Community Land Use Survey / 2014 /

Huntingdon County Community Land Use Survey
2014

Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback for the update of Huntingdon County’s 2014 Land Use Plan. The questions found in this survey pertain to current and future land use in Huntingdon County and aim to gather input on issues, concerns, or aspirations regarding the comprehensive elements encompassed within land use. The feedback collected from this survey will aid the County in understanding the priorities of its citizens and thus developing a future land use plan based on community needs.

Please e-mail your completed survey to .

You may drop off or mail a hard copy of the survey to the following address:

Huntingdon County Planning & Development Department
Attn: Danielle Roslevich

205 Penn St, Suite 3

Huntingdon, PA 16652

To obtain an electronic copy of the survey, please visit and click the 2014 Community Survey Link under ‘Quick Links.’ This may be e-mailed or printed out and submitted to the Planning Office. To save your completed form, choose the ‘Save As’ option from the file menu in MS Word, and save the document in a macro-enabled format (.dotm). Thank you for your cooperation and participation.

  1. How satisfied are you with each of the following in Huntingdon County? (Please place an ‘x’ in one box per row.)

Not Satisfied /
Somewhat Dissatisfied /
Do Not Know /
Satisfied /
Very
Satisfied
COMMUNITY:
Strong sense of community pride
Public participation / community cohesiveness
Diversity (age, gender, ethnicity, race, income, occupation, education, etc.) among residents and neighborhoods
Maintaining the community as it is
QUALITY OF LIFE:
A safe community
Quality housing and services for residents of varying ages and income levels
Diversity of services and community amenities
MOBILITY AND TRANSIT:
Convenient public transportation
Roads and sidewalks safe for walking and biking
Linkages to regional transportation opportunities
Maintaining the existing Township, County and State roadways as they currently exist with little or no change
ENVIRONMENT:
Preservation of wildlife habitat and forested areas
Clean air
Clean water
Energy conservation
ECONOMY
A variety of stable businesses
Local employment opportunities
Incorporating commercial development into community design
Access to and use of advances in technology
  1. Please rank what you think are the five most important issues or concerns that face Huntingdon County.
    (Please rank these 1-5, with 1 being the most important. Please leave the remaining boxes blank.)

Too much development in the County as a whole

Not enough development in the County as a whole

Agricultural and open space preservation

Preservation and management of natural resources (air, water, soil, forests, etc.)

Recreational opportunities

Diversity of businesses in the County

Redevelopment of commercial spaces

Preservation of established neighborhoods

Other (please specify):

  1. The following is a list of objectives which could be used to guide future growth and development in Huntingdon County. Please read the list of ten items and decide which are most important and least important to you, personally. Place the letter M next to the three objectives that are most important to you. Place the letter L next to the three objectives that are least important to you. (Please leave the remaining boxes blank.)

Maintaining a low level of environmental pollution and preserving the habitat

Having access to open space and recreation (parks, green belts, forested land) near residential areas
Protecting open space and agricultural lands
Expanding the variety and availability of retail goods and services

Improving personal security and public safety

Attracting business opportunities

Maintaining and enhancing the visual appearance of buildings and landscaping

Increasing education opportunities for all age groups

Protecting neighborhoods from encroachment by non‐residential land uses

Building and maintaining livable neighborhoods

Encouraging a sustainable (environmental, economic, social, political) region

Other (Please specify):

  1. The following objectives regarding future land use were identified by the community during the County’s comprehensive planning process in 2007. Prioritize these objectives (with 1 being the lowest priority and 10 being the highest) based on your aspirations and expectations for growth and development in Huntingdon County. (Please place an ‘x’ in one box per row.)

