Building Healthy Communities

“ Healthy Places and Healthy People Go Together”

Kate Whitehead, BSTim Scandale, BS

Selina Rooney, RCDC

Funded through a Community-Based Prevention Grant made available through the Vermont Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Overview of the Healthy Community Design Assessment conducted in Wolcott

Results of the Community Survey, Walkability, Food and Recreational Audits conducted in Wolcott.

Putting Community Input into Action – Next Steps

Meeting Agenda

Bike and Pedestrian Friendly Communities

Improving Access to Parks, Recreation Facilities and Open Space

Increasing Access to Healthy Foods

Focus Areas

Economic viability

Promotes social connectivity

Creates a strong sense of place

Increases quality of life

Increases safety and reduces crime

Promotes physical activity and healthy eating

Improves mental health

Reduces health disparities

How will the community benefit?

Review of the Wolcott Town Plan

Collecting Community Input

Walkability, Food and Recreational Audits

Healthy Community Design Assessment Process

Policies that support healthy eating and physical activity:

All public roads in Wolcott should provide for safe walking and biking.

The Town of Wolcott should consider non-motorized users in future road improvement projects.

Developers of large residential projects should include adequate open space for use by future residents of the project.

Developments should be clustered in order to preserve contiguous tracts of undeveloped land.

The availability and affordability of locally grown foods to lower income residents should be increased.

Wolcott Town Plan

Top recommended improvements to make Wolcott more Bike and Pedestrian Friendly:

• Create walking/biking paths separate from roads and streets

• Widen the shoulders on local roads for walking and biking

• Slow motor vehicle traffic

• Having maps available of biking/walking routes

Community Survey ResultsBike and Pedestrian Friendly Communities

Specific areas in need of improvement as reported by community members:

• Route 15/Wolcott Village• North Wolcott Rd.• Lamoille Valley Rail Trail

Community Survey ResultsBike and Pedestrian Friendly Communities

• Town Hill Rd.• East Hill Rd. • Elmore Pond Rd. • School St.

• 76.7% of survey respondents supported the development of a Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan.

What are the important destinations/public spaces along this route?

The Wolcott Store The Post Office

The Town Hall Parking lot Adjacent to the Post Office

Buck’s Furniture The Wolcott Methodist Church

What are the public spaces with potential, how do you suggest we improve them?• Parking Lot Adjacent to the Post Office• The Wolcott Store • Buck’s Furniture

What are the main barriers to walking? • Speed of Traffic

Village Walkability Audit

Wolcott Village Map

Church

Wolcott Store

Public Parking

Buck’s Buildings

Post Office & Old Town Hall

Green Space

Office/Residential

Recommended improvements:

• Trail Development • Landscaping• Signage• Benches

Community Survey ResultsParks, Recreation Facilities

and Open Space

Specific areas reported as needing improvement:

• Wolcott Athletic Field

• Lamoille Valley Rail Trail

• North Wolcott Recreation Park

• Wolcott Pond • 74.1% of survey respondents supported Joint Use Agreements with

Wolcott Elementary School to use school grounds and facilities for physical activity.

• 70.4 % supported the development of an Open Space Plan for the town to guide public and private conservation of land.

Observations and Recommendations:• Create a Master Recreation Plan for the Town

• Work with Town Officials to create a budget for recreational improvements that is coordinated with the Town Plan.

• Develop a strategic plan for the Fisher Bridge Area, Wolcott Athletic Fields and the North Wolcott Recreation Park that includes the following:

- Signage with the park name and rules- Maintenance and conservation plans- Ball field improvements- Basketball area improvements- River access area- Benches

• Create an advisory board or “Friends of..” group for the School St. Neighborhood.

Recreational Audit

Top recommended improvements that would help residents eat healthier foods:

• More healthy food retailers in Town

• Local foods in the school cafeteria/Establishing a Farmer’s Market

• Healthy food and beverage items offered at municipal events

• Mapping walking/biking routes and transit options to healthy food retailers

Community Survey ResultsHealthy Foods

• Top reported places for purchasing healthy food include: Major grocery stores, food coops and farmers markets.

• The majority of survey respondents reported that their local general stores did not meet their shopping expectations for healthy food choices.

• Community members would like to see the following local foods offered at the general stores in town. These include: whole-grain breads, meats, eggs, fruit and vegetables and/or other whole unprocessed foods.

• 85.2% of survey respondents stated they would be more likely to shop at their local stores for these healthy food items if they were offered.

Community Survey ResultsHealthy Foods

• The strength of this community is the local farms and the support of farming by the townspeople.

• There is no community garden and the school garden is not currently being utilized. The majority of survey respondents reported having a home garden.

• There are several vegetable farms that sell on site and a farm stand that offers a variety of produce on Route 15.

• Transportation and limited finances are major barriers to food access in Wolcott. Limited food production in town is another obstacle.

Community Food Audit

• 87.5% of survey respondents would like see ordinances for tobacco free zones at local parks.

• 50% of survey respondents would like to see more alcohol free community events and ordinances for alcohol free zones at local parks.

Alcohol and Tobacco

Where do you feel your community is most ready to make change?

• 58.6% reported that the community had the most capacity and support for making improvements to recreational areas in town.

• 55.2% reported readiness in increasing healthy foods and reducing youth exposure to alcohol and tobacco.

• 51.7% reported that the community had the capacity and support for creating a more bike and pedestrian friendly community.

Community Input into Action

1. Based on the survey and assessment results, can we identify 1-3 projects where we could make improvements immediately?

2. What are the areas that may take longer to accomplish?

3. What are some resources we may need or barriers we may need to overcome to accomplish our goals?

Action Steps

• Serve on a Health and Wellness Committee

• Outreach to community members, local businesses

• Talk to local officials

• Donate your time and your talent – gardening, landscaping, building

• Pursue grant opportunities

How you can help!