Town of Plympton :: Town Government : Open Space and Recreation Survey

Poll:

Open Space and Recreation Survey

The town of Plympton and the Old Colony Planning Council have recently been awarded a $9,000 grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) to develop a new and updated Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP). Once approved by the state, the new OSRP will qualify the town to receive state funding for open space acquisition and some recreation facility development. The Plympton Open Space Committee is working with the Old Colony Planning Council to write the new plan, and is asking residents to take a few minutes to complete the following online survey concerning conservation and recreation issues in town. This survey is designed to provide the public with an opportunity to give their input on the development of this important planning tool.

In addition, hard copies of this poll can be found and submitted at the Town House, library, and post office. The poll will be open through May 31, 2007, and the results will be posted on the town website shortly thereafter.

1. How important is it to you to preserve the rural character of Plympton?
Extremely important
Somewhat important
Not at all important

2. Should the town of Plympton set aside and protect land for conservation and open space purposes?
Yes
No
Unsure

If yes, please check preferred method:
Encourage donations of land and conservation restrictions
Land bank
Community Preservation Act
Private land trusts
Town purchases conservation & agricultural preservation restrictions
Town purchases open space
Other:

3. Which of the following do you feel should be protected or acquired? (Check as many as are appropriate).
Access to rivers, streams and ponds
Agricultural land/farmland
Areas for active outdoor recreation (team sports)
Areas for outdoor education (study areas, field trips, nature trails, etc.)
Areas of historical worth
Areas for passive outdoor recreation (walking, picnicking, playgrounds, etc.)
Buffer zones between different land use areas
"Green belts" along streams, rivers and ponds
Land to preserve scenic views
Well fields and water supply areas
Waterfront lands (i.e. on ponds & rivers)
Wetlands
Wildlife habitat
Other
Specific sites:

4. Of the choices listed in question 3, which five do you feel are the most important to protect or acquire? Please designate the most important with 1 = most important, and 5 = least important.
Access to rivers, streams and ponds
Agricultural land/farmland
Areas for active outdoor recreation (team sports)
Areas for outdoor education (study areas, field trips, nature trails, etc.)
Areas of historical worth
Areas for passive outdoor recreation (walking, picnicking, playgrounds, etc.)
Buffer zones between different land use areas
"Green belts" along streams, rivers and ponds
Land to preserve scenic views
Well fields and water supply areas
Waterfront lands (i.e. on ponds & rivers)
Wetlands
Wildlife habitat
Other
Specific sites:

5. Do you feel town bylaws should be drafted to encourage more open space in new residential subdivisions and commercial developments?
Yes
No
Unsure

6. Do you feel the town should acquire more land for passive recreational purposes (walking, hiking, picnicking, etc.)?
Yes
No
Unsure

7. Do you favor the creation of a protected "greenbelt" (a system of varied contiguous, undeveloped area of conservation land)?
Yes
No
Unsure

8. Rank the following concerns in order of their priority for attention.

High Priority	Low Priority	Unsure
			Effects of siltation on the rivers, ponds and wetlands
			Excessive business/commercial development
			Lack of access to ponds
			Loss of agricultural land
			Loss of fishing/hunting areas
			Loss of natural habitats
			Loss of rural qualities of town
			Loss of scenic vistas
			Pollution from water craft
			Pollution from septic systems
			Pollution from agricultural sources
			Pollution from residential areas
			Pollution from road runoff
			Protection of wells
			Other:

9. Which activities do you and your family members enjoy? Check as many as are appropriate.

In Plympton

In other towns

Baseball

Basketball

Bird watching

Boating

Camping

Canoeing

Fishing

Golf

Hiking

Horseback riding

Hunting

Ice skating

Jogging

Mountain biking

Off road /all terrain vehicle use

Picnicking

Playground

Road biking

Rollerblading

Sailing

Skateboarding

Soccer

Softball

Swimming

Tennis

Walking

X-country skiing

Other:

10. Of the activities listed above, which five do you or your family do the most?
Baseball Basketball Bird watching Boating Camping Canoeing Fishing Golf Hiking Hunting Ice skating Jogging Mountain biking Picnicking Playground Road biking Rollerblading Sailing Skateboarding Soccer Softball Swimming Tennis Walking Please list in order of frequency, 1 = activity done most often, 5 = activity done least often.

Horseback riding

Off road /all terrain vehicle use

X-country skiing
Other

11. Which of the following recreational facilities do we need more of? Do any need upgrading and/or repair?

More	Satisfactory	Upgrade	Don't know
				ATV areas
				Baseball fields
				Basketball courts
				Beaches/beach access
				Bike paths/trails
				Boat ramps
				Bridal paths
				Campgrounds
				Fishing area access
				Golf courses
				Gyms
				Hunting area access
				Ice skating rinks
				Natural swimming areas
				Nature/hiking/equestrian trails
				Outdoor education facilities
				Outdoor fitness course
				Permanently protected openspace w/ public access
				Picnic areas
				Playgrounds
				Soccer fields
				Softball fields
				Swimming pools
				Teen/recreation center
				Tennis courts
				Wildlife habitat
				Access to public facilities for people with disabilities
				Other

12. Of the facilities listed in question #11, which five need attention most? Please list in order of importance, 1 = most important, 5 = least important.
ATV areas
Baseball fields
Basketball courts
Beaches/beach access
Bike paths/trails
Boat ramps
Bridal paths
Campgrounds
Fishing area access
Golf courses
Gyms
Hunting area access
Ice skating rinks
Natural swimming areas
Nature/hiking/equestrian trails
Outdoor education facilities
Outdoor fitness course
Permanently protected openspace w/ public access
Picnic areas
Playgrounds
Soccer fields
Softball fields
Swimming pools
Teen/recreation center
Tennis courts
Wildlife habitat
Access to public facilities for people with disabilities
Other

13. Does your family have legal access to any private ponds?
Yes
No

14. Would you be in favor of improving public access to such ponds?
Yes
No

15. Do you favor the creation of a town-wide paved multi-use path for walking, biking, jogging, etc.?
Yes
No

16. How accessible and useful do you find open spaces and recreational facilities in Plympton are to those in the community with disabilities? (Example: difficulty walking, seeing, hearing, etc.)
Very accessible and very useful
Somewhat accessible and somewhat useful
Not accessible and not useful
Don't know what people with disabilities need

17. What kinds of businesses do you think are important to encourage in Plympton?

Extremely important	Very important	Somewhat important	Not sure
				Agricultural business
				Bed & Breakfast
				Grocery/food store
				Home business
				Light industry
				Natural resource based tourism
				Professional offices
				Recreation
				Retail
				Restaurants
				Sand/gravel mining
				Services
				Waste disposal
				Working farms
				Other

18. How important is it to group businesses and services in a compact, walkable, center?
Extremely important
Very important
Somewhat important
Not sure

19. How many children do you have under age 18?
None
1
2
3
4 or more

20. What is your age?
18-34
35-49
50-64
65-74
75+

21. What one feature do you like most about living in Plympton?

22. In the spaces below, please list the three most important open space and recreation issues facing Plympton. Please be as specific as possible.
1.
2.
3.

Thank you very much for completing our survey! Your participation is vital to the success of this project, and is greatly appreciated. Please feel free to contact the Open Space Committee at Plympton_Open_Space@yahoogroups.com if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
The Plympton Open Space Committee

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	Open Space and Recreation Survey