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State of the Vision – January 2002
Quality of Life**Strategy #1: Attain air quality standards
Slow progress noted, efforts are ongoing.
Action 1: The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District provides data to track both ozone levels and particulate matter in relation to governmental standards and benchmarked with other communities. The data relevant to Greater Bakersfield will be included in the evolving Vision report, with charts and graphs to track progress.
Action 2: No progress reported.
Strategy #2: Encourage the use of alternative fuel and low or zero emission vehicles in Greater Bakersfield. Include in General Plan.
Progress noted, efforts are ongoing.
Action 1: GET (Golden Empire Transit), KCSOS, and some school districts are using compressed natural gas. The County is using grant funds and its annual Transportation Development Act (TDA) allocation to acquire alternative fuel vehicles for both its fleet and the Regional Transit buses. The City is continuing its efforts to convert City vehicles to alternative fuel technology. Twenty-five vehicles were converted during 2001. Experimentation by public transportation with fuel cell technology is underway in other communities, but not in Bakersfield where funds are not available.
Action 2: GET and the KCSOS have invested heavily in infrastructure for CNG but not for other alternative or renewable fuels. The County is partnering with other public and private agencies to help create sufficient demand for alternative fueling facilities so that they become more cost effective to construct and operate. The City is constructing a LCNG fueling station to facilitate fueling of City vehicles.
Action 3: No progress noted.
Action 4: Deleted – Ordinance not necessary as efforts are already underway.
Strategy #3: Reduce emissions from mobile sources by improving traffic flow.
Progress noted, efforts are ongoing.
Action 1: The City currently has standards, which are designed to reduce emissions such as requiring more right turn lanes to enhance safety and improve traffic flow. The County is in the process of revising Development Standards to increase the number of right turn lanes required of new developments. Anticipated completion, 2002. Both the City and County recently completed a study by U.R.S. Griener to study a systems approach to major roads and freeways in Metropolitan Bakersfield. Both the City and County adopted alternate #15 from this report as the preferred plan for future roads and freeways.
Actions 2-4: No progress noted.
Strategy #4: Reduce air pollution associated with agriculture activities.
No progress noted.
Actions 1-3: No progress noted.
Strategy #5: Increase tree shade canopy to 30% and the number of trees in Greater Bakersfield from 1 million to 3 million by 2020.
Progress noted, efforts are ongoing.
Action 1: No progress noted.
Action 2: The Kern County Tree Foundation completed an analysis of destructive pruning practices. Aggressive training of tree care providers begins at Bakersfield College, Spring 2002.
Action 3: No progress noted.
Action 4: New landscape requirements for new commercial development were approved by the City Council.
Action 5: No progress noted.
Strategy #6: Create 20 major tree-covered corridors that connect to and include the Kern River Parkway, safe bike paths, and GET bus routes by 2020.
Significant progress noted, efforts are ongoing.
Action 1: Completed. Ad Hoc Tree Advisory Committee has been formed, with representatives from the City and County, to review, revise and strengthen tree ordinances by 2003.
Action 2, 5: The update of the Tree Ordinance for commercial, industrial, and multi-family property/developments has been completed to ensure 40% shade in parking lots for new commercial developments. A new Urban Forester has been hired by the City, and is working with various groups on tree ordinance changes.
Actions 3: The Tree Foundation of Kern plants between 1-2,000 trees annually in Greater Bakersfield.
Actions 4, 6,10: No progress noted.
Action 7: Chester Avenue greenbelt has been completed through North Chester. The City has set aside funds in the 2001-2 budget to complete the design of landscaped medians adjacent to the Kern County Museum on Chester Avenue.
Action 8: Arterial landscaping is included in new development projects and freeway landscaping is under the jurisdiction of Caltrans, which is creating a State Route 99 corridor beautification project. The City has budgeted $1,045,000 over the past two fiscal years for landscaped median island improvements of existing asphalt medians incorporating a new more attractive median island standard throughout the City.
Action 9: The City is constructing two large landscaped entry signs located on Hwy. 99, at the Northern and Southern boundaries of the City.
Strategy #7: Leverage Proposition 12 and 13 funding to create a greenbelt corridor along the Kern River with a bike path from Lake Ming to Buena Vista Lake.
Significant progress noted, efforts are ongoing.
Actions 1, 2: The City is using funds from proposition 12 and 13 to enhance and extend the bike path along the Kern River. Also being planned is the construction of the Bellvue River Weir, which will provide a pedestrian and bike path crossing from the new 30 acre park site connecting to the 40 acre open space/recharge area. The City has entered into arrangements with the County Parks to extend the existing bike path from CALM to Lake Ming. Several shoreline tree projects are being planned for restoration of tree corridors located between Chester and Golden State Avenue and another project from Cal State Bakersfield to the new 30-acre park site along the south shoreline of the Kern River. It is anticipated these tree-planting projects will be completed during 2002. Funding is available for extension of the bake path from CALM in the East to Enos Lane to the West by March 2002. The Tree Foundation of Kern planted 850 trees along the bike path in 1999 and 404 trees in 2000.
Actions 3, 4: A master plan for the Western portion of the Kern River corridor has effectively been accomplished in the form of the Kern River Parkway, which extends from Panorama Drive in the East and Allen Road to the West. The western-most segment is a public-private partnership between the City of Bakersfield and Castle & Cooke to provide a major 30-acre park on both sides of the River.
Strategy #8: Provide additional recreational and other activities along the Kern River.
Progress noted, efforts are ongoing.
