art and design by Steve Gold


Return to the Home Page
City Services...Departments, Councils and Committees
News Page...Events, Things to Do and Site Changes
Tour Guide...Places of Interest, Demographics, Community Organizations
Search...Use a Keyword to Find a Topic
Contact...Email Your Comments
 
 

City Council...

Mayor..
Steve K. Gold
845-838-5000
 Mayor@cityofbeacon.org


Council At-Large...
Eleanor Thompson
845-838-4261
 Etcityhallny@netscape.com
 

Council At-Large...
Marlene Fredricks
(845) 440-8714
roxymf@optonline.net
 
Council Ward 1...
Deanna Leake
(845) 831-4245

Council Ward 2...
Charles Kelly
845-831-8721
 ckellybeacon@yahoo.com
 
Council Ward 3...
Randy Casale
(845) 590-1351
rjc52@optonline.net

Council Ward 4...
Sara Pasti
(845) 831-0025
Sarapasti@aol.com
 
 

please send website
recommendations to:
 SteveGold@goldlogon.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COVER SHEET - LETTER OF INTRODUCTION

 

Dear Beacon Resident:

We need your help!  The City of Beacon is preparing a plan for the City’s future.  The vision, goals and strategies contained in the plan will guide our elected officials, residents and other civic groups in making future decisions about the City’s development.  The plan will cover many areas, including community character, environmental protection, transportation, housing, residential and commercial development, economic development, community services, culture and education, recreation and open space and priorities for the spending of public funds.

A master plan attempts to answer questions about:

  1. How much and what kind of development is appropriate, and what is not.

  2. What the impact of changes might be over time.

  3. The time frame for the development or redevelopment of various areas.

  4. What the obligations are for city officials and those that follow on appropriate decision-making

What the Master Plan should do with regard to future development and conservation:

  1. Give direction for positive change while keeping livability

  2. Give guidance for day-to-day decisions

  3. Give better visual definition physically (height restrictions, open space)

  4. Analyze the impact of new development

  5. Give guidance for redevelopment of older areas 

  6. Encourage proper timing for development

  7. Indicate goals for future growth

  8. Indicate implementation policies based on goals

  9. Should be clear enough for common citizen to comprehend

  10. Should be considered an obligation for elected officials and those that follow.

 

[NEED SENTENCE THAT ADDRESSES CURRENT CONTEXT, e.g.:  Since the City’s last Comprehensive Master Plan was completed in 1974, the creation of an updated comprehensive plan is an important occasion for Beacon.]  To ensure that the plan is based on the needs and desires of its residents, the City is conducting a survey of all households.  Your answers are important and will help guide the Comprehensive Planning Committee and the City’s planning consultants in preparing a new Plan.  In addition to mailings to every household, we are planning public forums to provide information and gather input from citizens.  For information about the planning process, you may call (845) xxx-xxxx.

 

Very
Important 		Somewhat
Important 		Somewhat Unimportant Very
Unimportant		 No
Opinion

SURVEY QUESTIONS

 

Quality of Community Life

1. How important are the following issues to you?
Very important/ Somewhat important/ Somewhat unimportant/ Very Unimportant/ No Opinion

  Name Select One for Each
a.  Protecting the environment
b.   Increasing job opportunities
c. Access to parks and recreation
d.  Access to arts and culture
e.  Access to retail goods and services
f.  Public safety
g.    Preserving Main Street vitality
h. Appearance of buildings
i. Traffic circulation and parking
j Preserving open space
k. Preserving historic places

l.  

Improving the city’s overall appearance, character and community identity
m.  Encouraging economic diversity
n.   Encouraging racial diversity
o. Maintaining affordable housing for low- and middle-income residents
p. Keeping property taxes low
 

2. Select three of the above letters to indicate the
three most important issues you believe Beacon faces....
  First Choice: (type letter a-p)
  Second Choice: (type letter a-p)
  Third Choice: (select letter a-p)

3. In the time you have lived in Beacon, do you feel the City has become a better place to live?

Yes

No No Opinion
Comments

 

Housing Development

4. How important do you feel it is to encourage housing for the following groups?
Very important/ Somewhat important/ Somewhat unimportant/ Very Unimportant/ No Opinion

  Name Select One for Each
a.  Seniors
b.   “Empty Nesters” (Couples whose children have grown up and left home looking for smaller space)
c. Young singles
d.  Young couples
e. 

Low income residents
f.  Moderate income residents
g.   High income residents
h. Families with children
i. Other

5.         How important do you feel it is to encourage the following types of housing?
Very important/ Somewhat important/ Somewhat unimportant/ Very Unimportant/ No Opinion

  Name Select One for Each
a.  Single family homes
b.   Apartments and condominiums
c. Live/work housing
d.  Assisted living / group homes
e.  Clustered housing / townhouses
f.  Mixed use buildings
g.   Multi-story buildings
h. Housing on small lots (up to 1/4 acre)
i. Housing on mid-sized lots (1/4 to 1 acre)
j. Housing on large lots (1 acre and above)
k. Other

    

 

Community Services and Natural Resources

6. What is your level of satisfaction with the following city services?
Very satisfied/ Somewhat satisfied/ Somewhat unsatisfied/ Very unsatisfied/ No opinion

