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City highlights progress on 30-year Downtown Bakersfield vision; staff to seek reprioritization and committee review
Summary
City staff summarized progress on the Downtown Vision Plan, saying residential population has grown and infrastructure and policy steps are underway. Council asked staff to bring prioritization recommendations to committee and recommended a five-year extension of the plan horizon.
City staff told the City Council on Feb. 12 that the Downtown Vision Plan — a long-term, multi-phase strategy first released in 2015 — is on pace but needs a near-term reprioritization to reflect current projects, available funding and changing conditions.
Jenny Byers, the city's economic and community development director, reviewed accomplishments and ongoing work: the downtown residential population has roughly increased from 5,000 to about 9,400 residents since 2015; the Economic Opportunity Area (EOA) was renewed through 2034; sidewalks, pedestrian improvements and bicycle lanes have been installed; and studies of sewer and storm infrastructure identified upgrades needed to support future growth. "Phase 1 was a decade worth of work," Byers said in a condensed staff presentation, and she listed catalytic projects including the Dolores Huerta Cultural Center, potential transit-centered housing and street-level investments.
Why it matters: Council members said downtown remains essential to broader city economic strategy and asked for a practical update on priorities. Council Member Gonzales asked staff to return to the council's Finance, Economic Development and Jobs Committee with a recommended reprioritized list and suggested extending the plan time frame by five years to align with high-speed-rail planning and other long-term investments.
Specific items highlighted - Residential growth: staff reported roughly 9,400 downtown residents, up from about 5,000 in 2015, and a market study estimating room for roughly 25,000 additional units under the plan. - Infrastructure and mobility: projects include complete-streets work, pedestrian paseos, Wayfinding, sidewalk and utility upgrades, and a series of intersection and bicycle improvements in the downtown core. - Fiscal tools and programs: staff noted use of the EOA, façade improvement programs, and ongoing exploration of funding mechanisms such as targeted property-based improvement districts (PBIDs), park-in-lieu options and grants.
Council direction and community concerns Council members urged more attention to public-safety perception in downtown, suggesting stronger early-morning patrolling, better alley lighting and tighter control of unlocked dumpsters. Several members suggested the city provide a memorandum for property owners summarizing the city's investments in downtown to clarify what the city already funds versus what a PBID would add.
Next steps: City Manager Clay Clegg and staff recommended bringing a reprioritization draft to the Finance, Economic Development and Jobs Committee and said staff would consider a five-year extension of the plan's timeline to better align with high-speed-rail planning and grant opportunities.
Ending: The council voted to receive and file the update and directed staff to return with committee-level recommendations on prioritization and potential plan extension.
