Town of Woodbury Plan of Conservation and Development59751637...Presentation Outline Review of...

Town of Woodbury

Plan of Conservation and

Development

Planning Commission Meeting

April 3rd, 2019

Presentation Outline

Review of Outreach Findings to Date

Review of Survey Results to Date

Discuss Vision and Priorities for Plan

Next Steps

Pop Up Event at Senior Community Center

Next Event: Woodbury Earth Day on May 4th

• FHI engaged attendees in conversation about the plan and

encouraged attendees to take the online survey.

• Key points discussed:

• Seniors commented on the lack of availability of condos or

smaller homes in Woodbury

• Some seniors mentioned challenges related to transportation

• A few parents with school age children commented on the lack

of activities for kids after school and during the summer months

• Traffic on Main Street was a concern

• Taxes are a concern

• The Dollar General development is unpopular

• Woodbury’s historic charm and rural character are highly valued

Focus Group Meetings

• Six meetings were conducted in early March

• 8 to 12 people including residents, Town staff, board and commission members, business and property owners, and advocates attended each meeting

• Meetings were organized around the following topics:• Town facilities and services

• Transportation and infrastructure

• Economic development

• Housing and historic resources

• Open space and environment

• Land use and zoning

Town Facilities and Services

Needs

• Library needs more space

• Police station location is poor

• Town Hall is not accessible, more space is needed

• Parking at municipal complex is inadequate

• Parks and recreation building needs significant repair

• DPW garage needs more space, additional bay(s)

• Desire for an indoor community pool

• Sidewalks need repair, network needs to be expanded

• Need facilities for bicyclists

• Town needs grant writing expertise

• Seniors need more assistance with transportation

Transportation and Infrastructure

Needs

• Town will need to make investments in stormwater infrastructure

• Better pedestrian connections to high school are needed

• Sidewalks need repair

• Safer crosswalks are needed on Main Street

• Need more regional transportation options

• Explore opportunities to build out solar on town facilities

• Locations such as Judson Road, Route 6/61 and Route 6/64 intersections have safety issues that need to be addressed

Economic Development

Needs

• Town lacks a system to ensure that buildings are built as proposed

• Main Street business district needs to be more pedestrian friendly and aesthetics need improvement

• Lack of sewer is a barrier to economic development

• Parking requirements need to be reviewed, potentially relaxed

• Lack of municipal parking along Main Street

• Signage needs better regulation

• The Town needs to play a more active role in promoting businesses

• Getting approvals through commissions can be difficult for applicants

Housing and Historic ResourcesNeeds

• Aging population has few options for downsizing if they wish to remain in town

• The town does not meet the State’s mandate for affordable housing

• Need for more housing choice and options

• Need to balance historic and rural charm while attracting new residents

• Many subdivision permits are expiring, market is not supporting development of

new single-family subdivisions

• Apartments developments are older, no significant developments in past 30 years

Housing and Historic Resources (cont.)Needs

• Not enough turnover in housing stock, few options for new buyers

• Potential need for more mixed-use and multi-family housing

• Need to balance development with preservation

• Need architectural design standards

• Need stronger historic preservation regulations and guidelines

• Town should do more to promote historic resources such as Glebe House

and Jekyll Garden

• Town needs a blight ordinance

Open Space and Environment

Needs

• Town needs to continue to strategically link open space

• Residents need to better understand the value of open space and be stewards of

the land

• Perception that the Town doesn’t have a strategic plan for open space

• The Town does not have an open space conservation plan

• Town needs to continue to strike a balance between passive conservation and

active open space uses

• A network of trails connecting open space is desired

• Lack of adequate riparian buffers along the Town’s rivers and streams such as at

Three Rivers Park results in loss of topsoil and degradation of water quality

• There is some conflict between farming practices and environmental quality,

particularly related to water quality

Open Space and Environment (cont.)

