A CALL FOR NEW DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

After years of working on a public vision driven by City Council Members who instructed City Manager Tandy to move ahead adjacent to the Convention Center, Mayor Hall has sensibly called for a pause in an attempt to discover a new way to move this project forward.

Look at the result of this effort – No Loans, No Certificates of Participation, No Multi-Use Stadium, No Baseball Franchise Sale, No Land Purchases. Ouch!

The triad of people who made the decisions behind these negotiations are – Group ONE -- Olmscheid, Sivers and Moctezuma Esparza. -- Group TWO -- City Manager Tandy, Redevelopment Agency and City Council. -- Group THREE -- Bakerfolks, Land Owners, Downtown Business Association, Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce, 2020 Vision, and a DDA Business Assessment Group amongst others.

The movers and shakers involved with this program all had a good measure of perseverance and patience to get this far. They relied on the program offered by an Economic Consultant. They relied on an unsolicited proposal from a single urban developer. This was later subdivided by Councilman Carson when the housing element was given to another developer. They relied on only the “Entertainment Forecast” for a narrow program with little change and only one update in three years. They did not expect the impacts of the September 11th external terrorist event.

The opportunity for improvements to any future redevelopment process should give more thought to the following considerations.

Consider the entire redevelopment area as one whole area set into a development framework plan for the future of all downtown, that is Old Town Kern, the South East Area as well as present downtown, not forgetting to include the County Metropolitan Park.

Consider setting up a priority of development programs which targets specific areas and sectors of the overall development framework plan with ideas such as has been revealed by citizens in the Downtown Charrette and 2020 Vision Project. Check the market and fiscal feasibility of each program.

Consider establishing future transportation corridor investments needed for an expanding downtown and metropolitan area. This would include both the major east-west cross San Joaquin Valley Freeway 58, the local Centennial Freeway the California State High Speed “Rail Station” location, together with local road arterials. Neither should one forget the integration of city, county and regional bus or light rail transit.

Consider setting up an investment pattern for infrastructure improvements metro-wide. Then illuminate a small step by step strategy for the public development framework programs. Only then allow the implementation of RFQ’s and RFP’s for private competitive development.

Consider better public participation with the landowners impacted by these programs. Provide a variety of opportunities for those involved in the expected development consequences. Understand the differences between the wants and needs of the public at large for these developments. Never take the path of least resistance by excluding citizens from voting on large program expenditures involved with such approved projects.

Consider seriously all the improvements for both public and private redevelopment investments from vision to implementation. Understand which project really does improve the quality and culture of life in Bakersfield. Measure these projects for the good of all Bakerfolks both in the short and long term future.

My belief rests in the ability of individual Bakerfolks to the building of our civil society. My belief is also based in elected and appointed leaders helping us all to create the city we need to be proud of and in which we happily choose to spend the majority of our lives. So far the City and County have not demonstrated their true capabilities of managing these affairs.

With the present interest rates and probability of no further “wildcard” events, most things look positive. To continue our best attempts at city building we do need more than this moment for reflection.

BY Graham Kaye-Eddie – Master Urban Designer.

Makabusi Inc. – Bakersfield – California

Email – makabusi@pacbell.net

Genetic Manipulation

A brave new world of the Centaur is about to begin.

Florida High Speed "RAIL" Authority

Check the Minutes of November 13 that discuss the interest in Transrapid, AMT, and Maglev2000.

Siemens sees infrastructure units earnings 'significantly better" in 2002

"Regarding Transrapid, the company's joint rail project with ThyssenKrupp AG, von Pierer said he is "very optimistic" that the planned projects in Munich and in the German state of North Rhine Westphalia will go ahead, but he declined to comment on the chances of a go-ahead in Holland or elsewhere."

Website contest to stimulate careers in transportation

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta calls for a transportation career website competition.

Our nations leader in transportation is sorely wanting a "paddywacking." America has had new technological inventions to move people about for more than half a century. Secretary Norm Mineta needs to open his eyes to the magnitude of opportunities available. Maybe at this time he does not want to see them. Then he is not the man who should lead.

New Life for Old Trolleys

Think of Magplane (www.magplane.com) as a futures version of the Trolley. Only this new method of transit not only gets one around in the city but also between Cities at greater speeds and far more comfort.

American Forests Unveils Innovative Planning System at NCPC

New Technology Could Dramatically Change Urban Design Methods in DC and Elsewhere

Businesses targeted to carry bulk of tax load

Elected officials in some communities south of Boston are trying to ease the tax blow for homeowners reeling this year from the one-two punch of recession and escalating real estate values.

A Measure of our Global Economy

A window opens for adding foreign stocks European funds may offer some of the best prospects around. A "Mutual Fundamentals" column. With a chart of the top-performing international funds. By Guy Halverson

Volunteers plug Gaps

Larsen believes both government and individuals have roles to play. He cites the example of a nationwide disaster exercise last year, which included a simulated release of plague in Denver.

Nearly 100,000 pounds of antibiotics were shipped by the federal government to handle the fictitious outbreak, but they were left sitting at the airport with no distribution mechanism in place.

"It's a perfect example of what a voluntary service organization can do," says Larsen. "Give me six hours twice a year with maybe all the Rotary clubs or Knights of Columbus in the Denver area, and we could come up with a plan on how to do it - how to set-up distribution points at, say, all the elementary schools in the area."

Please go to my last article about San Jose being the best prepared to defend their City and see whether they could handle a thing like the above civil defense scenario of their homeland..

Is Enriched Uranium Value going up?

Regulatory approval to build the first plant in 50 years for enriching uranium in the US is being sought by an international partnership consisting of Duke Power, the energy-industry holding company Excelon Corp., and Urenco, a joint British-Dutch-German supplier of enriched uranium, Financial Times reported. Duke Power and Excelon are leaders in the effort to revive the nuclear power industry in the US, the newspaper said. It said two prospective sites for the new $1 billion plant are being considered: Paducah, Ky., and Portsmouth, Ohio.

The value of Gold going up?

Newmont Mining Corp., the largest producer of gold in North America, upped its takeover offer for Australian competitor Normandy Mining to $2.2 billion, reports said. Newmont, based in Denver, is bidding against South Africa's AngloGold Ltd., which has been trying to acquire Normandy since September.