Community Input
Results from Phase III Community Forums:
Kern County Administration Building - April 6, 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
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
