Summary of the 1995 Town of Erie Community Survey

This survey grew out of the efforts of the Erie Development Task Force, a group of citizens, developers, and town officials which first met in January 1994. It was felt that a professional and politically unbiased survey of citizen's attitudes was necessary to guide further growth and give some direction to the upcoming Erie Comprehensive Plan, which would become the blueprint for future growth decisions.

The survey questions were approved by the Erie Board of Trustees in February 1995. Funding was provided by the board, the Denver Regional Council of Governments and the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. In June 1995 the survey was sent to all Erie post office boxes and also to residents of surrounding areas (Parkland, Brownsville, etc.)

The rest of this history will be taken directly from the survey results or the published summary.
Any editorial comments appear in italic print.

The number of responses received represents a significant proportion of the target population and a high response rate for surveys of this type. Because these survey results do not represent a statistically valid sampling of the target population, some care should be taken in interpreting the results. Respondents to uncontrolled surveys like this often tend to represent those who have strong views on the subject which may or may not represent those of the broader community. However the large number of surveys returned in this sample should help control this effect, and consequently be more representative of the broader community.

• Erie has a family-oriented community with relatively larger households.
• 92% of respondents own their home and the majority live in single family homes.
• Over 40% of respondents have lived here over 10 years.
• Almost half of all respondents are considered middle class with incomes between $40K and $70K
• Over 50% of respondents are college graduates and almost 1/4 had some post-graduate education.
• Of those who moved here in the last three years, the vast majority came from Boulder.

The following are some questions from the survey. The possible answers follow, with the number of respondents who chose that answer.

Question #15 Which of the following best describes why you chose to live in or near Erie?

92	Rural atmosphere
48	Affordable housing
22	Size of the community
22	Grew up here/close to family
15	Beauty of the area
11	Social reasons
5	Job opportunity
18	Other



Question #26 The population of Erie in 1993 was estimated to be 1,359 persons. Plans have been presented which, if approved, indicate that over 3,000 homes will be built in the next 15 years. How many total people do you feel Erie could support without negative impacts on the quality of life?

128	5,000 to 9,000
26	10,000 to 15,000
13	15,000 to 20,000
6	20,000 or more
23	No opinion

The 1996 Erie Comprehensive Plan states that Erie will top out at 30,000 people.

Question #35 Please prioritize the following in terms of importance to the community in the next 5 years
More than one answer was possible. This will list the categories and the number of respondents who felt that this item was "very important"

156	Improve roads
156	Plan growth
139	Improve downtown appearance
125	Preserve the community
109	Limit growth
106	Improve education
102	Limit increases in taxes
98	Increase open space acquisitions
95	Improve public services (water, sewer, electricity)
89	Develop parks and recreation facilities
86	Limit displacement of long-term residents
83	Increase youth services
82	Improve property values
79	Expand public transportation
68	Connect new residential developments to Old Town
49	Increase senior services
48	Increase access to service businesses
48	New jobs
47	More community events
45	Stronger enforcement of laws
14	Increase growth


Question #27 From this point forward, do you feel that population growth in Erie should be encouraged?

99	Only if it can be coordinated with commercial growth
85	No, not at all
30	Yes, if possible
6	I don't care one way or the other
6	Don't know


Question #28 What should the town's overall policy be with respect to borders of other communities adjacent to the Town?

181	Maintain an open space buffer
22	Meet the neighboring town limits
24	No opinion


Question #29 Would you like to see commercial growth in Erie?

172	Yes
48	No
4	No opinion


Question #22 In the next five years, what do you think the quality of life in Erie will be:

90	Not as good
58	Better
56	About the same
18	No opinion