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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/