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Preliminary comprehensive-plan survey: 430 responses, strong concern about housing and short-term rentals
Summary
Staff presented preliminary results from the town's comprehensive-plan survey showing 430 responses (about 17% of an estimated 2,500 residents). Respondents raised affordable housing and short-term rentals as frequent concerns and many requested a local pharmacy.
Town planning staff presented preliminary findings from the comprehensive-plan outreach and survey, reporting 430 completed responses from a town population of roughly 2,500 — about a 17% response rate by the consultant's count.
"We had 430 responses," the staff presenter (S4) said, adding that the consultant's initial analysis had just been received and that more detailed results would follow. Board members and staff noted that the respondent pool skewed older: the presenter said roughly 70% of respondents were 50 or older, and several speakers cautioned that mail or paper outreach may be needed to reach households less likely to use online surveys.
Panelists identified recurring community concerns flagged in the raw responses: short-term rentals and affordable housing repeatedly appeared, and many respondents asked for a local pharmacy. "The word affordable for housing came up a lot," the presenter said, and the group discussed how the survey will inform the early stages of plan development rather than act as a binding decision.
The consultant's raw-question counts were cited (188 responses to one question, 278 to another), and staff emphasized the survey is one of several informational sources, alongside public meetings and board input. The presenter and board agreed to review the consultant's fuller analysis once staff had time to examine it and to consider additional outreach rounds later in the process.
