South Windsor Planning and Zoning Commission Discusses Town Survey

The South Windsor Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday reviewed and discussed the results of the community survey administered from late October to mid November.

Out of the 481 people who took the survey, 480 were town residents. Among the highlights of the results are the following:

• A vast majority of residents - 82 percent - view the quality of life in South Windsor as either high or very high.

• An even greater percentage - 94 percent - said that they were either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the town as a place to live and/or raise children.

• Seventy-eight percent of the respondents strongly agreed or agreed that they would like to see more farmland preserved; 66 percent either agreed or strongly agreed that the town should set aside funds to preserve farmland.

• Seventy-two percent of the respondents strongly agreed or agreed that more land should be preserved as open space; 70 percent agreed or strongly agreed that the town should set aside funds to preserve open space.

• Seventy-four percent said they would like more hiking opportunities along the Connecticut River.

• Town buildings enjoyed less enthusiastic support, with just 53 percent saying the town should do more to preserve older buildings, with just 47 percent saying the town should set aside funds for that endeavor.

• A majority of respondents - 61 percent - either agreed or strongly agreed that they would like greater opportunities to walk to places in South Windsor than to drive.

• A lower percentage - 54 percent - either agreed or strongly agreed that they would like greater opportunities to bike to places in town than to drive.

• The third-highest priority for the respondents - 11 percent - was having a recognizable, defined Town Center (the highest priority was increasing business development - 20 percent of respondents).

• Sixty-eight percent of the respondents said that it was either somewhat or very important that South Windsor have a Town Center.

• Sixty-two percent said that the Town Center is where the commercial area and Town Hall/library area around Ellington Road, Oakland Road, Sullivan Avenue and Buckland Road meet.

• Seventeen percent said that Evergreen Walk should be the Town Center, while 21 percent said that South Windsor doesn’t need a Town Center.

Respondents also answered questions concerning town development and housing.

The responses, according to Heidi Samokar, senior planner of Planimetrics, will be used in the 10-year plan that will be released in about a year.

The commissioners, for their part, weren’t too surprised by the results, other than perhaps the overwhelming majority of respondents viewed the Town Hall/library complex as the Town Center over Evergreen Walk.

“It is on the edge of town,” Chairman Patrick Kennedy said as a possible reason for why Evergreen Walk received fewer responses.

The results of the survey will be posted on the town's website.