Overwhelming response to an initial survey is already helping the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) steering committee form the first building blocks of a 10-year plan that will help shape North Branford from 2019 into 2029.

Working with consulting firm Milone & MacBroom, Inc. (Cheshire) the 2019-2029 POCD online survey was launched in early November and drew over 895 responses by the time it closed on Dec. 7, 2018. That was much higher than the goal of 600, and one of the highest per capita response seen by the consulting firm, said Town Planner Carey Duques.

"People are motivated," said Duques. "I think that it shows that community spirit of people wanting to participate in the active planning process in their town. I think the concept of having a vision and plan has been talked about quite a bit at the Town Council level and so possibly people have tuned into that; and now they want to be a part of the process."

That process will continue with the first community forum, offered by the POCD steering committee at North Branford Intermediate School on Tues. Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria.

"The survey was just one way to participate. We're hoping the forum will be a more hands-on way," with some interactive components that will help draw same-night input from attendees, said Duques.

Right now, residents can go online to see the results of the survey and the first part of data analysis produced by Milone & MacBroom. The two documents can be accessed at http://www.nbpocd2019.com/. All of the information being gathered and produced for the 2019-29 POCD draft will be made available at the project website, which also includes outlines, timelines and updates on meetings and locations. There's also an option to sign up for email alerts for meeting updates.

Work on the revised POCD got underway in October. Milone & MacBroom has been meeting with town department heads to gather information on infrastructure, facilities and other issues which need to be addressed. Meanwhile, the POCD committee has been visiting with representatives of other town government boards and agencies, as well as taking topics back to their own boards and small groups, and attending different town meetings to gather information that will help develop priorities for the draft, said Duques.

The POCD steering committee is made up of Duques, Town Manager Michael Paulhus, PZC chairman Harry Dulak, Economic Development Coordinator Roger Salway and North Branford Land Conservation Trust president David Sargent.

The committee was appointed by the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC), which is responsible for updating the POCD. The PZC anticipates reviewing final plans and undertaking a vote to approve the updated POCD in the summer of 2019. By state statute, towns are required to update a POCD every ten years.

SURVEY SAYS

Among some of the calls for action which came through in the online survey was the answer to a question asking what policies and programs the town should invest in over the next decade.

"The number one response was to support and improve the education system, which included adult education and technical training programs," said Duques. "And then the second highest response was to develop the town campus at the police station/recreation complex on Forest Road."

Given that the town is currently assessing the possibility of renovating the current police station on Forest Road, including considering the idea of a new building on an adjoining softball field in the town's Swajchuk parcel, the town campus concept survey response has already created some direction for the POCD Steering Committee, Duques noted.

"That did help us quite a bit, in just supporting that concept of looking at the police station now as a potentially a bigger project of not just the police station, but while they're looking where to locate the police station, consider whether other buildings would be added, would other services be brought to that location, where should they be located, what's the layout," she said.

Due to membership in the South Central Regional Council of Governments, funding is being provided for North Branford's required GIS mapping component of the POCD update, said Duques. That means the POCD Steering Committee was able to set aside the money it would have spent on GIS mapping for a special project, she added.

"We weren't sure what that project would be, but as of everything that happened as result of the survey, and what's happening with the police station, the steering committee has talked to Milone & MacBroom about doing a little bit more focus outreach to residents about this town campus concept," said Duques.

Residents can expect another survey to come out sometime this winter which will ask them to weigh in on more specific questions about a long-term plan for a town campus concept, as well as ideas for connectivity to existing use (recreation and trails) and other the elements, buildings, and services that may be relocated there.

The implications of a change such as developing a new town campus and relocating key municipal facilities could feed into other aspects of the updated POCD, from answering a call to have centrally- located town services, to better unifying North Branford and Northford, to freeing up town land/buildings located in business zones to generate more tax revenue.

DATA DRIVEN

Another question on the survey, "Where do you see yourself living the next ten years?" found 60 percent of respondents planning to remain in their current homes; and 26 percent –almost one third -- planning on downsizing.

That ties into the demographic on the data analysis report on North Branford's status as an aging town. As of 2016, the median age is 47 years old, which is higher than the 45-year-old average for New Haven county and other areas of the state, said Duques.

"So that just goes hand in hand with the vision of where people see themselves in ten years. Because we have an aging population, people are looking to downsize," said Duques. "And the other component of that is looking at our housing stock, and do we have enough of what people are looking for?"

It also ties into another response to the survey, asking whether the town has too many, about the right amount, or not enough of certain types of housing.

"A lot of people said that there's not enough housing for seniors, single persons and young adults," said Duques.

The responses raise questions including, "...do we have enough apartments, and is there a demand for apartments or over-55 developments, or smaller homes all at one level? "

At the same time, the town also has to consider a balance of housing that would support and attract a younger demographic, first-time home buyers, single adults and others looking for smaller footprint homes and housing units, she said.

The survey responses and data insight were reviewed by the PZC as part of its Jan. 3 meeting.

EXCITING WORK AHEAD

At this point, everything is "conceptual," but it's an exciting time to be involved in a plan that will help shape the community for the next ten years, said Duques.

"By having these various surveys and workshops, we're providing ways for people to give feedback --are you in agreement with this, does this make sense, is this the directions that residents want to go in?" she said.