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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlan Appendix C Resident Survey  Town  of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan C‐1 APPENDIX C  RESIDENT SURVEY RESULTS  Town  of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan C‐2   Town  of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan C‐3 RESIDENT SURVEY RESULTS  The Town of Ithaca hired the Survey Research Institute at Cornell University to conduct a telephone survey of Town residents. The goal of the survey was to determine how residents feel about the town, its character, municipal services offered, and its future goals and spending. The results of the survey, along with other public input, will help to inform and assist the town as it proceeds in the update of its Comprehensive Plan. Residents were randomly selected to participate in the survey via their telephone number. Telephone numbers for the survey were randomly selected using a random-digit dial sample of telephone exchanges covering the Town of Ithaca including the Village of Cayuga Heights. This method of selecting phone numbers was chosen because of the ability to obtain unlisted and cell phone numbers that would be missed had the numbers been selected from a phone book. Excluded from the project were residents of dormitories on the Cornell University and Ithaca College campus. The telephone survey was conducted over a three and a half week period in January 2009. In total, 359 surveys were completed. The survey questionnaire was divided into five topic areas: (1) quality of life, (2) growth and development, (3) quality of municipal services, (4) spending priorities, and (5) laws and policies. Town  of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan C‐4 1. Quality of life: How important are these aspects to your quality of life? 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.0 2.9 2.9 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Natural areas Quality of public schools Nearby state parks Town parks  and trails Scenic views Policies  guiding growth and development policies  in Town Ability to buy locally produced farm products Living in close proximity of your place of employment Availability of services near your neighborhood Proximity of  CU and IC Recreational use of Cayuga Lake Predominantly residential  nature of Town Sense of community with your neighborhood Historic sites, structures and markers Downtown Ithaca as the hub of the area Farmland Average rating on 4 point scale (1 – very unimportant to 4 – very important) Quality of life  Quality of life aspect  Ver y unimportant  %   Unimportant  %   Important  %  Ver y important %  Natural areas 1 4 28 67 Quality of public schools 2 11 25 62 Nearby state parks 1 8 39 52 Town  parks and trails 2 7 39 52 Scenic views 1 8 40 51 Policies guiding growth and development policies in Town 2 10 47 41 Ability to buy locally produced farm products 3 14 36 46 Living in close proximity of your place of employment 3 14 40 44 Availability of services near your neighborhood 2 14 47 38 Proximity of CU and IC 2 19 40 39 Recreational use of Cayuga Lake 4 18 41 37 Predominantly residential nature of Town  2 17 49 32 Sense of community with your neighborhood 3 19 43 35 Historic sites, structures and markers 2 25 48 25 Downtown Ithaca as the hub of the area 6 22 45 26 Farmland 8 21 46 24 Sense of community with the Town  5 30 49 16   Town  of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan C‐5 2. Growth and development: To what extent should the Town encourage or discourage the following types of development? 3.2 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 1.9 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Senior citizen housing Housing for moderate  income residents Traditional single family housing Compact developments  with large common open or green space Housing for low income residents Owner occupied condos  or duplexes Development combining residential  and commercial  uses More small‐scale shopping  opportunities  near where you live Flexibility to develop additional housing unit adjacent to home Housing for high income residents More restaurants  within one mile  of where you live More  student housing Apartment complexes Services  within one mile  of where you live Mobile home parks Average rating on 4 point scale (1 – strongly discourage to 4 – strongly encourage) Growth and development  Growth and development issue  Strongly discourage  %   Discourage  %  Encourage  %  Strongly encourage %  Senior citizen housing 1 8 60 30 Housing for moderate income residents 2 9 68 20 Traditional  single family housing 2 16 57 25 Compact developments with large common open or green space 4 16 56 25 Housing for low income residents 6 14 55 24 Owner occupied condos or duplexes 6 27 52 16 Development combining residential and commercial uses 10 26 52 12 More small‐scale shopping opportunities near where you live 11 31 40 18 Flexibility to develop additional housing unit adjacent to existing  home 11 33 40 16 Housing for high income residents 9 37 49 5 More restaurants within one mile of where you live 12 44 32 12 More student housing 12 41 37 10 Apartment complexes 10 41 42 6 Services within one mile of where you live 13 41 36 10 Mobile home parks 36 45 16 3 Town  of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan C‐6 3. Municipal service: How would you rate the quality of the following services provided in the Town of Ithaca? 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.1 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.5 2.4 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Recycling Fire protection/EMS Municipal sewer Municipal  water Snowplowing Park/trail maintenance Maintaining quiet neighborhoods Police presence Recreation programming Limiting excessive street/sign lighting Notify neighbors  of development proposals Road maintenance Pedestrian walkway maintenance Average rating on 4 point scale (1 – poor to 4 – excellent) Municipal services  Service Poor %Fair %Good % Excellent % Recycling 3 7 43 47 Fire protection/EMS 2 9 46 44 Municipal sewer 4 6 53 36 Municipal water 5 8 48 39 Snowplowing 3 13 46 38 Park/trail maintenance 3 9 58 30 Maintaining quiet neighborhoods 3 12 57 28 Police presence 4 24 50 23 Recreation programming 5 20 54 20 Limiting excessive street/sign lighting 8 21 56 16 Notify neighbors of development proposals 14 24 42 20 Road maintenance 15 33 40 11 Pedestrian walkway maintenance 20 29 40 11   Town  of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan C‐7 4. Spending priorities: How do you feel about the Town spending money on the following activities? 