Town of Simsbury Resident Survey: Residents Give Town High Marks for Quality of Life

PRESS RELEASE

Town of Simsbury Resident Survey: Residents Give Town High Marks for Quality of Life

SIMSBURY, JUNE 10, 2015 - Survey results just released by expert research firm GreatBlue show that 97.3% of residents give the Town of Simsbury a high rating for quality of life with a 10% increase in the number of residents rating quality of life as “excellent” as compared with a similar town-wide survey conducted in 2008.  “We have worked hard as a community in the face of some very tough economic challenges to make sure that Simsbury remains a wonderful place to live and work,” said First Selectman Lisa Heavner.  “This survey validates priorities established by the Board of Selectmen, particularly in areas such as open space, the development of opportunities for outdoor activities such as biking and walking, and maintaining Simsbury’s historic charm.”  Selectman Sean Askham concurred, stating that “these results give us some good insight into where we should be focusing our efforts in the future.”  According to the report, preservation of open space and areas dedicated to pedestrian use were top priorities for residents with 92.3% of residents viewing the Town’s activities in this area “very positively.”

A number of the survey questions focused on the future of the Town’s Senior Center and the Board of Selectmen’s directive to fully explore development of a Senior/Community Center at the Performing Arts Center site on Iron Horse Boulevard.  GreatBlue’s “Resident Opinion Study” concluded that “the location voted by the Board of Selectmen would not only retain current visitors . . . but it would also attract new ones . . . .”  Residents placed more importance on programming than on location, with a heavy focus on health, recreation and wellness activities available to residents of all ages.  With respect to the cost of a Senior/Community Center, 58% of residents reported that they would be in favor of “some tax increase” to fund the project.  “We look forward to working with our programming and architectural experts, our boards and commissions and the public to ensure that resident feedback is incorporated into the plans for the Senior/Community Center,” said Heavner.

Questions designed to obtain resident opinion on economic development, according to GreatBlue, showed that “residents, in general, were most in favor of modest development efforts that would aid commercial development while maintaining the Town character.”  The study’s final section entitled “Considerations” identified other opportunities, including improvement of the Town’s website and increased use of electronic communication as well as the possible development of a high speed fiber optic network available to residents. Copies of the Resident Opinion Study and the actual survey results are posted on the Town’s website at www.simsbury-ct.gov on the front page under "Quick Links."

GreatBlue is a research firm with over thirty years of experience in conducting opinion surveys.  The company was retained by the Town to conduct a survey designed to determine resident satisfaction with Town services, areas for service improvement and resident opinion about projects such as the development of a Senior/Community Center.

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