Results from Phase III Community Forums:

South High School - April 27, 2000

Our Slogan:
· Garden in the Sun

Our Image:
· Cosmopolitan
· Multidimensional
· Visionary
· Symphony, CALM, Muserum are nationally recognized
· Value progress/Value history

Our Reputation:
· Good place to live
· Affordable
· Desireable
· Friendly people
· Well-educated populace
· Culture availabe to all and participated in
· A Festival town

Business Environment:
· Diverse base
· International logistic center
· Produce oriented festival complete with parade, band competitions, King & Queen

Arts & Culture:
· Performing arts complex
· Evening performances of the symphony
· CALM and KCMuseum are destination points for L.A. tourists
· Every child take a music program in our schools
· Every child take art

Education:
· Children have opportunities to try and excel at any endeavor
· Technology-science center for Agri-biotech
· All children in our town can read (at grade level0
· Another Jr. College
· A medical/dental school
· Test scores up to national average

Heart of the City:
· Shopping, parking, housing (apts/condos), office buildings, entertainment, restaurants
· Blues Bar!
· Business/Govt/Education
· Theatre for children
· Symphony Hall
· Unique restaurants
· City of music/art/gardens
· ALL citizens involved in volunteer activities

Our Values:
· We value the quality of life in Abkersfield
· We're not too big yet not too small
· Education!
· One for all/all for one
· There's something for everyone
· Celebrate our city's diversity

Technology:
· Infrastructure-fiber throughout the town

Transportation:
· High speed rail stop
· Can go anywhere in the city in less than 1 hour on public transit
· Several N/S, E/W throughways - no dependence on just a few congested routes
· More reliable Amtrak service

Biggest Changes:
· Better parking around Ciic Center
· Clean air
· Civic pride
· Rapid transit like big cities

Break Thrus:
· Less need for pesticides due to advances in agriculture

Looking back I'm most proud of…
· How we unified the city
· How family oriented Bakersfield is

What's our Vision for our Economy over the next 10-20 years?
· Scale back social programs (put people to work)

What kind of Economic Development Initiatives do we want to create?
· Revitalize low income areas to encourage regrowth

What kind of jobs do we want to attract here over the next 10-20 years?
· High tech jobs-medium size companies
· Manufacturing of farm and oil equipment
· Canning factory to can local produce
· Communications industry to service related jobs
· Professional sports

Our Vision for Downtown:
· Pioneer Village is one of Top 10 outdoor museums in U.S.
· Community Sports Complex (multi-sport) S of California, W of Union.
· Connected Freeway through downtown
· Central Park area: Concert Hall, High rise condominiums/offices, lots of fountains, lake, outdoor concerts, outdoor mall, More outdoor cafes and traveling musicians
· Children's theatre and children's museum

In our Community's Future We Wanted and We Got…
· We encouraged a diverse set of businesses to locate here. No dependence on a couple of industries
· We built a downtown that people go to for business, shopping, restaurants, recreation. It is a safe, attractive place to be. So much so that people live there, too!
· A diverse public transportation system tht covers all majaor areas of the city providing 24/7 transportation.
· Performing arts center- art museum, children's theatre, symphony hall, theatre
· A great big city with a small town feel
· Greenways/ trees/gardens
· More major airlines to be here
· Drive-in movies
· More of our children are college grad.
· Curbside recycling
· Museum CALM, Art Museum are national attractions
· Trees in developments with sidewalks
· Planned growth -preserve Ag alnd and water
· All our children educated (grade level for everyone)

In our Community' Future We Didn't Want and We Didn't Get…
· Mahor pollutors, ie: toxic waste and sludge dumping grounds, animal factories
· Uneducated citizens
· Crime/gangs/drugs
· Don't want to be an L.A. suburb
· Don't want to abandon neighborhoods and move on and build more - "recycle" vacant buildings' have a percentage that must be occupied before more are constructed
· Leapfrog growth
· All our farmland gone
· Blighted downtown housing - remodel those old houses
· To be TV comic's big joke - want statewide respect attached to our name
· Don't want everybody to say "Let George do it"

Metropolitan Bakersfield - 2010 General Planning Area
· Beltway around the city - Freeway to I5 off Panama Lane
· High priority for preservation of Ag land - city density increased
· High speed rail around the city with a spur into downtown
· Big Park W of Buena Vista in undeveloped area
· Multi faceted sports complex S of 58 in undeveloped area
· Water Park Activity Center with Mini-golf - E of 99 and S of Panama. Outdoor umbrella tables and restaurants too plus bike trail
· Drive In Movie S of Di Girogio, E of Cottonwood
· Greenbelt all along river from Hart Park to the Big Park - new in the West. Green belt around canals off of Kern with Golf course shown at Riverlakes
· Rebuild Baseball stadium at Sam Lynn
· Interesting, unique restaurants downtown
· Symphony Hall complex downtown with a Lake, Nordstroms, and a Children's theater nearby
· Industrial Zone moved S of Houghton, W of 99 and N of Hwy 223 Common Themes:
· Planning and fulfillment of plans
· Cultural arts development
· Revitalization downtown
· Family oriented activities
· Recreational and sportscomplexes
· Education centers
· Lakes, gardens, parks, trees, water (we have a river)
· Increased tourism
· Useable public transportation

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