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.6 2.6 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Improving  road shoulders for bikes Protecting farmland from development Managing deer populations Scheduling  pickup of large items Increasing bike/walk trails Increase the number of designated natural  areas Increasing the number of sidewalks Increasing the number of parks Decrease neighborhood traffic Average rating on 4 point scale (1 – strongly oppose to 4 – strongly support) Spending priority  Activity  Strongly  oppose % Oppose % Support % Strongly  support % Improving road shoulders for bikes 4 8 43 44 Protecting farmland from development 3 15 43 39 Managing deer populations 7 14 35 44 Scheduling pickup of large items 3 15 49 34 Increasing bike/walk trails 5 20 43 32 Increase the number of designated natural areas 5 24 47 24 Increasing the number of sidewalks 6 26 45 23 Increasing the number of parks 8 32 46 13 Decrease neighborhood traffic 8 34 43 14 Town  of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan C‐8 Open‐ended survey responses  This section provides a general overview of residents’ individual responses from a more lengthy collection of responses gathered during the 2009 Residential Survey. Responses were grouped and rearranged into four categories: strong opinions, positive comments, constructive recommendations, and need for clarification. Strong opinions:  Deer concerns  Lower taxes Positive comments:  “Ithaca is a friendly place.”  Trail appreciation: “I feel very strong about environmental issues. Natural areas in Ithaca are very important. I use these areas, myself, everyday. I do a lot of walking and I walk my dog. I live on South Hill next to a recreation trail, and I use it every day.”  “It’s a really good place to live!”  “I am happy where I live.”  “I really love living in the town of Ithaca, and I think they are doing a great job.”  “We enjoy all the things the two universities have to offer and the small-tow feel. We love it here.”  “I have been living in Ithaca for 58 years and I love it here.”  “I am happy that my opinion was sought. I feel that the town should be very cautious in how they spend their money and try to keep taxes as low as possible. I believe that prioritizing will be important in the economic situation that we’re in. I also feel that one income level group should not be considered more important than another and that there should be proper housing and resources for all groups.”  “I really appreciate the bi-annual newsletter they send out. It’s informative.”  “Ithaca is unique, keep it that way.”  “I really love Ithaca, moved here about two years ago and am very please with it. There is not much I feel would need to be changed.”  “Ithaca is unique for its international population and should be supported and kept “Ithaca.” Constructive recommendations:  Considering updating utility payments system to allow automatic withdraws from checking or online payment ability.  Address the lack of sidewalks and poor road maintenance.  Require better attention to road side tree planting and reviewing speed limit and speed traps on Elm Street, Chestnut, and Hector Street.  “I think it’s important for local governments to reach out to social and cultural organizations in the community. I feel that the government has missed many opportunities to encourage citizens to participate.”  “Need more athletic facilities and to better maintain what we have and add to it, for kids and adults. More outdoor pools for public use and have them be open longer.”  Increase bike paths and road shoulders.  Request more bulk trash pick up.  Consider revising energy conservation policies and codes.  Consider improving pedestrian crosswalk on Lake Street to Boynton Middle School.  Increase support for senior services.”  Consider reducing the speed limit on route 79 and re-touting trucks.  Televise Town Board meetings, or perhaps consider webcams for internet users.  Improve snow plowing.   Town  of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan C‐9  Increase residents’ awareness of new developments besides local newspaper.  More flyers and newsletters.  Better leave clean up.  “Senior housing should be encouraged, but be integrated, not isolated. Higher-income housing should not be discouraged, but the town doesn’t need to do anything to encourage it.”  “The town and city should be more united in services” as well as county.  Consider limited billboards and rights-of-way advertisement regulations.  Improve residential accessibility construction safer route from school to home for disabled children.  Improve handicap parking.  “Deal with the pot hole on Pine Tree Road that is under the overpass!”  “The value of surveys like this are pretty limited.”  Warren and Hanshaw Road is a major safety problem for bicycles.  “There needs to be boundaries established pertaining to growth and sprawl to maintain a good balance.”  “Our part of town doesn’t get certain services that are available in other parts for the town like DSL cable because the road is split between two townships. I think the townships should get together and solve the problem.”  “Build more convenient bike and pedestrian access from West Hill to downtown like trails not on the road. More convenient and regular bus service linking the outlying areas of the town to reduce carbon and car use.”  Improve bus service on Coddington Road.  More sidewalks, no sidewalks near Ithaca College, very dangerous.  Viewsheds and regulations: “There’s a barn blocking my view of the lake. It was a surprise. If I had know about it, maybe we could have worked towards setting it so it didn’t block my view.”  “The town should have aggressively pursue funding for development rights.”  “The town should have a development plan, and it should include planned unit developments. I’d like to see natural resources used better. I appreciate low density, but I don’t know if five-acre individual lots are the best way to do this. I’m interested in denser developments surrounded by open space. I’d like to see these developments include senior and low0income housing. The town may be working too hard to pursue matching funds for employment programs, rather than efficiently maintaining the roads.”  Support low income housing.  Misconceptions on taxes, and municipal services.  More police.  Speed concerns.  “The town administrative staff is discourteous, obstructive, and rude. Their job is to serve residents. For example, when residents need to find out about new developments in their neighborhood, the town staff stands between the residents and public records. They are biased and self-protective.” What the Town needs to clarify for residents:  Explain what services are offered by the town and what private services are.  Create better communication changes between resident complaints and what service offices the town uses, e.g. sheriff’s department.  Town boundaries and explanation town’s jurisdictions.  Explain how municipal water or sewer works with payments, especially with homes that also have a private well.