Township's biennial residential survey: high satisfaction overall, concerns rising about perceived overdevelopment

Township consultants presented the results of the 2024 resident survey at the Feb. 26 meeting, reporting strong overall satisfaction with township services while noting increased concern among respondents about perceived levels of development.

Dr. Laurie Mitchell Dixon of Great Lakes Marketing Research summarized the statistical findings: the survey drew 1,443 scientifically sampled responses (a 20% response rate). "95% say that they get very good or good value for their money for township services," she reported. The presentation also showed high satisfaction with parks/pathways, communications and covenant enforcement in many villages, though some villages reported lower satisfaction with covenant enforcement and neighborhood-watch visibility.

Why it matters: The survey is the township's primary tool for tracking resident sentiment and helps inform communication, enforcement and service priorities. Staff said segmented village-level findings will inform localized outreach and operations.

Key takeaways: Residents cite beauty, green spaces and safety among the top attributes they value. However, 51% of respondents in 2024 said The Woodlands is "overdeveloped," up from 43% in a prior year. Survey respondents who reported lower perceived value of township services were more likely to say covenants and neighborhood watch are not enforced or visible enough. The consultant said full cross-tabs and verbatim comments are included in the final report; staff will post the report and consider targeted village-level follow-up.

Ending: The board accepted the report and staff said the full survey and appendices will be posted on the township website for residents to review.