CCP 03-10-1997 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I Decision Resources, LId. ~ February, /997 I Development and Re-Development Issues: Seventy-one percent of the sample felt the pace of economic development was "about right;" ten I percent described it as "too slow," while six percent saw it as "too fast." These results were virtually unchanged since the 1990 benchmark study. Most residents thought city actions to date had resulted in a "good mix" of development projects. In expressing preferences for future I development, the most support was evidenced for "retail/stores," at twenty-three percent. "Residential" scored second, at seventeen percent, and "office/commercial" ran third, at fourteen percent. A shift in citizen priorities has occurred from "office/commercial" types of development I to "retail/shopping" opportunities. Fifty percent of the sample supported the City taking an active and aggressive role in attracting I targeted development, but fifty-one percent oppose offering [mancial incentives as part of that package. A marked decreased had occurred in support of an active and aggressive role: in the 1990 benchmark study, seventy-five percent supported this approach, I While residents possessed very definite views about the appropriate city action on several types Ie of development opportunities, a lack of consensus was also clear in several key areas. Majorities or strong pluralities of citizens thought the City should act aggressively to attract affordable housing, townhouses, senior citizen housing, commercial office buildings, parks and recreational I open spaces, and quality sit-down restaurants. They also thought the City should act aggressively to discourage apartment buildings, mobile homes, and retail shopping centers. Residents offered no unified view of action to take on condominiums and light industrial parks. Projects falling I into those categories will garner either citizen support or opposition after review of their specific parameters. The greatest polarization, then, was noted on retail shopping centers/opportunities: about one-quarter of the community felt it should be a key priority for action by the City, while I about one-half though it should be actively discouraged. On a development-related issue, the vast majority of residents reported they were not dependent I on available public transportation. Currently, only seven percent of the households sampled fell into the "very dependent" or "somewhat dependent" categories, while eighty-nine percent were "not at all dependent." I The issue of financial responsibility for neighborhood improvements found residents arriving at I similar conclusions for two types of project. Forty-five percent felt the entire city should pay for street reconstruction, while thirty-one percent felt it should only be paid by directly affected neighborhoods. On sidewalks and trails, there was somewhat more unanimity: fifty-six percent I felt costs should be shared citywide, while twenty-five percent thought only the area of the city under construction should bear the costs. These responses represented a reversal from those previously held in the 1990 benchmark study. re Page 7 I