Council extends Bakersfield 2045 general plan public‑review period after residents ask for more outreach

City planning staff and consultant Dela Costa (Rincon Consultants) introduced the public‑review draft of the Bakersfield 2045 general plan on July 15 and explained its chapter structure, outreach history and next procedural steps.

The draft plan, which staff said reflects multiple years of engagement, addresses vision and land‑use policies, mobility, economic development, natural and historic resources and a Kern River element. Staff said public review had been extended once and the current draft was open through Aug. 28.

Public commenters including Abby Power (Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability) and Lythiana Andrade Cappolino urged the council to further extend the comment period, host workshops in neighborhood locations, and release translations in Spanish and Punjabi to ensure broader input from disadvantaged and non‑English‑speaking communities.

Council members discussed the trade-offs between additional outreach time and the overall adoption schedule. Some council members asked staff to show time‑bound implementation steps so plan policies do not merely “sit on the shelf.” Planning staff said many implementation actions (zoning updates, design manuals, and traffic‑impact fee work) will follow the general plan and that some implementation milestones will be provided as short‑, medium‑ and long‑term tasks.

A motion to receive and file the draft and add approximately 30 days to the public‑review period (moving the closing date into late September) was made and approved. Staff said a modest extension would likely move formal adoption by a month into the spring adoption window and that staff would publish required notices and provide a new calendar date.

Next steps: staff will post revised public‑review dates and provide additional digital outreach options, work on translations, and return with compiled comments and a recommended adoption schedule.