Survey finds strong satisfaction in Uwchlan Township but residents worry about growth, traffic and housing costs

Francis Tuahen, who identified himself as chair of his academic department and a lead on the survey, told the Oakland Township Board of Supervisors at a June 4 workshop that about 1,000 people began the online survey and roughly 886 completed about 70–80% of it, producing a statistically useful sample for local analysis. “Overall there were over thousand individuals that started the survey but as you all know people start and then they stop… but then in total we have about 886,” Tuahen said.

The presenters reported high overall ratings for the township: combined “excellent” and “good” scores were roughly 88–89% for administration and overall performance, with specific ratings of about 94% for “place to live,” 91% for “place to obtain good education,” and about 89% for “place to raise a family.” Park use was widespread: presenters said about 91–92% of respondents had visited a township park in the past 12 months and parks/trails received strong satisfaction scores.

At the same time, presenters highlighted recurring concerns in open-ended responses. Tuahen summarized the critique: “development is a major concern, housing in terms of the cost… overdevelopment as a matter of fact. Then they also talk about the traffic congestion.” Presenters singled out Route 100 and regional crossroads as frequent complaints and cautioned some traffic problems are driven by regional patterns, not township policy.

Respondent demographics skewed toward long-tenure and older adults: presenters reported nearly two-thirds of respondents had lived in the township more than 20 years, about one-third were 65 or older, and the sample was highly educated (about 45% reported a bachelor’s degree and 42% reported postgraduate credentials). Board members asked how that skew might affect planning; one supervisor noted the apparent discrepancy between the sample’s age profile and the relatively low ranking given to “impact of an aging population.” Tuahen said qualitative results suggest friction between long-term residents who prefer stability and younger or growing families who favor changes: “On one hand, you have individuals who are raising family. They want to see all these changes. On the other hand… we have individuals who’ve been living here for a very long time and they want to maintain the status quo.”

The survey included a question on willingness to pay additional levy revenue for services. Presenters reported more than three in four respondents (about 76%) said they would support increased levy funding for specific services; the strongest support was for public safety and parks/open-space preservation, while snow/storm response drew about 50% support. Tuahen cautioned that respondents said they would pay more only for clearly specified services.

Presenters and supervisors agreed on additional analysis before policy actions: cross-tabulations by age and years lived in Uwchlan Township, and correlation testing to determine whether perceptions of traffic are statistically associated with development in respondents’ neighborhoods. The presenters said they would prepare a final report and the board would use the data to start building five-year strategic priorities.

The workshop generated no formal votes. The board asked the presenters to provide deeper subgroup breakdowns and to return with a final report that will inform upcoming strategic planning discussions.