Results of village core survey unveiled
– PRESS RELEASE –
The Town of Sutton has made public the results of the survey that was launched last december asking for public opinion on the proposals that resulted from the Dream Sutton process impacting the village core. The survey received 1116 responses.
LINK TO SURVEY RESULTS
This survey was not a vote and has no referendum value. It does not pretend to justify decisions that will be made by the municipal council in keeping with the budget and social acceptability. Its purpose was to simply take the pulse of public opinion, to see the reactions trends towards concrete projects that emerged during the consultation process of Dream Sutton on the “Village core: establishing a comprehensive plan”.
“The survey was anonymous because, again, it was not a vote,” said Mayor Robert Benoît. “The Town wanted to respect the confidentiality of the respondents as we did with the family and seniors survey. It may not have been perfect, but it was the first of its kind, bringing to the table broad-based thinking, asking the broader population about issues that affect our entire village. It is part of a participatory process that has finally allowed us to make great strides. I would like to thank all those who have sincerely participated in this democratic game.”
The questions asked in the survey focused on seven main themes: Main Street, Maple Street, Mobility: parking lots and paths, The site of the former Filtex factory, Cultural infrastructures, Community infrastructures and Special projects. There was fairly clear consensus on some proposals that could be implemented in the relatively short term, such as reducing the speed limit to 30 km/h between the two crossings on Principale Street, connecting Depot Street to Pine Street and Western Street, creating parking lots on the former Filtex factory site, and adding walking trails around the village core.
The longer-term subject of community infrastructure, including the community centre, continues to be sensitive and divisive. “We did not expect a unanimous response on the renovation or demolition of the John-Sleeth Centre, as the debate is still very much alive,” commented the Mayor. “But it was important to take stock of the opinions expressed. Now that the momentum is there, we will work with the group of organizations that have been mobilized on this community issue and we will present different scenarios to the public, based on financial analyses. The consultation process is not over!”