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Public Participation

First and foremost, the committee sought to have an open and inclusive process, allowing the Plan to be informed by input from the public. To achieve this, the process included the following components:
  1. A community survey was distributed to all Village and Town residents, focusing on residential, economic, and environmental issues and opportunities. The response rate was 18.5% and the results are summarized below.
  2. A survey of Moravia Central School District students was conducted by Social Studies teacher Tyler Miller’s Government Class in the Spring of 2019. All students grades 9 through 12 were invited to attend and 140 responses were received. The results are summarized on the following page.
  3. Three community workshops that were designed to be interactive and gather input and feedback. The first workshop complemented the survey, seeking to better understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the community. It also included an asset mapping exercise to help visualize the physical assets and important locations in the Village. The second community workshop will be focused on gathering feedback on the draft goals and recommendations. … The final draft plan will be presented at a third community workshop. …
  4. The draft plan will be presented to the Village Board of Trustees and adopted after a public hearing that allowed further input and comment from the public. …

Community Survey Results


In March of 2019, survey instruments were mailed to 1,077 addresses in the Village and Town. Where possible, the survey instrument was included in the quarterly water bill with instructions to return it with payment. Drop-off locations were also set up at the Village and Town halls and the library. Additional survey instruments to be filled out were also available for pick-up at these locations. Response rates were similar among Village residents (19.3%) and Town residents (17.7%). The survey consisted of four main components: the quality of several Village attributes; the importance of several key goals and initiatives; the quantity and availability of various land uses; and concern levels over the future quality of several Village attributes and services. A full copy of the survey instrument and responses is attached as an appendix to the Plan.

Key responses to the survey included the following:

Scenic beauty and convenience of pharmacy and grocery services were rated as the highest quality attributes of the community. This reflects Moravia’s location in the Finger Lakes region of New York and the importance of a sustainable downtown that provides basic services.

  • Flood protection and preparedness rated near the lowest quality attributes, speaking to the challenges the Village faces located at the confluence of three streams. It also emphasizes the need to adapt to climate change and build resiliency against future flood events. Measures recognized as very important included improving storm drains, cleaning ditches, and protecting wetlands and other significant natural areas.
  • Renewable energy such as wind and solar power were identified as positive land uses that were needed in the community.
  • Other land uses that are desperately needed in the community are restaurants, retail stores, and senior housing.
  • Greatest concerns included flood events, the condition of roads and sidewalks, and drinking water quality.
  • Many people (44%) believe that Moravia has not significantly changed in the past 15 years, 33% believe that it has become a more desirable place to live, and 23% believe it has become a less desirable place to live.

High School Student Survey

The government class distributed a survey instrument consisting of five questions designed to gather input of the youth of the area. The complete survey responses have been attached as an appendix to the Plan. The following are some key takeaways:

  • Students were presented with various assets of the Village and asked to choose the top three strengths. The overall top three biggest strengths of Moravia are Fillmore Glen State Park (65%), the school district (43.6%), and the small-town feel.
  • Similarly, students were asked to choose the top three biggest issues currently facing the community. The most common responses were that there are not fun things to do (62.8%), the lack of jobs (42.3%), poor quality of sidewalks and roads (41.6%), and the prevalence of flooding (38%).
  • Students were asked about their frequency of use if Moravia were to build eight hypothetical community services. The responses indicating at least occasional use were greatest for the following ideas: arcade (76%); an improved Fuller Park (70%); recreation center (65%); bike paths and trails (64%); ice skating rink (62%).
  • Nearly two-thirds of respondents (65%) said they would not like to live in Moravia 20 years from now