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AProgramforCommunityAssessment&ImprovementExecutiveSummary-Hebron,Connecticut

ConductedbythevisitteamfromDurham,ConnecticutJuly17,2018

Introduction

TheFirstImpressionscommunityexchangeprogramwasdesignedtohelpcommunitieslearnabouttheirstrengthsandshortcomingsthroughtheeyesoffirst-timevisitors.Volunteerteamsundertakeunannouncedvisits,recordobservations,andgiveconstructivefeedbacktotheexchangecommunity.Thesereportsareoftenusedaspartofbroadercommunityassessmentorplanningprocessestoinformcommunitypolicyandaction.Thefollowingisanoverviewofthehighlightsandre-occurringthemesofthevisitonJuly17,2018andadebriefluncheonwithbothteamsheldonOctober4,2018.Additionaldetailcanbefoundintherawdatareportsavailablefrommembersofthevisitteam.

OnJuly17,2018,awarm,partlysunnyTuesday,ninevolunteersfromDurham,ConnecticutvisitedHebron.Theteamwasgenerallyexpecting“…atownverysimilartoours.Iknowthatbothtownswereincorporatedinthesameyearandhaveagriculturalfairs."and"acommunitythathasplannedforthefutureandunderstandsthevalueofpreservingtheirpast.”MembersoftheteamknewaboutHebronprimarilythroughtheironlineresearchbutsomealsohadpreviouscontactwithtownstaff.Priortothevisittheteamconductedsomeonlineresearchofthewebsiteswww.hebronct.com,theHebronHistoricalSociety,andHebronPublicSchoolsaswellassocialmediasearches,onlinedataandtourismsites.Theteamfoundthetownwebsitetobeeasytouse,usefulanduptodatenoting“fabulous”“wellorganized”with“…tonsofinformationandveryuserfriendly.”Facebookpageswereusefulbutdidnotincludeasmuchtimelyinformation.Theteam’soverallimpressionbasedononlineresearchwasthatHebronisalivelycloseknitcommunitythatis“morethanjustafarming/bedroomcommunity”andis“focusedoncommunityandfuturegrowth.”Intheonlineresearch,andinthereportandthroughoutthediscussionstheDurhamteamnotedHebron’ssignificantcommitmenttoplanningevidencedbya“greatPOCD[PlanofConservationandDevelopment]thatisveryclearandeasytoreadandthebestlandusemapIhaveeverseen.”

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FirstImpressionsVisit

Forthefirsttenminutesofthevisit,theteamwasaskedtodrivearoundtownfromvariousentrances.TheteamenteredviaRoute66fromtheeastandwestaswellasviaRoute85fromtheAmstonarea.Theirfirstimpressionswereofalively,well

maintained“cutemainstreet,”accessedalong“beautifulcountryroads.”Onemembernoted“TherewerealotofcommerceoptionsalongMainStreetfordining,retailandotherservices.”“IhadtheimpressionthatMainStreetCommercemustbesupportedbyothercommunitiesbecauseitlookslikemorethanatownthissizecouldsupport.”Theteamfoundsimplesignage,beautifulinscaleandappearancebutfoundsignagetobelimitedorlackingatsomeentrances.“TheblueHebronflagscombinedwiththenumerousUnitedStateflagsdisplayedallovertownevokesafeelingofcommunitycontinuityandpride.”Overalltheteamfeltaddingflowersorwelcomebannerscouldmakethedowntownareafeelmorewelcoming.

TheteamencounteredadiversemixofnewerandolderbuildingswithmosthousingoutsideoftheMainStreetarea.Adiverserangeofwell-maintainedhousingoptionswasobservedandtheDurhamteamwasparticularlyinterestedinlearningmoreaboutthebeautifulnewseniorhousingcomplex.Theynotedthatmanyofthenewerbuildingshadmaintainedahistoricstyle

toalignwiththehistoriccharacterofolderbuildings.Overalltheteamwassurprisedbythesignificantvarietyofrestaurant,retail,andservicebusinessesforatownofHebron’ssizeavailableintheVillageShoppesandMainStreet.Whiletherewerefewstoresnotedasdestinationsorthatwoulddrawtourism,oneteammembernoted“Ifeltthatyoucouldfindmostthingsthatyouwouldneedonadailybasis.”Thestorestheteammembersvisitedhadgoodmerchandiseselection,tidywindowdisplaysandgoodcustomerservice.

