Survey: New Canaan’s Top Priority for Next 10 Years Is Continued Support of Schools

Locals rank Waveny Park and New Canaan Library as the most-visited facilities in town, while saying that New Canaan’s top priority over the next 10 years is the continued support and improvement of the public school system, according to a recent survey.

And while stakeholders are largely content with the quality of life in New Canaan—rating it 8.5 out of 10—reliable cell phone service, traffic congestion, road maintenance and speeding are the top four quality-of-life concerns, according to 2,306 survey responses gathered by a Cheshire-based consulting firm.

The total survey responses “equates to about 11% of the town, which is huge,” Town Planner Sarah Carey told members of the Board of Selectmen at their regular meeting, held Dec. 19 at Town Hall and via videoconference.

“The goal is 4% so we blew that out of the water, which was great,” Carey said.

The town hired SLR to survey residents as part of the Carey and the Planning & Zoning Commission’s efforts to secure useful data as the appointed body updates a guiding document for planning in New Canaan that must be updated every 10 years, under state law.

That document, the Plan of Conservation and Development or “POCD” is “required by statute to evaluate the needs of the town on a very wide array of topics, ranging from technology infrastructure to affordable housing, to the protection of water resources, and among other topics,” Carey said.

“And so the POCD is meant to provide a development guide to the town by identifying the needs of the town, suggesting strategies based on those needs, and then proposing general locations for appropriate development,” she said.

It was last updated in 2014. The new update is expected to be finalized next summer. 

According to the survey, “Speeding is the top concern within the Downtown and South neighborhoods, followed by sidewalks (or lack of sidewalks) and road maintenance. Cell phone service is the number one concern for participants from the East and West neighborhoods, followed by speeding and Internet service.”

Some 90% of respondents have lost power over the last 10 years due to storms at least once, Carey said, “which isn’t a shock.”

“The majority of respondents think that the town should implement more sustainability efforts or they need to do a better job of communicating what sustainability efforts are already implementing,” Carey said while reviewing survey results. “And then while community facilities have been rated very highly, about 40% of respondents noted that there is a lack of awareness of what programming exists at those facilities.”

According to the survey results—which are available in full here—all town facilities were classified as “excellent” except for roads and sidewalks (adequate) and senior services (unknown). 

“Participants largely agree (or strongly agree) that school facilities are well-maintained, safe, and appropriately funded and that recreational facilities on school grounds are accessible to the community,” SLR said in its 42-page summary report. “When asked about parks and recreation facilities and programs, places to bike, skate, and skateboard was the only option noted as not having enough within the town. Many agree that there are sufficient cultural facilities in town but also agree that the town should invest in creating and attracting more. Nearly 40 percent of participants also support expanding the Historic District.”

In addition to launching the survey (via Survey Monkey and in person), P&Z has held a series of community workshops since kickstarting the POCD update process this past summer.

First Selectman Dionna Carlson thanked Carey and P&Z durin ghte meeting for all they’ve done “to bring all this information together and engage the community, because there have been a lot of people who have been engaged.”

Selectman Steve Karl said it’s “really great” that so many people responded to the online survey. 

“And it’s one of the things that if anybody sees this, it’s not too late to get involved,” Karl said. “You can still come to the meetings. You can still weigh in. Please, if you haven’t filled the survey out, come to a meeting and voice your opinion, because there is time.”

On one of New Canaan’s hot-button issues, housing, the report said: “Participants are mostly satisfied with the variety of housing options within the community but are generally less aware of the quantity of age-restricted housing, assisted living facilities, and continuing care retirement communities. Opinions on the amount of small, single-family homes and affordable housing options are mixed; 51.9% of participants feel there are the right amount of small, single-family homes while 39.8% feel there are not enough. Meanwhile, 36.2% of participants feel there is the right amount of affordable housing, but another 32.8% feel there is not enough.”

Regarding affordable housing specifically, survey participants “had mixed opinions on affordable housing in the community; some are in favor of its continued development, noting that the diversity in housing will keep the town well-rounded, while others are worried the impact of large-scale, high-density housing developments.”

“Generally, however, respondents feel strongly about the need to balance affordable housing with the town’s existing character,” the SLR report said. “Participants want affordable housing strategically located and are mindful of the existing state mandates related to affordable housing. Many participants emphasize that affordable housing should not come at the expense of open space, natural resources, and historic preservation. They also acknowledge that it is a complex issue that will require careful planning, community input, and collaboration among different stakeholders.”