Results from Phase III Community Forums:

Kern County Superintendent of Schools - April 12, 2000

Our Slogan:
· A place for everyone under the sun…

Our Image:
· Clean-respectable
· Safe
· One of the best places to live
· Beautiful city with lots of greenery - no more dry and dusty image

Our Reputation:
· The best place to live
· Hometown for everyone
· Escape from L.A.
· Community oriented
· People are our greatest strength
· Great place to live, to visit
· A city known for its creative architecture

Business Environment:
· Highest % of businesses partnering to build & support families (#1 in the nation)
· Environment and business ventures are compatible
· More friendly coop with state over taxes returned to community for public projects

Arts & Culture:
· Symphony Hall
· More Broadway Shows
· More Arts

Education:
· High parent involvement
· Child care providers
· Better pay for college teachers
· A U.C. (doctorettes)
· Affordable, quality childcare
· Kids excel at off the chart levels!
· Change the way we "do" school
· Known as a feeder for U.C.
· We can get P.h.d.'s here

Heart of the City:
· Unity and hope for all
· Operat house or state of the art musical center
· Trees
· Waterways
· Esthetics part of all development and redevelopment

Our Values:
· Diversity
· Honesty
· Strong families

Technology:
· Electronic manufacturing
· Computer
· Viable electric cars
· Control negative aspects of the internet - i.e. porn

Transportation:
· Hovercraft
· Monorail to L.A. & S.F.
· Major airline hub
· Convenient metro transportation
· No gasoline powered vehicles allowed
· Nice train station
· Bike lanes everywhere
· Freeway from East to West with off ramp to downtown
· California train system
· Large Airport with planes to all U.S. destinations

Biggest Changes:
· No homeless population
· Educational options
· Freeway from 99 to I5
· Mass rail link in valley

Break Thrus
· Gov. shared financial responsibility
· Agriculture breakthrough - control of pollens, pesticides
· Pollution free

Looking back I'm most proud of…
· Kern County collaboratives
· "incubation" support for new businesses What's our Vision for our economy over the next 10-20 years?
· Diversified - not dependent on Ag & Oil
· More cultural diversity and tolerance
· The weakerst of us can provide all that is desired by our families
· Unlimited opportunities to provide for our families
· The Grand Canal
· Let's develop a new Silicon Valley Industry

What kind of jobs do we want to attract here over the next 10-20 years?
· Technology
· Entertainment (movie making) industry
· Processing plants for our ag products
· Recreation/leisure center
· Software development
· Ag program for Cal State Bakersfield
· Everything
· City & County recreation upgrades that hire students while providing needed service

Our Vision for Downtown
· Riverwalk/parkway near Museum with Art Galleries
· 24th Street (Chester to Oak): Grocery store, protect neighborhood environment, bars, shopping & galleries & luncheonette
· Downtown core: Opera/playhouse & theatres; Safe/attractive "Walking/shopping" entertainment
· RiverWalk
· Paseo Nuevo mall type
· Living center for homeless fmilies
· Nordstroms
· Extend Beale Library to Excot Center
· Renewed "Old Town" Kern
· Larger roads and redevelop industrial park S of California
· Equity in city maintenance along Union Ave.
· Lakeview area: parks and shopping; Youth centers
· Clean up homeless problem on Golden State area
· Baseball/sports complex - Museum/entertainment complex in Museum grounds area
· Interactive Theme Park Museum near Garces Circle
· Riverwalk thru Central Park
· Eliminate deadend of fwy 58
· Spend $$ on streets and park S of California; enhanced recreation opportunities
· Neighborhood clean-up program in Lakeview area
· Redeveloped East communitite
· Amusement Park on East side

In our Community's Future we wanted and we got:
· An amusement park
· A football stadiu;m & team at CSUB
· Science museum (exploratorium type)
· More emphasis on trees and water to encourage street life
· Return of dept. stores to downtown!
· Air Travel to hubs in the mid-West & East (Dallas, Chicago, etc.)
· Infrastructure improvements prior to development - rather than after
· More public art (sculptures, murals, fountains)
· Clean Air!
· Cultural and civic upgrade
· Beautification of S.E. Bakersfield
· Grocery stores & shopping center in S.E.
· Thoughtful mixed use development
· Open space near city
· Lake Wobegone!
· All the children are above average
· Ice rink
· Krispy Kremes
· Better quality medical care
· Living & health centers for all
· Better planning
· Clubs for under-age children
· Land and water use policies and practices
· Upgrade existing community parks and their facilities
· Water park for youth

In our Community's Future We didn't Want and Didn't Get…
· A downtown with an imposing skyline
· Junky strip malls
· Drugs and gangs-graffiti
· Housing development without planning/sprawl
· Earthquake damage
· Los Angeles
· People ithout "hope"
· Hunger Metropolitan Bakersfield 2010General Planning Area:
· Metro Plan (K.C. Museum area) developed: museum, Discovery Center (Science and Math), agricultural center, oil exhibit, etc.
· Fully developed soccer park near CALM, with new Water Park and CALM zoo developed as a unique destination point - (fully developed educational and recreational site)
· KCSOS - college classes offered during lunch hour
· Mall downtown: career clothing, activities, babysitting, food
· High speed rail - L.A. to S.F. along 99 corridor
· Regional transportation centers scattered throughout metro Bakersfield linking air/rail/downtown
· Do not develop the flood plain section of the river W of Gosford
· Monorail along Rosedale Hwy direct East along College Ave
· New freeway connection - Hwy 58 along Stockdale turning North at Ashe and connecting E. of Callloway with Rosedale
· Center for arts and enternainment downtown
· Water Park on Rosedale - W of 99 E of Mohawk
· Hacienda for children and families (homeless?) in Northeast hillsides
· Motorcross park adjacent to Mesa Marin
· Large industries W near I 5
· Theme Park/resort destination - W side
· West/East Transporation corridor

Common Themes:
· Bariety in transportation
· Beautification
· Cultural Enhancement/entertainment
· Bakersfield as a focal point to stay
· Economy that includes everyone
· Taking care of "everyone"
· Environmnetal issues
· Partnering/collaboration

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