ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: April 23, 2025 AGENDA CATEGORY: Reports TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Phillip Burns, Development Services Director
DATE: April 18, 2025
SUBJECT: General Plan Policy Framework for Bakersfield 2045 General Plan Update.
Staff and Rincon Consultants will provide a Report on the General Plan Update Framework and seek input from City Council.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends City Council consider the Report from Rincon Consultants as it relates to the General Plan Policy Framework and include them in the Bakersfield 2045 General Plan Update.
BACKGROUND:
In 2021 the City of Bakersfield embarked on a long-range planning effort to comprehensively update the City of Bakersfield’s General Plan. The Bakersfield 2045 RISE General Plan update will provide policy guidance on land use, housing, transportation, infrastructure, community design, conservation, and other development-related topics. State law requires every city and county in California to prepare and maintain a General Plan. On October 4, 2024, City Staff and Rincon Consultants brought to your Council the General Plan Land Use Map (land use alternatives) for evaluation and input to determine if the land uses and development patterns articulated through the Land Use Map best reflect the community’s vision for the future of Bakersfield.
City Staff and Rincon Consultants now wish to bring forth the recommended General Plan Policy Framework for your consideration and input. We seek your Council’s recommendations on whether there are any major gaps in the topics or issues addressed that need to be included in the Administrative Draft General Plan Update. Whether there are any suggestions on how to refine the recommendations to ensure they align with priorities and are implementable.
The frameworks have been developed to reflect specific input received during the community focus group process and over the last few weeks staff has conducted review sessions with individual Councilmembers to obtain their views and perspectives. The frameworks are designed as general strategies to address each identified concern and will be further refined into policies and implementations in the Administrative Draft General Plan Update. These are not currently actual policies and actions.
This effort is intended to build on the information previously collect ed and on issues identified through the previous phases. This includes emerging themes from the community engagement process, the existing conditions report data, and additional plans, programs and resources utilized by the City of Bakersfield. The frameworks present high level strategies for addressing the key topics of concern for the City of Bakersfield. The frameworks have been presented to related committees, interested key community members, and to individual City Council members to confirm direct ions prior to drafting the full elements.
The frameworks are used to guide conversation with the Bakersfield RISE key interested community members, other City departments, Planning Commission, and City Council and gather input on the core
policy strategies, particularly where there may be a need for additional direction or alignment. Additional community engagement may also be conducted to ensure buy -in and to incorporate input on these strategies. Input received on the frameworks will be incorp orated into the Administrative Draft General Plan.
Framework Topics
A summary of topics in each framework is provided below. This is not intended to be the final organization in the General Plan, and part of the framework discussions will include identif ying where the City would like policies related to these topics to be placed in the Administrative Draft General Plan. The framework topics below are: Land Use, Annexation and Infrastructure, Downtown, Quality of Life, Cultural and Natural Resources, Safety, Mobility, and Economic Development.
The City recently completed its Recreation and Parks Master Plan, Kern River Parkway Plan, and Central City & Citywide Tree Plan ; many desired outcomes and strategies included in these plans are not replicated in the frameworks.
Land Use will focus on placemaking strategies, the making of complete neighborhoods, growth strategies, promote desired land use mixes, and land use compatibility standards.
Annexation and Infrastructure will address Sphere of Influence (SOI) expansion and annexation planning, infrastructure for annexation areas, and disadvantaged communities in annexation areas.
Downtown will look at land use and design in the downtown area, discuss historic preservatio n, transit- oriented development, and improving active transportation in downtown.
Quality of Life will address public art and city culture, incorporated disadvantaged community’s needs (all topics), improving park and open space access for disadvantaged c ommunities, water quality in disadvantaged communities, air quality, and healthy food and physical activity.
Cultural and Natural Resources will view topics on open space, climate adaptation, recreation and parks, open space and urban forestry, Kern River management, citywide water quality, and historic resources.
Safety will cover all hazards, climate adaptation, water conservation, specific hazard risk mitigation, and hazardous materials.
Mobility covers public transit, active transportation, mobility technology innovation, and truck routes and shipping.
Economic Development will view promoting desired industries, permitting and application process streamlining, and utility provision for industry attraction.
Impact of Not Receiving Direction on the General Plan Policy Frameworks. Without clear direction from the City Council on the General Plan Policy Framework , the critical General Plan elements —such as Circulation, Parks and Open Space, Environmental Justice, Safety, Noise, and Air Quality —are at ris k of significant delays.
The Importance of Immediate Direction. Providing direction now is essential for keeping the General Plan update on schedule and ensuring that development strategies across the City remain cohesive. This direction will allow staff to transition quickly from the planning phase to execution, avoiding delays that could affect other City initiatives. Acting promptly will also demonstrate the City’s commitment to strategic growth, fostering confidence among residents and stakeholders and garnering wider support for
long-term goals. The General Plan approved in a timely manner will allow development to tier off the environmental documents approved and streamline the pace of development.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact to the City General Fund resulting from this General Plan Policy Framework. Any future developments resulting from these General Plan Policy Frameworks will be subject to the appropriate application processing fees , which have been deemed adequate to cover all operational expenses related to processing projects.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Community Character & Quality of Life
Economic Opportunity for All
ATTACHMENTS:
1. BkGPU_Framework LandUse and Design
2. BkGPU_Framework Annexation and Infra
3. BkGPU_Framework Downtown
4. BkGPU_Framework QualityofLife
5. BkGPU_Framework CulturalNaturalResources
6. BkGPU_Framework Safety
7. BkGPU_Framework Mobility
8. BkGPU_Framework EconDev