Section 6 – Community Goals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

West Newbury Band Stand

 

 

 

                                                           

                                                         

 

 

  A.  Description of Process

Introduction

 

The following pages describe the ways in which the Open Space Committee solicited community input, including

 

·        Summary of past efforts

·        Description of the community survey

·        Survey distribution and tabulation

·        Survey response demographics

·        Description of public forum

 

 

Summary of Past Efforts

 

Many of the needs and goals discussed in this plan were originally identified during the development of the Town’s 1996 Plan, which has been a very well-used document. During the six years between the 1996 Plan and the current planning process, progress was made in some areas, and therefore our needs and goals have been adjusted and refined to reflect that progress.  In other areas, our needs and goals remain much unchanged and are reiterated here as work still to be done.

 

Description of the community survey

 

The community survey was drafted by members of the Open Space Committee and was mailed to every household in West Newbury.  For details of this process, please see Section 2B.  (For a sample of the survey, please see Appendix B). The survey solicited input in the following categories:

 

·        Preservation of Open Space

·        Recreation

·        Growth of the Town

·        Community Preservation

·        Demographic data

 

In addition, the survey enabled residents to include handwritten, narrative comments in response to many of the questions.

 

Survey distribution and tabulation

 

The survey was distributed by bulk mailing to every household in West Newbury.  The completed surveys were returned either through the U.S. mail, or through collection boxes at the 1910 Building, the Library, and the West Newbury Food Mart.

 

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A.  Description of Process, Continued

Upon receipt of the completed surveys, Finance Director Tracy Blais and members of the Town’s Finance Department manually tabulated the numerical portions. The narrative responses were compiled and summarized by members of the Open Space Committee.

 

Survey response demographics

 

We received 316 responses to the survey, which represents just under 20 percent of the 1,600 surveys mailed. The people who responded represented a good balance of people who had been residents of the Town for either a short or longer period of time.

 

            Less than 1 year             1.9%

            1-5 years                      19.3%

            6-10 years                    24.5%

            11-20 years                  21.0%

            More that 20 yrs.          33.3%

 

 

 Based on this percentage, and the diverse demographics of the people who responded,

 we believe that the information gathered from the survey is statistically significant and

 therefore provides us with meaningful data.

 

 

Description of Public Forum

 

A well-publicized open forum was held on the evening of April 3rd, 2002.  The purpose was to solicit input from citizens and other Town board and committee members. Discussion began with review of the survey results, and proceeded from there.  Careful notes were taken in order to capture the views of the public who attended.  Though attendance was low with approximately 20 participants, the discussions were lively. The forum provided an opportunity for individuals with open space interests to express their interest in and concerns about: 

 

·        Trails, wildlife corridors

·        Passive and active recreation

·        River access and water resources

·        Management of Town-owned land

·        The Community Preservation Act

 

 

  The thoughts and opinions gathered from the survey, at the forum, and through

  subsequent discussion at many open meetings served as the basis for the committee’s

  determination of the community vision and overall goals.

 

  B.  Open Space and Recreation Goals

Introduction

 

The following page defines West Newbury’s Open Space and Recreation goals.

 

Basis for defining goals

 

These goals were developed as a part of a collaborative effort by the Open Space Committee, Town board members, and townspeople.

 

This collaborative effort is just one example of the community spirit which has allowed West Newbury to accomplish so many of the open space goals defined in the 1996 Open Space Plan, and which, in part, makes West Newbury such a special place to live.

 

Iterative nature of the goals

 

The goals are based on the Town’s current needs and will be used to help us implement the action items defined in the remainder of the Plan.

 

As the Town’s needs change, these community goals (and related parts of the Plan) will be reviewed and modified to reflect and address these changes.

 

Relevant data from the Community Survey and Public Forum

 

The following data was gathered from the Community Survey and served as the foundation for the Community Goals defined below.

 

·         The great majority of respondents cited “rural character,” “open space,” “wildlife,” “scenic roads,” or “views” to describe what they liked most about West Newbury

·         Forum participants stressed the need for careful management of Town-owned open space and conservation properties.

·         A large number of survey respondents indicated interest in an expanded variety of  recreational programs and facilities.

 

Goals

 

 

West Newbury’s Open Space and Recreation Goals are to:

 

1.  Preserve the town’s charm, rural character, and sense of community

            2.  Protect and manage key natural resource areas

            3.  Provide passive and active recreational activities for Townspeople of all ages