NEWS RELEASE
January 11, 2001
HAMILTON COUNTY RESIDENTS WANT INPUT ON DEVELOPMENT
Planners Survey Community as First Step Toward Comprehensive Master Plan
CINCINNATI —Hamilton County residents want local leaders to communicate better about building and development, according to a survey released today by the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission.
The countywide Community COMPASS Values Survey, designed to gauge the public’s opinion on development and other priority issues, also found that most respondents are satisfied with the quality of life in Hamilton County.
“This Values Survey told us that overall, life is good in Hamilton County, and residents want it to stay that way,” said Frank Davis, Planning Partnership member from the City of Montgomery. “Residents want to be involved in how their neighborhoods grow, and this survey is part of a comprehensive plan to do just that.”
The survey will be used to build a foundation for Community COMPASS, the Comprehensive Master Plan and Strategies for Hamilton County. The plan – developed in collaboration with residents, business leaders and civic leaders – could make the county more competitive at state and federal funding and help unify voices of the county’s 49 jurisdictions.
“The Community COMPASS process will explore ways in which we can use the unique strengths of individual communities to work together to form a cohesive vision and comprehensive county development plan,” Davis said. “This survey gives us a starting point for this very important process.”
The survey, developed in partnership with Cincinnati-based Burke, Inc., and administered over a five-week period last fall, measured Hamilton County residents’ attitudes on countywide development, community cooperation and population migration. It also explored demographics within the county.
Following are some of the highlights:
Development
- Nearly 85 percent of respondents want local communities to communicate more on new building and development.
- Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of residents who responded said strict laws should control
building in rural areas. In the far west sectors of the county, the figure rose to 77 percent, while roughly 60 percent of residents in other areas support strict laws.
- On the issue of new development of stores and restaurants versus new highways, two-thirds (66 percent) of respondents in the central core of the county prefer new development, while just under one third (31 percent) of respondents in the far west believe building should take precedence. Of those in middle regions, roughly two in five are likely to agree they would prefer new development to improved highways.
- Overall, 83 percent of residents are satisfied living in Hamilton County; residents in the east and north central regions were most satisfied.
Migration
- In terms of population shifts, many residents (64 percent) believe people are leaving the county for better schools.
- Forty-two percent believe people are moving out of the county because of the changing demographic mix.
- Thirty-eight percent believe population losses are due to a search for lower tax rates.
- Roughly a quarter of respondents (27 percent) feel that people are moving out of the county because of crime concerns.
County Priorities
- Respondents felt the most needed improvements included preserving the county’s natural resources (37 percent), making communities safer (37 percent) and improving publicly funded schools (34 percent).
- Residents responded less favorably to the importance of attracting new business growth, arts and cultural events and attracting new residential growth.
Demographics
- Men (60 percent) preferred the rural style of development, while women (65 percent) preferred the town center.
- Sixty-eight percent of women said arts and culture were important to them; 54 percent of men found it important.
- Eighty-one percent of women also placed a high importance on preserving and renovating old buildings, while 65 percent of men agreed it was important.
- Fifty-three percent of women said residential growth was important; 42 percent of men agreed.
The survey was distributed to 4,500 households across Hamilton County, with a 26 percent response rate. Most respondents (69 percent) were over the age of 45, and men (58 percent) were more likely than women (40 percent) to have responded to the survey. The margin of error was +/- 3 percent.
“Understanding the issues, perceptions and priorities of our residents is the first step in creating a county plan that works,” said Adam Goetzman, Planning Partnership member from Green Township. “We’re excited at where this will lead us, and how it will position the county for strategic growth.
For further information please call Ron Miller or Steve Johns at 946-4500
|
