There’s a lot to digest from the results of a Village survey conducted by the Comprehensive Planning Committee and released Dec. 15. The report runs 60 pages, complete with bar graphs and tables of results.
Numbers can be framed and interpreted in different ways. We’re not data analysts at the Comment, but the following are some of the highlights and a few takeaways after a quick review of the results.
Who filled out the survey?
Corralenos. More than 1,900 surveys were turned in but 31 were not counted because they were filled out by non-residents, leaving the total number of respondents in the Village of 8.500 people at 1,876.
Nearly half, 49.73%, of respondents were over age 65 or older, and 44% were retired. Only 4% were under the age of 35.
Most – 57% – said they lived in two-person households and 93% of them owned their own home. About half the respondents have lived in Corrales for more than 15 years and 21% have lived here five years or less.
Most people answering the survey were women. Fifty-six percent identified as such, while 35% said they were male. About 8% preferred not to answer or identified as something else.
More than two-thirds of respondents were probably White/Anglo. While 66% acknowledged they were of that demographic, another 16% preferred not to answer.
What stood out?
Corralanos absolutely love the natural and scenic areas, with 90% placing “high value†on that Village asset. That community value also shows up elsewhere in the survey with “Access to the Bosque†identified as the most valued Village service, for example.
Asked their level of “concern†on several topics, bosque preservation, open spaces and farmland, and protecting wildlife/biodiversity also scored high. Wildfire prevention and groundwater supply and contamination were also among the biggest concerns.
The Village’s historic small-town character and public safety were also highly valued, each getting 85% “high value†ratings.
Public safety came out looking pretty good. More than 93% said they completely agreed or somewhat agreed with the statement “I feel safe in Corrales.†Four percent were neutral and less than 3% said they somewhat or completely didn’t feel safe.
Sure to become bulletin board material in the friendly rivalry between Police and Fire departments, Corrales citizens rated their satisfaction with Fire and Rescue higher than Police. About 85% expressed satisfaction for CFD, while 80% were satisfied with CPD.
Both Police and Fire were among the highest-rated departments. Library Services was second to Fire and Rescue when ranking the weighted scores. Police were third, followed by Parks and Recreation.
Pedestrian/equestrian/bicycle trails and farmland preservation were also important to respondents. The most pressing needs in the Village were improving and maintaining roadways and trails in natural settings, followed by improving bicycle infrastructure. More than 50% strongly agreed that bicycle, pedestrian, and equestrian access should be improved along Corrales Road.
A section of the survey on Planning and Zoning shows more than 55% opposed approving new short-term rental properties. There is also majority opposition to allowing for higher-density housing. Corralenos seem to want to keep it rural.Â
A majority of people, 58%, said gentrification is changing the Village. About 13% disagreed to some extent that gentrification was an issue.
While there were plenty of questions about the services the Village provides, only one question pertained to the Corrales government, asking if they felt well represented. While most responses to other questions showed a clear preference one way or the other, responses to that question were more evenly distributed. Thirteen percent completely agreed they were well represented, while 10% completely disagreed. 29% somewhat agreed, 18% somewhat disagreed, and 29% were neutral. The weighted average for the question was 3.17, meaning the average response was a little better than neutral.Â
Issues of interest
The survey showed a plurality of support for domestic water and sewer systems. About 30% opposed a water system to replace wells and 24% opposed in some manner the idea of sewer replacing septic.
Speeding became a hot topic this year, and respondents had mixed feelings about it. About 58% agreed to an extent that speed enforcement was adequate, while 29% said it was not. Yet 41% said reducing speeding was a pressing need and 49% said speeding on their street was concerning.
Villagers want to keep Corrales traffic light-free. Sixty-two percent strongly disagreed, while another 15% somewhat disagreed. Fewer than 15% were open to the idea.
People seem to like the idea of a community kitchen. More than 50% expressed support and 35% were neutral, leaving just 13% sour on the idea.
With an ad hoc committee in the process of studying the idea of building a multi-use facility, a question many people will be looking at is one pertaining to that proposal. As stated in the survey, it asked to weigh in on “Building a multi-use center for education, community and the arts on the Jones property west of the post office and north of the recreation center.â€
More than half of respondents supported it in some way, with 28% strongly supporting and 26% somewhat supporting. Ten percent somewhat opposed it and 15% strongly opposed it. The remaining 21% were neutral.Â
Now what?
The Comprehensive Planning Committee has spent months collecting data. The survey is just one of the tools it’s using to develop a Comprehensive Plan for the Village that will guide decision-making for the next 10 years.
The committee has also met with dozens of individuals, businesses, groups, and organizations, including a series of town hall meetings.
The data collection process now appears to be complete. Village Clerk Melanie Romero said the committee would take a break for the holidays and focus on analyzing the data in the new year. The committee’s recommendations concerning the Comprehensive Plan are to be presented to the Village Council sometime this spring.
To view all the survey results, visit the Villages website: www.corrales-nm.org.