Actions 1, 3: The City is planning a new 30-acre park at Buena Vista Road and Stockdale Highway adjacent to the Kern River. The park will include an aqua theater with an adjacent lake. There is an additional lake near Stockdale Highway. On the north side of the Kern River at this location is an additional 40-acre open space/recharge area with the possibility of having playing fields such as soccer, etc. This area will also serve as a trailhead for equestrian activities. The City Recreation and Parks department has implemented several programs which provide concerts in parks adjacent to the River, including the “Rockin’ By The River” and the “River Front Jazz” series of events which have been very successful and well attended.
Actions 2, 4, 5, 6: No progress noted.
Strategy #9: Keep water in the Kern River year-round through Beach Park.
Significant progress noted, efforts are ongoing.
Action 1: The City has entered into arrangements with Kern County Water Agency to drill new water wells and provide new canal facilities, which will allow Kern River water to be recharged in the Kern River Parkway below Chester Avenue during the recreation season. The length of the recreation season flows is dependent on available water supplies. Minimum flows will be available during the June and July summer months. The Kern River will again flow through Beach Park beginning in 2002, with the exception of the winter months when channel maintenance must take place.
Action 2: No progress noted.
Strategy #10: Develop a cultural/museum master plan incorporating the museums, a new performing arts center and Metro Park.
Progress noted, efforts are ongoing.
Actions 1-2: No progress noted.
Action 3: The County has completed the master plan for the Metropolitan Recreation Center and is developing implementation strategies with the Museum Authority. The Downtown Charrette produced several design ideas and identified opportunities for the use of theaters and performing arts centers throughout the downtown. Specifically the creation of a theater district was proposed. These ideas will be further developed as specific improvement projects are pursued. There are three non-profit groups who have developed plans for a Performing Arts Center. A “white paper” comparing the three is in preparation. A theatre district in the downtown area was foreseen in the Downtown Charrette performed in May 2001.
Strategy#11: Ensure that 20 cultural activities and exhibits are located throughout our community and represent our diverse community segments.
Progress noted, efforts are ongoing.
Action 1: City Recreation and Parks is conducting several activities promoting cultural diversity including a Kwanzaa celebration at the Martin Luther King Center, classes on how to speak Spanish and German, classes in Latin Dance, and Karate.
Actions 2-4: No progress noted.
Strategy #12: Inspire 1000 individuals and businesses to enhance their neighborhoods through murals and other public art media by January 2010.
No progress noted.
Actions 1-2: No progress noted.
Strategy #17: Structure home building regulations to perpetuate our current affordable housing.
Progress noted, efforts are ongoing.
Actions 1, 2: Historical data indicates the relative affordability of housing in the Metro area as compared with other communities; however, “affordable” housing is a higher percentage of median income than in other communities in California. The City has programs provided by the Economic and Community Development Department, which encourage affordable new housing construction, and rehabilitation focused on in-fill and targeted areas within the city. The City also has a fast track program for the prompt review and approval of housing plans. The County Resource Management Agency and its component departments have worked to simplify the project review and permit approval processes. Special emphasis is placed on keeping costs low and passing the savings on to those who are seeking permits. The County Ordinance Code and Development Standards are undergoing updates to incorporate current good planning practices.
**Strategy #19: Attack root causes of crime in Greater Bakersfield.
Progress noted, efforts are ongoing.
Actions 1, 2: The Bakersfield Police Department participates in numerous multi-jurisdictional task forces including, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force, and the Kern Narcotics Enforcement Task Force. The City created the Special Enforcement Unit, which focuses on gang activity. Over the last two years gang shootings have decreased over 60%. The department has also been an active participant in the ad hoc committee on violent crime, weapons, and community relations formed by the City Council, which is working with other agencies and the community to identify and address solutions to serious crimes. A survey was completed by the Bakersfield Police Department (BPD) using Neighborhood Watch groups. Survey techniques will be further applied by the area commanders in order to better evaluate police services. BPD and Kern County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) are working together to provide crime statistics relevant to Greater Bakersfield for trend and comparison purposes. The KCSO is working with professors in criminology at CSUB to collect data regarding communities’ progress over time in the elimination or mitigation of cause. The County is involved in a myriad of ways to improve the situation of families, infants, children, and youth through the Department of Human Services, the mental Health Department, the Probation Department and other County departments.
Strategy #20: Continuously improve the cleanliness of Greater Bakersfield.
Progress noted, efforts are ongoing.
Action 1: The city has established a regular quarterly bulky item drop-off program. The Solid Waste Division is implementing a pilot program in conjunction with the private refuse haulers for curbside recycling beginning April 2002. If successful the program could be expanded city-wide
Action 2: “Keep America Beautiful” organization is now in place.
Action 3: No progress noted.
Action 4: Quarterly bulky item pickup is available at specified locations. No progress noted toward curbside or free bulky item pickup.
Strategy #21: Increase inclusiveness by encouraging members of minority communities to serve on civic boards and commissions.
Progress noted, efforts are ongoing.
Actions 1-4: Surveys are in progress to determine the level of diversity in membership on civic boards and commissions. All citizens are encouraged to apply to serve on Boards and Commissions. Applications are available from the City Clerk and on the City’s website, and from the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and on the County’s website.
Strategy #23: Celebrate cultural diversity through role models of different ethnicity for others to emulate in their own lives.
No progress noted.
Actions 1-2: No progress noted.
Strategy #24: Create a tolerant community by working with and through faith-based organizations that can provide leaders and role models for others in the community to emulate.
No progress noted.
Action 1: No progress noted.
