Community Survey Shows ––

It’s Nearly Unanimous: Life In Newtown Is Good!

By Andrew Gorosko

A comprehensive public opinion survey has found that virtually all respondents describe the local quality of life in clearly positive terms, with 99.3 percent of those answering the poll characterizing the quality of life here as either “very good” or “good.”

More than 65 percent of the respondents to the community planning survey described the local quality of life as “very good,” and over 34 percent described it as “good,” according to The Center for Research and Public Policy of Trumbull, the polling firm that queried 401 residents via telephone between May 21 and 25.

The firm conducted the poll for the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) as part of its ongoing revision to the Town Plan of Conservation and Development.

People responding to the poll offered about 50 suggestions on how the local quality of life could be improved. In declining order, those suggestions included: limiting development and construction; providing mass transit; reducing traffic; providing more recreational activities; repairing roads; slowing down residential development; allowing more local small business; improving local education; and providing more cultural activities.

Poll takers called both listed and unlisted telephone numbers in the random sample. Persons polled anonymously were current residents, who are the heads of households and who are at least 18 years old. The poll has a margin of error of five percent, at a 95 percent confidence level. Such surveys reflect respondents’ opinions during the time period during which the poll was conducted.

With guidance from P&Z members, the polling firm designed the survey to statistically analyze a representative sample of residents’ opinions on the quality of life, local issues, community character, residential development, housing, economic development, conservation, the environment, open space use, parks and recreation, taxes, regulations, and demographics.

P&Z members plan to use the poll results to help them formulate the 2003 town plan revision. The town plan, which is updated decennially, provides a frame of reference with which the P&Z assesses local growth and land conservation. A town plan sets broad goals for the town’s future. The revised town plan will be published in June 2003 and will remain in effect until 2013.

Newtown was one of the fastest growing municipalities in the state between 1990 to 2000, with the local population growing by more than 20 percent during that period, reaching a total of 25,031 people on April 1, 2000, according to the US Census.

Local Issues

Among the 45 specific issues named, “high taxes” were viewed as the issue of most concern by just over 40 percent of survey respondents.

Second-tier issues of concern were overcrowding and overdevelopment; heavy traffic; residential development; the future uses of Fairfield Hills; improving local education; and the need for more small business.

Third-tier issues of concern were overcrowded school classrooms, repairing roads, and drug use among local youth.

More than three-quarters of the residents surveyed believe that their property taxes are too high for the level of services provided by the town. More than 23 percent of respondents believe that the level of property taxation is correct.

More than two-thirds of respondents believe that local taxes are higher than taxes in neighboring communities, while only just over one percent believe that Newtown taxes are lower. About 22 percent of respondents state that taxes here are about the same as in neighboring communities.

About 68.5 percent of respondents are willing to pay an additional $50 annually in new property taxes for new open space, but only 46.5 percent are willing to pay $150 annually in new taxes for new open space.

“Only 21.2 percent and 27.7 percent were willing to pay additional taxes each year to secure a new town [swimming] pool and new ballfields, respectively,” according to the poll.

The primary reasons that respondents cited for living in Newtown were: rural setting (28.9 percent); good schools (25.7 percent); affordable housing (22.4 percent); small town character (18.2 percent); and place of birth (14.5 percent).

The town’s “ruralness” and the “quality of schools” were listed as “very important” aspects of the town’s character, attracting 84.3 percent and 84 percent positive responses, respectively.

Open space, recreational opportunities, and retail store availability were listed as “very important” aspects of community character by 70.1 percent, 60.6 percent, and 50.4 percent of respondents, respectively.

Slightly less than half of all respondents said Newtown has a unique rural character comprised of farmland, open space, historic sites, Main Street, forestland, suburban/country ambience, residential community, the Main Street flagpole, a friendly town, farm animals, a diverse population, and people taking care of their homes.

Development

Concerning residential development, more than two-thirds of those responding to the poll said the town needs more housing for first-time buyers. More than 55 percent of respondents said the town needs more moderate-income housing. More than 54 percent of those answering the poll said the town needs more rental apartments.

