Phase III  

Community Visioning Meeting

South High School

April 27, 2000

 

Our Slogan:

�        Garden in the Sun

 

Our Image:

�        Cosmopolitan

�        Multidimensional

�        Visionary

�        Symphony, CALM, Museum are nationally recognized

�        Value progress/Value history

 

Our Reputation:

�        Good place to live

�        Affordable

�        Desirable

�        Friendly people

�        Well-educated populace

�        Culture available 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 KC Museum 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 Bakersfield

�        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 Civic 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 that covers all major 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 land and water

�        All our children educated (grade level for everyone)

 

In our Community� Future We Didn�t Want and We Didn�t Get�

�        Major polluters, 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 sports complexes

�        Education centers

�        Lakes, gardens, parks, trees, water (we have a river)

�        Increased tourism

�        Useable public transportation