20 - Year Growth Plan - City of Kendleton

Section 2.0 Vision and GoalsTable 2-A: 7/23/11 Public Outreach Meeting Results: Existing ConditionsVoting Results9% Availability of Shopping/Retail21% Emergency Services6% Ordinance Enforcement6% Utility Availability11% Perceptions/Image1% Unsafe Structures10% Job Proximity14% Public Safety4% Historical Protection3% Laid Back Feel10% Flooding5% Gas Station NeededImportance by Category35% 24%18%23%Development NeededCommunity CharacterInfrastructurePublic SafetyThe categorical analysis yields an important result when contrasting Existing Conditionswith Future Needs/Concerns. Respondents overwhelmingly indicated that Public Safetywas the highest concern currently. They elaborated that petty theft, law enforcementresponse time and access to emergency services were their primary reasons forprioritizing this category. The availability of shopping and employment was the nexthighest concern. Even basic services such as groceries and gasoline require Kendletonresidents to travel to neighboring cities. Similarly, the availability of and proximity ofemployment also requires residents to travel by car to areas outside of Kendleton, andin some cases into adjacent Wharton County. Together, these two areas of concernaccounted for 59% of the voting.Table 2-B: 7/23/11 Public Outreach Meeting Results: Future Needs /ConcernsVoting Results11% Increased Traffic / Emergency Access21% Property Values6% Job Growth6% Increased Noise11% Project History1% Control Growth10% Keep Small Community Feel14% Light / Environmental Pollution4% EducationImportance by Category11%17% 33%39%Development NeededCommunity CharacterInfrastructurePublic SafetyInterestingly, when respondents dreamt about Kendleton’s future, the voting indicated ashift toward a need to preserve the community’s character while still addressing theneed for development. A combined 71% of the voting shows that while addressing theneed for new development, protecting property values and the community’s heritagemust be considered. This resulting fact became the key in all future discussions and hasguided the 20-Year Growth Plan’s priorities and recommendations. Kendleton’s richheritage and historical agricultural land use are two of the community’s greatest assets.Uncontrolled growth and continued lack of employment will jeopardize such assets anddamage the ability of the City to experience any meaningful growth.6 City of Kendleton