- Survey
Method
The
Master Plan Committee developed the survey after careful review
of surveys from neighboring municipalities and other municipalities
with similar land use and development characteristics. The survey
was designed to solicit views on a variety of issues facing
the Town, at present and in the future. Surveys were mailed
to all registered voters in the Town. In addition, copies of
the survey were available at various locations throughout the
community. Of the approximately 4250 surveys distributed, 882
(20.8%) were returned.
The survey questions were based upon seven (7) main headings:
development objectives, housing opportunities,business and industrial
growth, land use controls, new land use techniques, environmental
issues, and community services.
-
Survey Respondents
There
were 882 respondents to the survey. 98% ofthose surveyed were
year-round residents, with 7% from the Village of Tivoli, 22%
from the Village of Red Hook and 71% from the Town of Red Hook.
15% of the respondents were under 35 years of age, 85% were
over 35 years of age.
- Survey
Analysis
Preservation of Community Character
The
basic survey results revealed very strong support for the preservation
of rural, historic and agricultural character of the community.
This support was reinforced both through public comment at subsequent
meetings and through a number of written comments submitted
with the questionnaire.
High
percentages of respondents favored questionnaire.maintaining
the following features:
- preservation
of agriculture 97%
- preservation
of rural character 96%
- preservation
of historic resources 94%
Business
Growth/Economic Development/Tourism
The survey indicated that 84% of the respondents were in favor
of creating new business opportunities within the Town.
Expansion
or development of professional service establishments was favored
by 90% of the respondents while shopping center facilities received
a favorable response from 45% of those surveyed.
Town
residents preferred to expand retail facilities in the already
.existing Villages of Tivoli (86%) and Red Hook (83%) over either
outside the Villages (45%) or in residential areas (30%).
Residents
favored office facilities (84%), research and development (69%)
and light manufacturing (61%) in an effort to improve the tax
base and provide local employment (87%).
Residents when questioned about a power generating plant were
highly opposed (84%) to its development.
Agricultural
and related businesses were favored by 93% of the respondents.
Home occupations were seen favorably within the residential structure
(80%) and slightly less favorably within an accessory structure
(60%) on the residential premises. The promotion of tourism was
supported by 73% of those responding.
Recreation
and Open Space
Only two questions pertaining to recreation were asked on the
survey.
The majority of respondents felt that efforts to improve either
available programs (60%) or facilities (58%) were a low priority
when compared to other community needs.
Respondents heavily favored land use controls to preserve the
quality and quantity of open space, including greenbelts (93%),
conservation easements (85%) and agricultural lands (95%)
Environmental
Issues
Town residents generally supported added controls to protect the
environment; and specific nuisance controls were supported to
address commercial logging (67%), grading and erosion (59%), and
outdoor lighting (53%).
Additional mining controls were not supported by a plurality of
respondents (48%).
Groundwater resources (89%) and streams and drainage courses (83%)
were listed as the two highest environmental concerns, with areas
of steep slope, hedgerows and stone walls being of less, though
still significant, concern.
Traffic
and Parking
Many concerns regarding traffic conjestion and parking within
the Village of Red Hook along with the need for road improvements
throughout the Town of Red Hook were expressed in both answers
to questions and additional written comment. 92% of the respondents
felt that road improvement and maintenance activities should be
afforded high priority.
Housing
The
survey respondents were strongly in favor of the creation of senior
citizens housing (93%), two family homes (78%), accessory apartments
within the dwelling unit (77%), cluster development (74%) and
owner-occupied town houses (73%). Respondents were opposed to
mobile homes (75%) and mobile home parks (71%). Respondents had
mixed views regarding "affordable housing"; they were generally
in favor of efforts to address affordable housing issues but unsure
as to the degree to which such pursuits should be a high community
priority (50%).
