Southtowns Record

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DRAFT

Government
Town of Aurora
Board
Town Board
Meeting
Feb 4, 2026
Kind
Other
Topics
Zoning and land use, Water, sewer and drainage, Parks and recreation, Budget and taxes, Roads and traffic, Housing, Energy and data center siting, Public safety

Original document

Same meeting

Text · page 70 of 154

Read the whole document on one page (all 154 pages, each with its own heading)

70  Town of Aurora

 Community Survey

 As the final component of the community engagement plan for the Town of Aurora Comprehensive Plan
 Update, a community survey was administered from November 2024 to March 2025 to ensure a wide-
 ranging response rate from as many residents in the Town as possible. Surveys were available to be
 completed online as well as paper copies which could be picked up at the Town Hall and the first public
 workshop. The community survey was promoted via press release, the Town and project website, the
 Town’s CodeRED notification system, and via a mailer that was sent to every residential household in Aurora,
 outside of the village. Overall, the community survey campaign yielded 865 responses, 827 of which were
 from the online survey while an additional 38 were collected via paper survey.

 The survey included questions concerning each of the primary topics covered in the Community Profile. Key
 takeaways from the survey responses that helped inform the development of the plans’ recommendations
 include (See Appendix B for a full summary):

 1.  There is a strong attachment to the rural and small-town character of Aurora
 2.  Residents have a strong preference for conservation and open space preservation
 3.  There is a desire to limit new development
 4.  Identified need for senior and first-time homebuyer housing
 5.  Preference for new housing to be located near the Village or in existing neighborhoods
 6. A strong satisfaction with the Town’s parks, but a desire for more trails and natural areas
 7.  The need for improved walkability and traffic calming in key areas
 8. Broad support for protecting natural resources
 9. Open space preservation is a key priority
 10. Stormwater drainage issues are localized but impactful

 Alternative Outreach Strategies

 Project Website

 To support broad and ongoing participation, a project
 website (https://townofauroracompplan.com)
 was launched that served as the central hub for the
 comprehensive plan. The site explained the plan’s
 background and process, hosted the public survey, listed
 and updated upcoming events, offered a direct contact
 form to reach the consultant team or join the email
 notification list, and published draft materials as they
 became available for review. In total, the website drew
 over 1,900 visits from approximately 1,500 unique visitors,
 demonstrating strong community interest and providing
 an accessible, one-stop portal throughout the planning
 process.

 Town-wide Mailer

 To introduce the planning effort early and equitably, a mailer
 was sent to every household in the Town of Aurora (outside
 the Village of East Aurora). As one of the public’s first touch
 points with the comprehensive plan update, the mailer
 explained why the Town was undertaking the effort, directed
 residents to the project website to learn about the process,
 sign up for email updates, and take the online public
 survey, and invited them to attend the upcoming Public
 Open House #1. This broad, direct outreach ensured that all
 households—regardless of internet use or prior engagement—received clear, actionable information on how
 to get involved from the very start.