a program for community assessment & improvement

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AProgramforCommunityAssessment&ImprovementExecutiveSummary-Durham,Connecticut

ConductedbythevisitteamfromHebron,ConnecticutSeptember11,2018

Introduction

TheFirstImpressionscommunityexchangeprogramwasdesignedtohelpcommunitieslearnabouttheirstrengthsandshortcomingsthroughtheeyesoffirst-timevisitors.Volunteerteamsundertakeunannouncedvisits,recordobservations,andgiveconstructivefeedbacktotheexchangecommunity.Thesereportsareoftenusedaspartofbroadercommunityassessmentorplanningprocessestoinformcommunitypolicyandaction.Thefollowingisanoverviewofthehighlightsandre-occurringthemesofthevisitonSeptember11,2018andadebriefluncheonwithbothteamsheldonOctober4,2018.Additionaldetailcanbefoundintherawdatareportsavailablefrommembersofthevisitteam.

OnSeptember11,2018,acloudyTuesday,sixvolunteersfromHebron,ConnecticutvisitedDurham.Theteamwasgenerallyexpecting"asleepyagriculturaltownwithagoodfair"and"asmallresidentialtownwithanon-descript,smallcommercialcorridor.”MembersoftheteamknewaboutDurhamprimarilythroughtheirexperienceswiththefairandtravelsalongRoute17.PriortothevisittheteamconductedsomeonlineresearchofthewebsitesfortheMiddlesexChamber,TownofDurham,andDurhamFairandfoundthemtobehelpfulandstraightforwardbutabit“unremarkable.”Oneteammembernotedthattheeconomicdevelopmentinformationprovidedwasgenericand“thetowndoesnotseemtohaveaclearfocusforwhatsortsofbusinessesitwouldliketoseegrowinDurham.”Thiswasreflectedinteam’stheoverallimpressionofonlineresearchthatDurhamcouldbetterdistinguishitselffromothersimilaragriculturalcommunitiesinthestatebuttheywereenthusiasticabouttheirvisit.

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FirstImpressionsVisit

Forthefirsttenminutesofthevisit,theteamwasaskedtodrivearoundtownfromvariousentrances.The

teamprimarilyenteredviaRoute17southboundandtheirfirstimpressionswerethatthecommunitywas“charming,”“aclassicruralNewEnglandtown”withabeautifulgreenandhistoricdistrict.ThroughthevisitteammembersalsoapproachedtownviaRoute17northboundandRoute68andfoundsignagetobelimitedorlackingatseveraloftheentrances,andformanycommercialareas.Thehistoricbuildingsandareaswerenotedthroughoutthereportcontributingto“obviouscommunitypride.”Thelibrary,DunkinDonuts,fairgrounds,townhall,andsomesmallercommercialareaswerenotedasanchorsofthedowntown.However,astheteammovedthroughtowntheynotedthetrafficnoiseanddensityonRoute17tobesignificant.Athemeintheteamsnotesregardingthestreetscapeandinthedebriefdiscussionwasoftheseeminglyhaphazardnatureofdevelopmentwithinthemainstreetdistrict.Oneteammembersummedthisup“[therewas]anunusualmixofbuildingstylesandtypesthatseemedtobelackinginanoverallplanofdevelopmentandappearance-incontrasttotheobviouscommunityprideassociatedwiththelargenumberofantiqueandhistorichomesinDurham.”Giventhe“goodbones”andassetsofthedowntownareastheteamfeltwalkabilitythroughthe

downtownareacouldbeimproved.Challengestoaccessibilityincludethedistancebetweenamenities,densityoftraffic,andimpracticalityofanddisconnectionofsidewalks.NotunlikemanysmalltownsinConnecticut,theteamfoundrestaurantandretailoptionstobeparticularlylimitedbutcustomerservicewasgoodinthosethattheteampatronized.Throughoutthereportandinthedebriefluncheontheteamfeltthat

Durhamhasatremendousopportunitytobettercapitalizeonthetown/centergreenareaaswellasthefairgrounds.Onenoted“Thetowncenter/greenareaisverymuchintegraltoDurham’scharmandmarketability.Thereisgreatpotentialtoleveragethis.”

Inthedebriefluncheonwithbothteams,theteamsdiscussedhowtomaintainthesignificanceoftheFairforDurhamnotonlyasaphysicalassetinthedowntown,butasa“volunteertradition”thatengagesover1,700volunteersthroughoutthecommunityandasignificantnumberofcivicorganizations.Thisuniquetraditionisanassetformaintainingsocialcapitaland“saysalotaboutthecommunity.”Whilethephysicalfairgroundsitselfwasquietandlockedonthedayofthevisit,theyfeltthisareacouldbeanassetforthedowntownifwell-managedontheoffseason.Inthe

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debriefdiscussionHebrondiscussedtheir“TownCenterProject”whichservesasimilarrole.