Needs

• Preserving farmland is a priority

• Residents need better access to the Pomperaug River for recreation

• Need to maintain rural character of Woodbury

• Environmental concerns include water and wetland quality, invasive species,

unhealthy forests

• Town could do a better job maintaining open space

• Town needs to be engaged with quarry owners in planning for future of quarries

• Town should encourage Low Impact Development practices

• Town should continue to work with NWCOG in exploring solar power

opportunities

Land Use and Zoning

Needs

• Town needs to streamline the permitting process and make it easier for residents and

zoning officials to use and administer

• Town needs to provide guides for the permitting process

• More restrictive zoning is needed for wetland areas

• Need to have more regulation consistency with other Towns in the Pomperaug watershed

• Architectural design standards or guidelines are needed

• Town needs to do more to ensure that buildings are built as approved and permitted and

that required landscaping is maintained past the initial planting

Land Use and Zoning (cont.)

Needs

• Need to balance economic development opportunities with upkeep of the rural/historic

character of the community

• Town’s commissions need to continue to improve communication and collaboration

between commissions

• Residents need to be educated and informed about the zoning and permitting process and

be engaged earlier in the process

• Signage regulations need to be reworked

• Desire for a greater mixture of uses on Main Street but concerns over traffic generation

• 50% residential requirement on Main Street needs to be revisited

• Planned Industrial zones need design standards

• Date Created: Monday, January 21, 2019

Survey Results

• 315 Total Responses

• Complete Responses: 282

Q1: Do you...? (select all that apply)

Q1: Do you...? (select all that apply)

• Answered: 306 Skipped: 9

Q2: How long have you lived, worked, attended school, or owned a business or property in Woobury? (select the longest date range that applies)

Q2: How long have you lived, worked, attended school, or owned a business or property in Woobury? (select the longest date range that applies)

• Answered: 306 Skipped: 9

Q3: Are you a homeowner in Woodbury?

Q3: Are you a homeowner in Woodbury?

• Answered: 303 Skipped: 12

Q4: Do you have a child in a Region 14 school?

Q4: Do you have a child in a Region 14 school?

• Answered: 304 Skipped: 11

Q5: What is your age?

Q5: What is your age?

• Answered: 302 Skipped: 13

Q6: Please select the statement that best represents your thoughts about Woodbury

Q6: Please select the statement that best represents your thoughts about Woodbury

• Answered: 297 Skipped: 18

Q6: Please select the statement that best represents your thoughts about Woodbury

Q6: Please select the statement that best represents your thoughts about Woodbury

Q6: Please select the statement that best represents your thoughts about Woodbury

Q7: What are the primary reasons you choose to reside in Woodbury? (select all that apply)

Q7: What are the primary reasons you choose to reside in Woodbury? (select all that apply)• Answered: 300 Skipped: 15

Q8: What about Woodbury do you value the most? (select up to three items below)

Q8: What about Woodbury do you value the most? (select up to three items below)

• Answered: 300 Skipped: 15

Q9: What should the Town place more focus on? (select up to five items below)

Q9: What should the Town place more focus on? (select up to five items below)

• Answered: 287 Skipped: 28

Q10: What should the Town place less focus on? (select up to five items below)

Q10: What should the Town place less focus on? (select up to five items below)

• Answered: 273 Skipped: 42

Q11: What concerns you most about the future of Woodbury? (select up to three items below)

Q11: What concerns you most about the future of Woodbury? (select up to three items below)• Answered: 287 Skipped: 28

Q14: Are you interested in answering a few more questions that are specific to issues such as economic development, transportation, town services, housing, open space and environment?

Q14: Are you interested in answering a few more questions that are specific to issues such as economic development, transportation, town services, housing, open space and environment?

• Answered: 293 Skipped: 22

Q15: How do you rate the Town's business environment?

Q15: How do you rate the Town's business environment?

