Phase III  

Visioning Meeting

Facilitator Volunteers � February 8, 2000

Our Slogan:

�        A great place for wonderful people

�        A great place to live

�        Sun, Fun, Stay, Play (why not)

Our Image:

�        Clean

�        Uplifts and supports children and families

�        The place to be�

�        Identifiable as a Great Central Valley town (not like everyone else)

Our Reputation:

�        Innovators!

�        Includers

�        Central Valley Leadership

�        Love Bakersfield!!

�        Great place to live

�        People move here to retire

Civic Culture:

�        Inclusive

�        Proud

�        Diverse

�        Anyone that wants to participate can

Business Environment:

�        Healthy & diverse

�        Companies desire to locate here

�        �Clean� industries locating here

�        Many new industry clusters

�        High paying

�        Technology

�        Business concerned with employees� health and well-being

Arts & Culture:

�        Children & youth actively participating in art & culture events/activities

�        Diverse-reflective of our population

�        People travel here to enjoy our talents

�        Art for all; by all; respected

�        Public art abundant

Heart of the city:

�        Vibrant!

�        Tree lined streets!

�        More schools

�        Youth oriented

�        Walkable

�        Sooo�unique � featured in magazines

�        Sidewalk cafes & entertainment

�        Old and new work together

�        Old neighborhoods are pleasing to the eye

�        Less development on the automobile

�        Invisible parking

�        Riverfront commerce

�        Good transportation to other parts of city

Technology:

�        Technology-website based businesses

�        Tech Center for Southern Calif.

�        Availability

�        High speed communication network to every home/business

Transportation:

�        Big planes to big cities �non-stop�

�        Electric vehicles/trams

�        Street car from Baker St. to Chester

�        Outlying communities with clean, easy access to hubs

�        Public transportation accessible, affordable to all

�        Attracting more airlines

Biggest Changes:

�        Incredible, easy access to the right educational opportunities

�        Clean, healthy air & water

�        Trees with lots of foliage

�        Bakersfield becomes a destination not a drive-thru

Break-Thrus

�        High tech industry center

�        We embrace diversity

�        City & county work together

Looking back I�m most proud of�

�        Of our successful youth!

�        Of our community�s being able to work together

�        Bakersfield is a wonderful, desirable place

What�s Our Vision for Our Economy over the next 10-20 years?:

�        Full employment in meaningful jobs

�        Diverse ag-economy with value added production (world-wide)

�        Utilize knowledge � don�t discriminate by age (young or old)

�        Respect for all professions � trash collection makes a big difference

�        New industry clusters that bring new technology, high pay, diversity

�        Jobs that pay enough to live well above the poverty level

�        Well-educated workforce

What kind of Economic Development Incentives do we want to create?:

�        Include the whole population

�        Farmland conversion (zoning) � be clear where we want it and don�t

�        Development zones (help it happen where it isn�t)

�        Small business education plan

�        Incentives for private revitalization of neighborhoods/business

�        Support (financial incentives) to private businesses that contribute to public infrastructure development

What kind of Jobs do we want to Attract over the next 10-20 years?:

�        Jobs that pay a living wage at minimum

�        High tech

�        Professional

�        Creative!

�        Value-added to agriculture � food processing

�        Medical

�        Research

�        Year round, livable wage, high tech, Ag industry

�        Real good trained plumbers, automotive repair folks

�        In field of personal development � emotional, spiritual as related to organizational effectiveness

�        Diverse jobs..lots of opportunity to work and grow

Our Vision for Downtown:

�        More lights in trees

�        Outstanding museums

�        Large evening farmers market

�        Street Fairs

�        Unusual public sculpture & art work

�        Bike lanes

�        Very Colorful

�        Outdoor theater

�        Thriving downtown area with may private businesses

�        More fountains and public squares

�        Shops with display windows

�        Create an entrance into downtown on Chester beginning at 58 freeway. Change off ramp from H Street to Chester

�        Living space � rent and owned

�        Fun! Neat place to go

�        Clean attractive roads

�        Combine fiscal/recreation activities

�        Cool

�        Unique, out of the ordinary; a place to be inspired

�        Wonderful  cafes

�        Safety

�        All ages together & ethnic groups

�        Modest signage

�        Flowers everywhere

�        A department store in downtown

�        A grocery store

�        It�s identifiably Bakersfield (like Santa Barbara is SB) � in a good way

�        Separate bike and walking paths

�        A clean Central Park

�        Unifying aesthetics in duilding design

�        River through Central Park with bike & walking lanes

�        Fishing

�        Water fountains

�        Water theme

�        No cars in the center. People watching

�        Downtown electric trolley

�        Easy/safe bike parking

Our Vision for the Riverwalk:

�        Public art

�        Flowers

�        Window boxes

�        Pedestrian malls

�        Lots of trees and grass

�        Some water fowl to feed and watch

�        Scheduled activities

�        Art Shows

�        Celebrates our diversity � food, entertainment

�        Development of shopping malls and restaurants

�        Outdoor cafes

�        Open space

�        Tulip trees

�        Music everywhere

�        Affordable child care facility

�        Carousel ( a real one)

�        Farmer�s Market

�        Integrated hotels, offices, shopping, housing

�        Shuffle board, chess

�        Outdoor stage

�        Fountains

�        Boat rides

�        Trees

�        Young/old together!

�        Performing arts spaces

�        Senior housing

�        Street fairs

�        Carnival

�        Play structures

�        Sand boxes

�        Fenced areas

�        Ease of public transportation

�        Lake for non-motorized boats

�        Expand the image of the river � within the community

Our Neighborhood Vision:

Image:

�        Complete neighborhood

�        Safe � NE

�        Clean � no abandoned buildings � East, and everywhere

�        Youth-oriented

�        Mixed use- single/multi-family dwellings in a village atmosphere so each section in town develops its own character

�        Walkable, bike rideable ( no more walls and cul-de-sacs)

�        SE redevelop and equal part of the community

Specific things to do:

�        Shopping mall � Stockdale/West

�        Fine dining � East

�        Grocery shopping SE (Vons)

�        Neighborhood Park/Rec East

�        Support development of basic commercial services at the neighborhood level

�        Walkable communities

�        SE develop housing/commercial/industrial project

Values:

�        Mixed in economic status and ethnic/racial diversity

�        Family oriented

�        Safe � families on porches, block parties

�        No need for juvenile detention facilities

�        Trust

�        SE/location/affordable land

�        All people respected

Goals:

�        Revitalize slums � NE

�        Bike patrols (community policing)

�        SE organize the business/property owners to get involve in leading the mvoe to develop the area

Biggest Changes:

�        Vision of neighborhood expands beyond the walls of the subdivision

�        Shopping center that is supported and prospers in the Southeast and Northeast

�        SE get the whole community behind effort to develop the area, working in the business/property owners as equal partners � public/private partnership

Other:

�        No graffiti

�        Community based health centers

�        Neighborhood association

�        SE deal with crime/gang/drug problem for area so investment capital will come into the area

Common Themes:

�        A lot of interaction with other community members

�        Economic development in all parts of the community

�        Make it better�

�        Trend to make things more attractive

�        Optimistic but superficial in some respects

�        High tech

�        Need more diversity

�        Transportation

�        Quality of life

�        More people places � opportunities for interaction

�        Educate people to reach financial independence and diversity

�        Diverse and unique but all works together

�        Plan for growth by all � building on quality, taking our future in our own hands

�        Attract something big/new/better

�        Having FUN..even downtown

�        We like the out-of-doors: bike trails, sidewalk cafes, not inside

�        Less dependence on single auto transport

�        Inclusive

�        Clean water

�        Family