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Bakersfield planners present draft '2045' general plan; council extends public comment period
Summary
Planning staff introduced the public-draft Bakersfield 2045 general plan and council voted to add 30 days to the review period after residents requested translations and more outreach; environmental review and adoption are expected next year.
City planning staff and consultants presented the public draft of the Bakersfield 2045 general plan on July 15 and warned that public review, environmental review and adoption will stretch into next year unless the council shortens comment windows.
Phil Burns and Dela Costa of Rincon Consultants described a five-year planning effort that began in 2021 and noted major chapters—land use, mobility, quality of life, natural and historic resources and a Kern River element. Staff said the public draft was posted July 8, that the comment period had been extended to August 28 and that the environmental review (NOP already issued) is expected to complete early next year with adoption anticipated in spring.
Public commenters asked the council to extend the comment period further and to publish translated drafts in Spanish and Punjabi. Abby Power of Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability asked the city to release translations and to set a 45-day review period from the date of translated releases so residents who could not attend prior outreach events could participate. Littiana Andrade Cappellino asked for neighborhood-based workshops.
Council members discussed implementation and timelines, including how the circulation element ties to a future traffic-impact fee and how zoning and design standards will follow adoption. Council member Smith urged staff to include more time-bound implementation milestones so the plan does not sit on a shelf; staff said short-, medium- and long-term priorities and a tracking spreadsheet are part of the plan framework and can be reported to council periodically.
Council member Coleman moved to receive and file the draft and add an additional 30 days to the public-review period (moving the close to about Sept. 28); the council approved the motion. The clerk recorded the motion as approved with council members Arias, Gonzalez and Weir absent.
Next steps: staff said they will finalize maps, add a policy index and appendices, incorporate public comments received, continue environmental review, and return to the council for adoption in the spring. Staff also said they will send council members direct links to the draft and coordinate additional outreach, including digital surveys and neighborhood meetings.