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10
Promote development of various types of land uses to support the needs of the present and future County population
Encourage the conservation and sustainable use of rural areas of the County for use as farmland, private forestland, public lands, and various compatible low density uses
Promote the adoption, or revision, of municipal plans and ordinances to achieve consistency with the goals, objectives, and policies of the County comprehensive plan
Maintain an up-to-date future land use plan that identifies growth areas that can be supported by appropriate infrastructure, and rural resource areas that support preservation of important natural resources
Develop and implement appropriate land use controls throughout Huntingdon County
Encourage development in or adjacent to the County’s boroughs and villages or in designated centers
Build communities that emphasize compact, efficient development using a mix of land uses
Preserve and protect rural areas of the County to allow the continuation of sustainable agricultural practices by the County’s farming community
Develop a planning education program to promote best practices in planning and land use regulation techniques and professional administration of land use ordinances
Encourage the targeted development of land for commercial, industrial, and medium to low density residential uses within the Growth Areas of the County where infrastructure in present
Promote inter-governmental cooperation in identifying and dealing with developments of regional significance and impact
  1. Which relates to your opinion regarding development in Huntingdon County?
    (Please place an ‘x’ in one box per row.)

In my opinion,… / Yes / No / Do Not Know
…the County has maintained utilizing the prior comprehensive plan as guidance for land use decisions.
…the County must work more closely with municipalities to reach community goals and objectives related to land use.
…the County should facilitate opportunities within municipalities which affect the community on a County-wide scale, coordinating with related organizations and institutions to effectively accomplish goals.
…the County guides development in the appropriate areas within the community.
…the County has used the appropriate means to restrict and reduce negative impacts of development.
…the County takes the appropriate measures to preserve and protect environmental quality.
…the County takes the appropriate measures to preserve and protect open space, forestlands, and recreation opportunities.
Other (please specify):
  1. The current population of Huntingdon County is approximately 46,000 persons. During the next 30 years, what rate of population growth would you prefer for Huntingdon County based strictly upon the addition of people and their impact on the land? Population growth would require the need for accommodation via new housing, services, and utilities, and therefore land development. Please check the population number which corresponds to your preference. (Please check one.)
  1. Future population growth would result in an increased number of land-use decisions facing the County. Do you feel that Huntingdon County should encourage, allow with no encouragement, discourage, or not allow the following types of development? (Please check on box per row.)

Do not allow /
Discourage / Allow, but not encourage / Encourage
Small retail stores/specialty shops / / / /
Regional shopping centers / / / /
Services (i.e., health, gasoline, restaurants) / / / /
Convenience stores (i.e., drug stores, barber shops, dry cleaners) / / / /
Office-type businesses / / / /
Office parks / / / /
Agriculture-related businesses / / / /
Recreational facilities and parks / / / /
Family farms / / / /
Hobby farms / / / /
Large corporate livestock farms / / / /
Light industry and manufacturing / / / /
Heavy industry and manufacturing / / / /
Mineral extraction / / / /
Condominiums / / / /
Duplexes / / / /
Mobile-home parks / / / /
Multi-family residences / / / /
Single-family residential in clustered subdivision / / / /
Single-family residential on large scattered lots / / / /
Traditional village development with small commercial uses/mixed use-areas / / / /
Other (please specify): / / / /
  1. In planning for future development, to what degree should Huntingdon County promote or discourage action in each of the following areas? (Please check one box per row.)

Strongly Discourage /
Discourage / Take No Action /
Promote / Strongly Promote
Environmental preservation / / / / /
Farmland preservation / / / / /
Industrial development / / / / /
Residential development / / / / /
Commercial development / / / / /
Recreational facilities / / / / /
Greenway Trails development / / / / /
Redevelopment / / / / /
  1. Would you be willing to pay additional taxes for the following? (Please check one box per row.)

Yes /
No /
Unsure
Open space/ conservation areas / / /
Parks and recreation areas / / /
Environmental restoration / / /
Downtown restoration and revitalization / / /
Historic preservation / / /
Other (please specify): / / /
  1. How long have you been a resident of Huntingdon County? (Please check one.)
  1. Do you rent or own your own home? (Please check one.)


  1. Do you own property (besides your own residence) or a business in Huntingdon County? (Please check one.)
  1. How many acres of property do you own in Huntingdon County? (Please check one.)
  1. What is your age group? (Please check one.)
  1. Please provide any comments you have about land use planning in Huntingdon County using the space below:

Please contact Danielle Roslevich at (814) 643-5091 or for any questions. Thank you.

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