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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