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Growth matters most, residents say in survey
By WILL VAN SANT BROOKSVILLE -- Of the many issues facing Hernando County, residents rank those related to growth and development the most pressing. That is the finding of a county Planning Department survey conducted in October and November whose results are now being compiled and reviewed. The department is expected to release final results sometime this week; the information reported here is based on a review of raw data provided to the Times by the department. The survey was conducted to give those overhauling the county's comprehensive plan a better sense of what issues are on the minds of residents. The comprehensive plan, a document used to regulate and shape growth, is undergoing a state-mandated evaluation, and residents' input of the kind provided by the survey is a required part of the process. Planners working on the study had expected to get about 300 responses and cited 400 as an optimistic goal. They ended up getting 711. Planner Jim King attributed the better-than-expected figure to the scope of the survey's distribution and recent news coverage of issues such as affordable housing and drinking water availability that are tied closely to development. "All of those things have contributed to heighten the public consciousness," King said. "It's perfect timing." Asked to rank seven issue groups in order of importance, 498 respondents chose the growth and development group among their top three. Economic issues were listed among the top three by 447 respondents, followed by environmental issues with 402 top three appearances. Social issues ranked in the middle of the pack. Infrastructure and transportation were near the bottom. Issues related to the interaction between county government and the public ranked last, with 93 respondents naming the category among the top three. Of 13 specific growth and development related topics they could rank within the issue group, residents cited congestion and road construction, as well as the need to define and limit areas for future growth, as most important. A too-high rate of growth was cited among respondents' top four concerns 313 times. Too slow a rate of growth appeared in the top four just 23 times. While the results seem to indicate that residents are alarmed by how quickly the county is changing, King stressed the importance of understanding what about the pace of growth is troubling. "Too much traffic? Too many houses being built? Too many rezonings?" King asked. "What does it mean?" It is hoped that such questions can be brought up during a series of growth and development workshops the county has planned, the first of which is scheduled to take place at 5 p.m. March 6 at the Coast Guard Auxiliary building in Hernando Beach. Of the nine topics respondents could rank within the economic issues category, job opportunity and wage scales were chosen as the most significant. In the environmental category, respondents overwhelmingly chose groundwater quality as most crucial, followed by quantity of groundwater. While promoting the economy and protecting the environment is sometimes viewed as an irreconcilable conflict, King said earlier studies in the county suggest that residents have a more nuanced view. He said people tend to see the county's natural environment as a precious and marketable economic resource crucial to the area's future. As results from the survey are studied, planners hope to gain an appreciation of what issues are most important where by breaking down responses by ZIP code. By such focusing, it is hoped the public will be spurred to help planners with the job before them. "It's hard to get people involved in government and the comprehensive planning process," King said. "It's a tedious process. It takes a lot of time. But it's important." -- Will Van Sant covers Hernando County government and can be reached at 754-6127. Send e-mail to vansant@sptimes.com .
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From today's Hernando Times |