TheteamwasparticularlysurprisedbythevibrancyofindustrialparksandindustrialareasadjacenttoHobsonMotzerwheretheyobservedaseaofcarsintheparkinglot.WhiletheteamsuggestedthatDurham’slocationbetweenWallingfordandMiddletownmayaffectthepresenceofservicesandretail,thesecommunitiesalsoprovideaworkforcebaseforlargerscaleindustrialdevelopment.InthedebriefluncheonmembersfromHebronwereparticularlyinterestedinlearningmoreabouthowtheseindustrialareasaredevelopedandsupported,asawaytosupplementtheresidentialtaxbase.Hebronteammemberssharedtheirintentionalinvestmentbothinplanninganddevelopmentaswellasbusinessrecruitment.

Astheimpetusfortherenownedfair,itwascleartotheteamthatagriculturestillplaysasignificantroleinDurhamwithmanyroadsidestandsandmarketsaccessiblebutdiscussionswithbusinessownersandresidentsrevealedthattheagriculturalbaseisdwindling.Bothcommunitiesfeltanincreasingtensionbetween“Whatwewanttopreserveandtheneedtogrowthegrandlisttoservetheneedsandwantstoresidents.”

Overalltheteamhadthefeelingofatown"unchangedbydevelopment…theyhavedoneagreatjobwithpreservationofhistoricstructures."Whenaskedwhattheywouldmostrememberteammembersresponded"Thetownhallandgreen,”“Visitingwithlocalresidentsandseeinghowsimilarourtownsare,”“IapplaudtheefforttomaintainhistoricrootsofthecommunitywiththeexpansivehistoricdistrictandpreservationofDurham’spast

whichisatoughitemtobalance."Whenaskedwhatwasthemostoutstandingfeatureofthecommunity,teammembershadavarietyofcommentsincluding:"apleasant,livablesuburb,""Veryneatandclean,wellmaintainedproperties-bothresidential,municipalandcommercial,"" IwassurprisedwiththescopeofwhatwasofferedtotheseniorsandIwouldgladlysharewithmycommunity.Iamwonderinghowthe

towncanaffordtooffersuchacomprehensiveprogram"and"thefarms,bothintheirbeautyandusefulness."

Wrapup

Inthefinalsectionofthereporttheteamwasaskedtosumitallupwiththefollowingquestions:

Listthepositivethingsyouobservedaboutthiscommunity(noparticularorder):1.Townhallandtowngreen2.Historichomesandbuildings3.Friendly,welcomingcharacterofthetownandoverallqualityoflife(schools,services)

“IapplaudtheefforttomaintainhistoricrootsofthecommunitywiththeexpansivehistoricdistrictandpreservationofDurham’spastwhich

isatoughitemtobalance.”

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Whatarethepotentialopportunitiesavailabletothiscommunity?(noparticularorder):1.Improvesignage,walkabilityandconnectivitybetweenareasoftownandamenities2.Improveusabilityofandcapitalizeontowngreenareaincludingfairgrounds3.BalancemaintainingagriculturalcharacterwithdevelopmentneedsWhatarethebiggestobstaclesorchallengesfacingthecommunity?(noparticularorder):1.Lackofinfrastructure-sewer2.Longandbusymainstreetdistrictpresentschallengestocohesion3.Declineofagriculturaleconomy-needtodiversify TheteamsfromDurhamandHebronmetonOctober4,2018toinformallysharetheresultsoftheirvisits.Theybothfeltthisprogramwasagreatlearningopportunityanddiscussedseveralimportanttopicsincludingtheneedforfundingof,andcommunityresistancetosewerinfrastructureasapre-requisitefordevelopment,organizationalsupportfortowncenterdevelopment(includingHebron’s“TownCenterProject”),attractinglightindustrialdevelopment,thebenefitsorchallengesofhavingfullorpart-timeplanningstaffaswellasstyleoftowngovernance(DurhamhasaFirstSelectpersonandHebronaTownManager).Theyalsolearnedsomethingabouttheirowncommunitybyparticipatinginthisprogram.Theteamsenjoyedmeetingeachotheratthewrapupluncheonandlearningmoreabouttheirfirstimpressions.Theyhopetomaintainthisconnectionandtocontinuetolearnfromeachotherinthefuture.TeammembersrepresentingDurham:TinaGossner,JanetMorganti,LindaTorres,LauraFrancis,FrankDeFelice,CherylSalva,NancyCuomo,GeoffColgrove,andJosephPasquale.TeammembersrepresentingHebron:JohnGuszkowski,JimCelio,GerryGarfield,TroyKelsey,JohnCollins,andMichaelD’Amato.

This report was prepared October 2018 by Laura Brown, UConn Extension based on raw data from team visits and notes from the community debrief session held on October 4, 2017. For more information visit

http://communities.extension.uconn.edu/connecticut-first-impressions-program/