By HEATHER RUPPE
Recently, the Town of Edisto Beach asked their residents to take a survey that will help town leaders complete a comprehensive plan for the 2022 year.
Those survey results are in. Approximately 781 people responded to the survey, which was distributed throughout the town via Survey Monkey. There were also paper copies of the survey available for anyone who preferred this method.
According to information provided by town Administrator Iris Hill, the survey provides “residents, visitors and business owners” with the opportunity to “express their desires and needs.” Their responses are then used in helping Edisto Beach officials and elected leaders to put together an overall plan for the town.
The survey itself focused on 10 key parts of living on Edisto Beach: assets; housing; transportation; the natural environment; infrastructure; culture; economy; health and wellness; communication; and vision.
From the responses, nearly 78 percent of those who took the survey listed preserving natural resources as their top priority in the town.
Second on the list was fire and EMS services, with 66 percent of the survey takers saying this was “very important” to them.
Third on the list of upmost importance is the appearance of the community (54.2 percent of survey takers said this is very important), with water and police services rounding out to the top five most important items to those living at and visiting Edisto Beach.
Improving the town’s parks and recreation, having sidewalk and bicycle lanes and housing were lower on the list, with 29 percent of survey-takers saying parks and recreation was “very important” to them. However, approximately 47 percent of survey-takers said parks and recreation is “important.”
About 17 percent of people said education was “very important.”
At the bottom of what was deemed “most important” was transportation mobility: only about 12.5 percent of survey-takers said this was “very important” to them.
Now, Edisto Beach Town Council will review these survey responses and take them into consideration in forming a 2022 Comprehensive Plan.