According to the polling firm, very few residents believe that the town needs more single-family homes. Only nine percent of those polled said the town has too few single-family houses. Almost 64 percent of respondents said the town has the right amount of single-family homes. More than 24 percent of those responding said there are too many such residences.

There is a divergence of opinion over whether Newtown is an “affordable” place to live. More than 55 percent of respondents disagreed with the statement that “Newtown is an affordable place to live.” But almost 45 percent agreed.

More than three-quarters of respondents said that additional new single-family home development would result in increased property taxes, stemming from the need to provide additional town services.

Only one out of six respondents believe that children who are raised in Newtown can afford to continue living here once they move away from home and are on their own. Almost four out of five respondents stated that those children cannot afford to continue living in town.

Almost three out of five respondents believe there is not enough local affordable rental housing.

Concerning economic development, more than 54 percent of those answering the poll suggest the town needs more corporate offices. Also, significant percentages of respondents believe there should be more office parks, research and development complexes, agri-businesses, and retail stores.

Almost four out of five respondents believe the town should encourage more business development.

“While 82.3 percent agreed that business development will reduce taxes for residents, just over a third (37.7 percent) believed that new active senior housing/condos would reduce taxes,” according to the poll.

The poll results show that while almost two-thirds of respondents support “economic commercial development” at Fairfield Hills and in Hawleyville, only about 50 percent of respondents support more such development along Route 25. The town is in the process of buying the 189-acre core campus at Fairfield Hills from the state.

In the area of land conservation and the environment, more than three-quarters of those answering the poll believe the town is doing enough to protect historic sites and historical buildings. Almost two-thirds of respondents consider the town to be doing enough to protect wetlands, open space and scenic roads. More than half of those answering the poll believe the town is doing enough to protect woodlands, wildlife habitats, scenic vistas, and groundwater. Fewer than half of those polled believe the town is doing enough to protect aquifers, farmlands, and ridgelines.

If the town acquires additional open space areas, that land should be preserved for passive recreation such as walking trails, according to 85 percent of the respondents. Almost 80 percent believe the land should be left as wildlife habitat. Just over 75 percent believe the property should be left as it is.

Just fewer than 52 percent of respondents think that new open space areas should have active recreation, such as athletic fields.

More than 57 percent of respondents believe there are too few pedestrian walkways in town.  

Significant percentages of respondents believe that there are not enough walking trails, bicycle trails, and cross-country skiing trails. But larger percentages believe the town has the right amount of such facilities.

Three proposals that drew support from respondents are a Newtown farmer’s market with 84 percent support, a skateboarding park with almost 59 percent support, and community gardens with nearly 50 percent support.

Demographics

Among the 401 people who answered the poll, 20 percent had done postgraduate work in college; more than 37 percent are college graduates; about 25 percent have some college education; and about 16 percent are high school graduates.

Almost 57 percent of respondents have no children living at home. More than 20 percent have two children living at home.

Almost one-third of those answering the poll have lived in town for between 11 and 20 years. More than 29 percent of respondents have lived here up to 10 years. More than 27 percent of those answering the queries have lived here between 21 and 40 years.

Three-quarters of the respondents work out of town, with the remainder working locally.

One out of six people owns a local business.

More than 62 percent of those polled have no plans to move from town.

Almost 80 percent of those who responded are married.

The highest response levels to the poll in decreasing order were from the Borough (28.2 percent); Sandy Hook (24.7 percent); Hawleyville (13.7 percent); Botsford (12.7 percent); and Dodgingtown (11.7 percent).

Almost 98 percent of those responding own their own homes. More than 95 percent of respondents live in single-family houses.

The most common annual median family income range among those responding to the poll ranges from $50,000 to less than $100,000, with almost 26 percent of poll respondents falling into that category. About 17.7 percent earn in the range of $100,000 to less than $150,000 annually. About 11.2 percent earn more than $150,000 annually. Approximately 11 percent earn less than $50,000 annually.

Among those responding, 51.9 percent were female and 48.1 percent were male. More than half of the people taking the poll were from age 35 to 55.

The polling firm produced an 84-page report explaining the results of its survey. The poll cost the town approximately $13,000.