• Answered: 254 Skipped: 61

Q16: What type of commercial development should be expanded in Woodbury? (select all that apply)

Q16: What type of commercial development should be expanded in Woodbury? (select all that apply)

• Answered: 255 Skipped: 60

Q17: What are the challenges to Economic Development in Woodbury? (select all that apply)

Q17: What are the challenges to Economic Development in Woodbury? (select all that apply)• Answered: 245 Skipped: 70

Q18: What housing types does Woodbury need more of? (select all that apply)

Q18: What housing types does Woodbury need more of? (select all that apply)• Answered: 244 Skipped: 71

Q19: Does Woodbury need additional housing units that are affordable for residents such as seniors, young families, recent graduates, or low income workers?

Q19: Does Woodbury need additional housing units that are affordable for residents such as seniors, young families, recent graduates, or low income workers?

• Answered: 252 Skipped: 63

Q20: How do you get around Woodbury? (select all that apply)

Q20: How do you get around Woodbury? (select all that apply)

• Answered: 254 Skipped: 61

Q21: What type of transportation improvements are needed in Woodbury? (select all that apply)

Q21: What type of transportation improvements are needed in Woodbury? (select all that apply)• Answered: 250 Skipped: 65

Q22: Which Town (or regional) services need improvement?

Q22: Which Town (or regional) services need improvement?• Answered: 242 Skipped: 73

Q23: Which Town (or regional) services should be expanded?

Q23: Which Town (or regional) services should be expanded?

• Answered: 231 Skipped: 84

Q24: Are Town owned buildings (libraries, recreation buildings, offices, etc.) in need of improvement?

Q24: Are Town owned buildings (libraries, recreation buildings, offices, etc.) in need of improvement?• Answered: 248 Skipped: 67

Q25: How do you rate the Town’s parks and recreation facilities?

Q25: How do you rate the Town’s parks and recreation facilities?

• Answered: 249 Skipped: 66

Q26: How do you rate the Town’s recreation programs?

Q26: How do you rate the Town’s recreation programs?

• Answered: 242 Skipped: 73

Q27: How well does the Town do in protecting its natural resources (including wetlands and waterbodies) and the environment (air, water)?

Q27: How well does the Town do in protecting its natural resources (including wetlands and waterbodies) and the environment (air, water)?• Answered: 249 Skipped: 66

Q28: Should the town focus more on the protection of any of the following natural resources and the environment? (select all that apply)

Q28: Should the town focus more on the protection of any of the following natural resources and the environment? (select all that apply)• Answered: 233 Skipped: 82

Q29: Should the Town focus on sustainable development (such as solar power or improvements that seek to manage stormwater runoff on-site) to reduce the environmental impact of facilities and development?

Q29: Should the Town focus on sustainable development (such as solar power or improvements that seek to manage stormwater runoff on-site) to reduce the environmental impact of facilities and development?

• Answered: 248 Skipped: 67

Q30: Should the Town work towards expanding conservation land?

Q30: Should the Town work towards expanding conservation land?• Answered: 250 Skipped: 65

2010 Plan Vision Statement

Make Woodbury a vibrant community that supports recreation, culture, and the arts, provides inter-generational activities, upholds a high quality education, preserves its historic character, manages its natural resources for sustainability, and fosters a robust economy based on small-scale independently owned businesses.

• Housing?

• Pro-growth?

• Role of town center?

What are the priorities?

• Strategic conservation plan?

• Improved and expanded pedestrian and bicycle facilities?

• Support of more transportation options?

• Support of more housing options?

• Improved and expanded town buildings/facilities?

• Focus on the school district?

• Expanded recreation programming?

• Streamlined process for developers?

• More control over development type and design?

• More sustainable practices?

• Better surface water protection, stormwater management?

• A more vibrant Main Street?

• Protect farmland and historic resources?

Next Steps

• Encourage survey participation

• Promote survey at Earth Day event on May 4th

• Provide summary memo of outreach and survey findings

• Complete existing conditions findings and mapping

• Meet to review progress at June 5th Planning CommissionMeeting

Discussion