Plan, the Village will review the existing zoning code for consistency with Plan goals PAGE 113 CROTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN and recommendations, and consider rezoning certain areas of the Village to reflect these, as appropriate. • Public Improvements The plan recommends a series of public improvements, including the preferred alternative for the creation of a waterfront park on the Village property, and also recommends future studies to refine improvements, as noted above. • Gateway District Recommendations Croton-on-Hudson’s commercial districts play a dual role in the Village, as sources of retail and services for residents and as defining “images” of certain areas of the Village. The Plan presents recommendations for improvements to several of these centers, as zoning district “overlays” for image-defining “gateways” to the Village. To establish the guidelines for these special districts, the Plan includes site plan designs for the Gateway Districts as Figures 4.3, 4.4, and 4.5. Any future development in an overlay district must follow the appropriate site plan, which illustrates signage, landscaping, access, and design elements. The zoning code would reference the site plan as provided in the Comprehensive Plan. • Visual Conditions The development of architectural standards for commercial properties, and for new construction and major alterations in residential areas, will help implement the Plan’s recommendations for achieving a consistent and attractive streetscapes and neighborhoods. This would also be implemented by the development of general design standards for commercial and residential buildings, as well as creation of streetscape recommendations for specific neighborhoods. • Involvement with Other Initiatives The Village is also the subject of other initiatives, programs, and plans which are referenced in the Comprehensive Plan. These include the Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan, the Westchester County Greenway Compact Plan (adopted by Croton-on-Hudson in November 2001), Tree City USA, and the Feasibility Study for the Village Waterfront Property. These initiatives are consistent with the overall goals of the Plan, and thus the Village’s continuing involvement with these programs and plans implements many of the recommendations of the Plan. PAGE 114 Report on Residential Survey for the Comprehensive Plan Update Village of Croton-on-Hudson Prepared for: Comprehensive Plan Committee Village of Croton-on-Hudson Prepared by: Buckhurst Fish & Jacquemart, Inc. November 8, 2000 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 1.1 INTRODUCTION Methodology 3 3 2.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 RESPONSE ANALYSIS Demographic Profile Resident Preferences Commercial and Retail Development Public Facilities and Village Priorities Village Voice: Residents’ Ideas 5 5 6 9 10 15 4.0 CONCLUSION 16 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION As part of the effort to update its Comprehensive Master Plan, the Village of Croton-on-Hudson prepared a survey in conjunction with the consulting firm of Buckhurst Fish & Jacquemart, Inc. (BFJ), in order to elicit the opinions of Village residents on a range of topics relevant to Croton’s character and future development. Opinions were sought on the following topics: • Commercial areas and retail amenities • Public facilities • Recreational facilities • Environmental issues • Village objectives and spending priorities • Strengths and weaknesses of Croton The Village mailed a total of 3,799 surveys and received 956 completed surveys, for a 25% response rate. These responses provide an overall guide to residents’ viewpoints and the local issues receiving the most attention. As a general indicator of public opinion, the survey can help shape the issues and content of the Comprehensive Plan. 1.1 Methodology The purpose of the survey was to elicit resident opinions on a set of topics that will be addressed as part of the updated Comprehensive Plan. The topics were drawn from a series of interviews with Croton officials, Village employees, as well as the roundtable discussions the first Comprehensive Plan public workshop (held in August 2000). The survey was comprised of twelve (12) open- and close-ended questions concerning the Village’s character, public and recreational facilities, amenities, objectives and future development. The survey also set up a rating system to prioritize Village objectives for the future of Croton. The survey also asked respondents to indicate their age, sex, years in Croton, size of household, neighborhood, in order to assess the demographic characteristics of the respondents. The Village mailed 3,799 surveys, or one to each Croton household, in early September, 2000. The mailing list was based on a list of Croton households compiled by the Village that is used for official mailings to Croton residents. The return date specified in the survey was September 25, 2000, which was later extended by two weeks to October 12, 2000 to allow as high a return rate as possible. By the final cut-off date, the Village had received 956 completed surveys, representing a 25% rate of return. The 25% response rate is very high (typically such surveys average closer to a 15% response rate, based on BFJ’s experience with comprehensive plan surveys). Since the survey results are based upon