Members of Bakersfield City Staff and City Council,

Signers of this petition are asking that Old Town Kern be prioritized for immediate revitalization efforts. To do this, we ask that staff resources and funds be allocated towards projects that will spur redevelopment of Old Town Kern, thereby helping to ensure that this historic part of our city is preserved and that it will thrive in the future.

Old Town Kern is unique in its cultural and historic heritage, and thus is a shared asset for all residents of Bakersfield and of Kern County. As the core of the town of Sumner, the former sister city of Bakersfield, Old Town Kern bears strong similarities to Bakersfield’s own downtown, with a long list of storied businesses and buildings that give Old Town Kern a distinct sense of place. These include iconic locations such as the Pyrenees, Arizona Café, Woolgrowers, and Luigi’s. These establishments are all concentrated on or near Baker Street, which might have once been considered Bakersfield’s “second main street.” Other Baker Street area landmarks include the historic home of former CA governor and Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, Kern County’s oldest library branch, and the Noriega House. 

Distinct locations such as Old Town Kern are what distinguish Bakersfield from any other suburban mid-sized cities across the country. It’s essential to our identity as a city that we both preserve and reinvent these areas. The businesses and property owners that have held on and even excelled as nearby buildings were vacated and fell into disrepair need extra support from the city.

Over the past couple years, the city has already allocated Measure N dollars to support downtown Bakersfield. Prioritizing downtown first was the right decision, as downtown is uniquely Bakersfield, it belongs to all residents, and an economically thriving downtown will benefit all. If there is one other place in Bakersfield that can also claim a similar distinction as being uniquely Bakersfield and uniquely valuable to all residents, it should be Old Town Kern. 

Please do what’s best for our city. Put aside funds in the ’21-22 fiscal year and each subsequent year to work on high impact projects that will help revitalize Old Town Kern.