - cleanup and beautify
· Beautification of Hwy 99 of entrances to the city - Monument signs both ends of 99
· Crystal Palace and more ET clubs
· Baseball stadiumat the Metro Rec. Center - Museum grounds
· UC Medical Center near Columbus
· Urban residentail area
· Cut and cover Hwy 178
· Historic Theatre district on Chester
· Green belt along California
· Small police substations scattered around
· Upscale shopping mall (Nordstrom)
· Antique Row along H St. with more eateries
· Beyond H.S. education center between Union and Chester - also Senior Housing
· High density housing and good day-to-day shopping between Lakeview and Union
· Attach a park to every school
· Professional Men and Women Soccer stadium on Union between Truxtun and California. Also, ice rink ;and YMCA
· Old Town Historic Cultural Center near Beale
· Riverwalk along So. Fork of river
· Retail/parking along Chester - Educ. Center
· Hi rise residential around Riverwalk


In our Community's Future We Wanted and We Got…
· Pedestrians downtown
· Regional youth centers
· Business involvement with K-12 education
· Efficient use of taxpayer dollars
· Recreation complex in Northeast
· New Central Park Downtown
· Horseback riding stables along Kern River Trail
· More restaurants
· More play areas after school
· Bigger Malls
· Nordstroms
· More moral and ethics in school in relation to soslving problems of broken families and new families - in relation to pregnancy - abortion, achievement in school, job level and educational attainmment and all vocational training
· Theme park
· More electric cars
· Pioneer & Fairfax area needs more things for the kids to do: We need swimming pool, arts & crafts, teach children to love themselves and neighborhoods
· All buildings and developments overseen by licensed architect
· Justice for Federal jurors
· High speed rail - downtown
· Ice rink
· To see the mountains more often
· Easpy parking/transport for all civic functions and entertainment
· More bike trails
· Excellence in vocational education
· Retail in-fill/improvement rather than abandonment of existing retail centers
· Neighborhoods built to last a lifetime
· Professional baseball stadium
· Mixed use development
· Big skateboard park


In our Community's Future, We didn't Want and We Didn't Get…
· Congested streets and highways
· No dumping grounds
· Leap-frogging
· Billboards
· Unrestricted growth - stay within the plan
· Dairies (got milk)
· No gas cars
· No forced trips to Fresno
· Gangs
· Urban sprawl and large welfare rolls
· Further loss of prime Ag land to unplanned urban sprawl and cheaply made homes
· No more cheesy housing and neighborhoods
· No more strip malls


2010 Area Map
· Beltway along 7th Standard, Shafte Hwy, Bear Mt. Blvd.
· River all the way through town with restaurants and entertainment
· Keep River native with trees and native habitat in the flood plan, undeveloped area
· Extended bike trails and green belts - Brundage, Gosford, Buena Vista Rd. Stockdale, Mt. Vernon
· High 'rise offices and big park downtown
· Arts amphiteatre
· Federal Court center
· Welcome to Bakersfield signs
· Outlet mall E. of Union
· Industrial Center - Cottonwood
· Baseball stadium - Mt. Vernon and Beale area
· Residential development in the Northeast (E. of 178)
· Recreation/sport complex on Kern Canyon Rd.
· Supermarkets spread out through town
· Incentivize infill in the core of the city
· Landscaped and maintained bike paths - Alfred Harrell


Common Themes
· Beltway
· Environmental issues
· Develop downtown
· Art & recreation centers
· Light rail
· Kern River greenway
· Lots of green
· Youth issues
· Nordstroms
· S.E. blighted area developed
· Educational system to support new industries - vocational training
· Restaurant Tow
· Federal building and court hourse
· High tech/hi paid jobs
· No leapfrog development


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