KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) – The results of the first community survey as part of the “Vision Keene 20-Forward” project have been released.

The survey is part of the city’s master plan update that’s meant to help shape the future of the city.

In this survey, the majority of respondents rated the city favorably, with 78% saying they were satisfied living and/or working in Keene, and 70% saying they feel the city offers the opportunity to grow and thrive in their personal lives.

However, 38% of survey takers said they are not happy with the direction the city is currently moving in, compared to 46% who said they are happy with it, and 16% who are neutral.

An open-ended question asking what changes in the city are most concerning yielded several responses including, among several others, the homelessness issue and the rising cost of living, the lack of affordable housing, drug activity, the lack of public transit, the number of roundabouts, closing businesses, and the Downtown Infrastructure Improvement and Reconstruction Project.

The Downtown project was also mentioned several times as something residents are excited about as well. Along with upcoming community events, the availability of more recreational activities such as the dog park, disc golf, and bike paths, and plans to create more affordable housing.

As far as the current reputation of the city is concerned, the majority of survey takers, 73%, rated that positively, mostly citing the charm and beauty of downtown, compared to 27% who rated it negatively.

One response noted that often when Keene is in the news, it’s for something negative such as a drug bust, or, when referring to Keene State College, the riots at the 2014 Pumpkin Festival. Another response summed Keene up as “A beautiful town with high taxes and a lot of roundabouts.”

Many said they would like the city’s reputation to be that it is a safe, and welcoming community, a good place to raise a family, active, vibrant, diverse, and accessible.

There are several opportunities within the next week that offer the community a chance to stay involved. That includes a series of visioning sessions. Those begin Tuesday June 18th at the Keene Family YMCA at 11 am, and at the Keene Senior Center at 2 pm. Thursday June 20th at the Keene Public Library at 4 pm, and Friday June 21st also at the Keene Public Library at 2 pm.

The Master Plan Steering Committee meets Monday, June 17th at 6 pm at City Hall. City staff will also be available at Keene Community Night from 4-7 at the Public Works and Police Department complex at 350 Marlboro Street, and it will be discussed at the regular meeting of the Keene City Council on June 20th.

For more information on the project visit KeeneMasterPlan.com