Pelham CITIZENS SURVEY RESULTS The Town of Pelham sent out 3,100 questionnaires in a survey seeking input into the Master Plan effort. In addition, an opportunity was afforded to pick up questionnaire forms for those taxpayers and residents who did not receive one through the Town's mailing system. Of the 3,100 forms sent out, 662 responded. This is an almost 22% return and is accepted as a statistically valid response to the survey. This is to say, that based on this response, the remaining 78% would have been in substantiation of the determined results. On a summary note, the questionnaire reflected sentiments similar to the survey conducted in 1980. Residents like the Town's rural atmosphere, are still concerned about the school system and its facilities, are not as concerned about the poor roads as in 1980, and as in 1980 responded overwhelmingly to reduce the rate of growth. As the questionnaire results show, sewer and water facilities were highest ranked among needs for the community and are of overwhelming concern. At the same time, people are concerned about the disappearance of agricultural land, they prefer single-family home development over multi- family home development, have through their comments indicated their concern about the high cost of local government and in many instances feel that services could be provided more efficiently. The following is a detailed tabulation of the questionnaire returns. The last page of the questionnaire afforded people to respond as to their concerns for the Town in addition to the statistical recording have expressed in order of magnitude their comments involving: 1. a slower rate of growth 2. need for interdepartmental coordination of town administration 3. concern about used and junk car lots 4. need for sewer and water facilities 5. need for more employment opportunities, both industrially and commercially 6. town protection of ponds and streams 7. create design control by the town for commercial and public buildings, specifically the high school The questionnaires themselves are stored at the office of the Planning Department for individuals desiring to review the returns. The following tabulation of questionnaire returns incorporates two errors on the forms -- question #6.h. was redundant to #6.g, therefore nothing was tabulated; similarly, in question #8 the letter c. was inadvertently deleted and thus no response is recorded. The percentages given are based on the 662 responses. Of note is also the fact that 28% of the respondents were residents in 1964 when the initial plan was prepared and over 50% of those responding have lived in the community for more than 10 years. This would indicate a stable community rather than a transient one, a sign that speaks well for Pelham. The most serious problems recorded were the lack of town water, town sewer, the high taxes (a bit incongruous), the loss of farmland in Pelham, the excessive housing development, and lack of industrial development or employment opportunities. Of note also was the overwhelming support for wetlands and open space conservation and preservation as part of the Master Plan needs. PELHAM Pelham Community Survey 1988 Dear Resident or Taxpayer: A town under New Hampshire law may plan, and has to plan, in order to have valid ordinances and regulations pertaining to its future. The voters have authorized updating the Master Plan, and this survey is an integral part of that. In order to give you the opportunity to provide important input for amending the Pelham Master Plan, we are asking you to complete this questionnaire. Your preferences and suggestions will be used by the Committee in making changes, revisions, and additions to the present Master Plan and our Ordinances. Please complete the questionnaire which is anonymous and return it within three days of receipt. Thank you for your assistance. Your Pelham Master Plan Advisory Committee. August, 1988 1. Are you a: 2. How long have you lived in Pelham? a. Resident ____yes ____no a. less than 5 years b. How many in your b. 5 to 10 years household?_________ c. 10 to 20 years d. over 20 years 3. Resident information 4. What makes Pelham a good place a. own your home to live?______________________ b. rent your home ______________________________ d. employed ____yes ____no ______________________________ e. what town?_____________ ______________________________ 5. In the next ten years, would you like to see the population of Pelham... a. stay the same b. grow slightly c. grow moderately d. grow rapidly 6. Check five of the following that you believe to be the most serious problems in Pelham. a. land speculation h. excessive housing dev. b. loss of farm land i. lack of land use control c. lack of multi-family housing j. high taxes d. lack of housing development k. traffic/roads e. lack of industrial develop. l. lack of community f. lack of commercial develop. buildings g. excessive housing development m. lack of public water system n. lack of a public sewer system 7. Please check the column that describes your attitude towards new housing in Pelham. FAVOR AGAINST a. single-family homes b. multi-family homes c. condominiums d. mobile homes e. cluster housing f. elderly housing g. manufactured housing h. in-law apartments 8. Please check the column that describes your attitude towards the following. FAVOR AGAINST a.wetlands ordinance b.septic code enforcement d.preservation of woodlands e.preservation of agricultural land f.public open space and woodlands 9. In order to protect natural resources, as above, should the Town of Pelham. a. accept gifts of land and/or development rights for conservation rights? ______yes ______no b. appropriate money annually for important land conservation purchases? ________ yes ________no c. should the town require land to be dedicated for town use as part of development approval? _____yes _______no 10. Rate the following municipal services and indicate if you think the town should spend more, less, or the same amount of money on their provision. Good Fair Poor No Spend Spend Spend No Opin More Same Less Opin Police Protection Fire Protection Road Maintenance Road Construction Schools Libraries Zoning Enforcement Elderly Programs Parks & Recreation Historic Preserv. Other comments regarding the growth of Pelham over the next ten years. Please return this anonymous survey within 3 (three) days by refolding the form with the return address showing and mailing it back. You may also choose to drop it off at the Planning Department in the Town Hall or leave the completed survey form at the Town Library. Thank you for your help.