The town of Davidson came out No. 1 in the nation for its community identity and image in a national citizens survey conducted two months ago.
In the survey, 86 percent of town residents believe Davidson Homes for sale has an excellent or good "sense of community" and 92 percent ranked the town high on "overall image and reputation" - tops in both categories among 155 communities to take part in the survey.
"We are thrilled that people in Davidson are happy to live here and raise their families here," outgoing mayor Randall Kincaid said in a prepared release. "This survey reinforced the mission and values set out by the town to create a walkable, pedestrian-friendly town where people want to live."
Town officials released the initial results of the survey - conducted in September by the National Research Center in Boulder, Colo. - last week.
Davidson officials paid the firm $9,200 to be a part of the national survey, with forms sent to 1,200 town residents. Of those, 42 percent were returned.
The town also ranked high as a "good place to raise children" (fourth out of 195 communities), "overall quality of life" (fifth out of 232), and "courtesy of town staff" (seventh out of 143).
The results of the survey also give a picture of how and where Davidson residents want their tax dollars spent.
Public facilities such as parks, open spaces, greenways and bike paths all rated high, with 70 percent or more saying they would "strongly support" or "somewhat support" spending on such items. Of those, greenways and parks rated the highest at 91 percent, followed by open spaces (89 percent), athletic facilities (85 percent), a community center (78 percent), additional bike lanes (77 percent) and a town swimming pool (68 percent).
Funding for traffic control also ranked high among survey respondents. Traffic-calming initiatives received "strong" or "somewhat" support from 79 percent, followed by burying overhead utility lines (77 percent), additional street connections (72 percent), and affordable housing (70 percent).
However, the survey's results weren't all positive, especially in the areas of growth, business and development.
According to the initial data released by town officials, 70 percent of respondents feel Davidson's population is growing too fast; 35 percent rated the town's street repair excellent or good; only 20 percent believe "shopping opportunities" are excellent or good and only 22 percent rate job opportunities that high.
The results on population growth vary widely among residents, based on the number of years living in Davidson. According to the survey, 42 percent of residents who have lived in the town two years or less believe population growth is "about right," while only 19 percent of those who have lived in the area 11 years or more feel the same way.
In the survey, 93 percent of respondents believe that managing the town's growth is "essential" or "very important," but only 66 percent believe town officials are "completely" (14 percent) or "somewhat" (52 percent) going in the right direction, with 20 percent saying that town officials are "not on the right path."
Bill Kiser is the editor of the Lake Norman Times.
Davidson area homes for sale include, Davidson Landing, Davidson Bay, Bradford, River Run,
Davidson Lake Norman Townhomes/Condos "or" Town of Davidson Townhomes/Condos
If you would like any information on Davidson area homes for sale or others, please contact: Kevin Martin with Estates and Condos Realty. 704.900.1619
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