  Name Select One for Each
a.  Police
b.   Fire
c. Library
d.  Schools
e.  Water
f.  Sewer
g.   Garbage pick up
h. Recycle pick up
i. Snow removal/street cleaning
j. Street lights
k. Parking availability
l. Public transportation
m. Medical services (Ambulance, EMS)
n. Other

 7. How important to you are the following community services?
Very important/ Somewhat important/ Somewhat unimportant/ Very Unimportant/ No Opinion

  Name Select One for Each
a.  Frequent shuttle bus from train station to Main Street
b.   Bike paths
c. Sidewalks
d.  Public transportation and parking facilities
e.  Access to high speed internet, cable service
f.  Access to Fishkill Creek
g.   Access to the Hudson River
h. Access to Mount Beacon
i. Access to open space
j. Access to cultural events and activities
k. Educational and training facilities
l. Youth/community center
m. Outdoor recreational facilities
n.  Indoor recreational facilities (year-found facilities)
o. Other 

8. Do you feel Beacon needs more recreational facilities? 

Yes

No No Opinion
If yes, what type of facility do you think Beacon needs?

9. Do you feel Beacon needs more cultural facilities? 

Yes

No No Opinion
If yes, what type of facility do you think Beacon needs?

 

Economic Development

 

10. How important do you feel it is to improve economic growth in Beacon?   

11. Which of the following types of development should be encouraged?
Very important/ Somewhat important/ Somewhat unimportant/ Very Unimportant/ No Opinion

  Name Select One for Each
a.  Business and corporate offices
b.   Research and development
c. Light manufacturing
d.  Heavy manufacturing
e.  Small commercial or service businesses
f.  Motel/hotels
g.   Bed and breakfasts
h. Artist studios
i. Redevelopment of vacant sites
j. Warehouse and storage facilities
k. Neighborhood dine-in restaurants
l. Neighborhood take-out restaurants (pizza, Chinese)
m. Franchise restaurants (TGI Fridays)
n. Franchise fast food restaurants (McDonalds)
o. Franchise stores (Gap, Starbucks)
p. Big box stores (Wal-Mart)
q. Shopping centers
r. Neighborhood/family stores
s. Tourist attractions
t. Marina and boating opportunities
 
12. What additional retail or service businesses would you like to see in Beacon?

13. Do you feel there is adequate day-to-day shopping convenient to your home?

Yes

No No Opinion

 

Use of Municipal Resources

 

14. How important do you feel it is to provide financial and other incentives to improve the following?Very important/ Somewhat important/ Somewhat unimportant/ Very Unimportant/ No Opinion

  Name Select One for Each
a.  The appearance of commercial areas
b.   The appearance of residential areas
c. Protection of historic buildings
d.  Protection of the natural environment
e.  Protection of visual or scenic qualities
f.  Acquisition of undeveloped land to preserve open space
g.   Traffic reduction
h. Parking lots and garages
i. Use of alternative energy/ energy conservation
j. Improvement of drainage infrastructure
k. Protection of drinking water
l. Land use compatibility
m. Noise reduction
n. Odor reduction
o. Other

15. Would you be willing to see tax dollars used for the improvements and developments you have identified above? 

16. Would you be willing to reduce city services in order to keep taxes as low as possible?  

17.  If you would be willing to reduce city services, which ones?

 18. Would you be willing to increase commercial and other development
in order to keep taxes as low as possible? 

  


Governance and Civic Life
 

19. Do you feel that you are provided with adequate information about what’s going on in Beacon?
 

20.  What would encourage you to become more involved with Beacon’s civic life?

           

Priorities for Current and Future Planning

 

21. What are the three things you like best about living in Beacon?
a.

b.

c.

 22. What are the three things you would change about Beacon?
a.

b.

c.

23. What are three things you would like to see passed on to future generations?
a.

b.

c.

 

 Resident Profile
Please tell us a few things about yourself
Your information will be kept confidential
We are not asking for you to identify yourself

 24. What is your age:  

 25. How long have you lived in Beacon? 

26.   Employment status:  

27. What is your household gross income?   

28. How many people are in the following age groups in your household:

a. under 25 b. 25-65 c. over 65 

29. If currently employed, where do you work?  a.
      b. If other than listed in "a." please specify:    

 30.  Do you plan to live in Beacon for the next ten years?

Yes Please explain:
No Please explain:
Not Sure Please explain:

31.  Do you rent or own your home?

32.  If renting, do you hope to purchase property in
       Beacon in the future?

33. What kind of dwelling do you live in? 
      b. If other please specify:

Completed up to this point
 

34. How many acres is the property on which you live?

a) under 1/2   b) 1/2-1   c) 1-2   d) 2-4   e) 4 or more  f) common land associated with multi-family or apartments

 

35.       If you plan to develop a property in Beacon in the future, which type of development are you planning?

a) Residential home  b) Residential subdivision  c) Commercial or industrial use/expansion  d) Multi-family residential  e)  Other (specify)__________________

 

 

 

 

 

[home] [city services] [tour guide] [news] [contact]

The City of Beacon
1 Municipal Center
Beacon New York,  12508
(845)  838-5000  Fax  (845) 838-5012