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 the responses of the 25 percent of households that answered, as a representative sample of the entire Village, its findings can serve as a reasonable (if not perfect) estimate of what the entire population of Croton thinks about the issues addressed in the survey. Throughout the survey, the terms “respondent” and “resident” are used interchangeably. For purposes of this analysis, “resident” refers to those residents who responded to the survey, not to all residents of Croton. The term “frequency” refers to the number of respondents who selected a given choice. 3 2.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Demographics • Croton resident respondents were predominantly female. In addition, most respondents fall within the 25 – 65 age group and have lived in Croton for less than 10 years. The majority of respondents live in a two-person household, followed closely by a four-person household. Resident Preferences • Croton’s most frequently cited strengths were: its Small Town Character (69%); the Hudson/Croton riverfronts (68%); and its Parks and Open Space (40%). • Its most frequently cited weaknesses were: Sidewalk Condition/Lack of Sidewalks (39%); Rate/Pattern of New Development (36%); and Appearance of Commercial Area (32%). • 95% of respondents were pleased with their Croton neighborhood. In all eight neighborhoods, the attractiveness of the area was cited as one of the most appealing aspects. Complaints about neighborhoods ranged in type, but lack of sidewalks, traffic and noise were mentioned frequently. Commercial and Retail Development • 67% of respondents placed the Village center in the “Historic Center.” • Residents were fairly evenly split over the matter of additional retail development (42% “yes”; 46% “no”), but many residents cited the need for improved retail amenities while maintaining Croton’s small-town character. Public Facilities and Village Priorities • No clear public spending priority was apparent. The most frequently cited priorities were: Riverfront Development (22.3%); Sidewalks (21%); Parks and Open Space (19%). • Public facilities all received positive respondent satisfaction ratings. Police and fire received the highest rating with 96% of respondents very or somewhat satisfied. Open Space and Parks, Library and Trash Recycling/Pick-Up faired well overall while Water/Sewer and Recreational Programs had the highest number of dissatisfied residents. • Recreational facilities most frequently requested were: Swimming Facilities (50%); Bicycling (45%); and Ice Skating (35%). Generally, facilities oriented toward passive recreation were selected more frequently than those relating to active recreation (e.g. ball fields). • 55% of respondents felt there should be increased design review of buildings; 17% said no and 28% were unsure. • The five most frequently selected objectives for Croton were: Protecting the Natural Environment (58.5%); Preserving Croton’s Historic Character (49%); Improving the Appearance of the Upper Village (35%); Providing Parks and Recreational Areas Along the Waterfront (34%); and Improving Access to the Hudson riverfront (32.5%). • The environmental concerns which residents most frequently selected were: Air Quality (64%); Hudson River Quality (55%); Well Water Quality (52%). 4 3.0 RESPONSE ANALYSIS 3.1 Demographic Profile Gender Household Size 89.5% of residents responded to this question. A small number specified that they were responding as a couple. Below is a breakdown of respondents by gender: Residents were asked to identify the size of their household. 97% of the respondents answered this question; most residents live in either a two- or fourperson household. Number of Persons in Household Gender of Respondents Percent Percent 100 59.3 38.8 50 1.9 0 Female Male 40 30 20 10 0 33.2 18.6 15.1 6.7 1 As Couple 2 Percent Percent 18.5 0 25 - 45 45 - 65 7 15.2 15 11.8 10 5 0.5 Under 25 6 20.8 20 20 10 25 42.2 30 5 Residents, by Years in Croton Distribution by Age 38.8 4 0.6 Number of Years in Croton Residents were asked how long they have lived in Croton. To facilitate analysis, year categories were created of five-year increments. Of the 97% who responded, most (21%) have lived in Croton for less than five years, followed by 15% of respondents who have lived in the Village between five and ten years. Age Residents were asked to identify which of the following four age categories they belonged to: Under 25; 25 – 45; 45 – 65; Over 65. With 97% of residents responding to this question,