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
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