ItwasclearbasedonthenumberoffarmsandfarmstandsthatagriculturestillplaysasignificantroleinHebronBothcommunitiesfeltanincreasingtensionbetween“Whatwewanttopreserveandtheneedtogrowthegrandlisttoservetheneedsandwantstoresidents.”GiventhepresenceoftheAirlineTrailandGayCityStatepark,theHebronFair,existingfarmsandtheCountryStorepromotingparks,agricultureandoutdoorrecreationalcouldbeanopportunityalthoughtheteamnotedaccommodationswerenoteasilyfoundcloseby.

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Inthedebriefmeetingwithteammembersfrombothcommunities,theneedforaswellascommunityoppositionto,sewerinfrastructurecameupasasignificantpointofdiscussion.Someteammembersnotedthatresidentsfearinfrastructureimprovementscouldresultinbeing“pavedformendto

end”andcompromisethehistoricandagriculturalcharacterofthecommunity.Bothcommunitiessharedtheirexperiencesincludingresidentialandcommercialrates.ForHebronthisissignificantwithregardtopotentialforadditionallightindustrialdevelopment.Thevisitteamdidnotobservemuchindustrialdevelopmentandwonderediftherewouldbesignificanttrafficorhighwayaccesstowarrantthis.

Overalltheteamwas"pleasantlysurprisedbyallthatHebronhastooffer."Whenaskedaboutthemostoutstandingfeatureteammembersresponded"theforesightthistownhastakeninpreparingforthefuture.Lovedthattheyhavegoalsandobjectiveslaidoutforeachportionofthetown.Planningaheadforthemulti-useareadowntownisagreataccomplishment”“Youappeartotaketimeandenergytocreateavisionforwhatyourcommunitywillbeinthefuture.FromwhatIcantellthisisfromthecommunityinvolvementinyourplanningprocessesandgoodleadershipfromyourgovernmentandcommissionleaders.Keepupthegoodworkandbeproudofwhatyouhavedone.GreatthingsarestillaheadforHebron!"

Wrapup

Inthefinalsectionofthereporttheteamwasaskedtosumitallupwiththefollowingquestions:

Listthepositivethingsyouobservedaboutthiscommunity(noparticularorder):1.Coordinatedplanningandgrowthmanagement2.Enthusiasticandfriendlyresidents-communitypride,faithandcivicorganizations3.Widevarietyofbusinessesandservicesoffered4.CoordinatedcommunitypromotionWhatarethepotentialopportunitiesavailabletothiscommunity?(noparticularorder):1.Attractingnewresidents-housingexpansion2.Capitalizeonagriculturalareasforeconomicdevelopment3.Improvefacadesandsignageinsomeareas

“Hebronseemslikeitwasafarmingcommunitythatnooneknewaboutthensuddenlythepopulationshiftedandthischangewasmanagedwell.”

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Whatarethebiggestobstaclesorchallengesfacingthecommunity?(noparticularorder):1.Lackofnightlife2.Physicalandeconomicisolation-slowgrowth3.Provisionofpublicutilitiesandinfrastructure TheteamsfromDurhamandHebronmetonOctober4,2018toinformallysharetheresultsoftheirvisits.Theybothfeltthisprogramwasagreatlearningopportunityanddiscussedseveralimportanttopicsincludingtheneedforfundingof,andcommunityresistancetosewerinfrastructureasapre-requisitefordevelopment,organizationalsupportfortowncenterdevelopment(includingHebron’s“TownCenterProject”),attractinglightindustrialdevelopment,thebenefitsofchallengesofhavingfullorpart-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/