The Center for Community Planning and Development at CSU’s Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs was engaged by Chester Township to assist with conducting a Community Questionnaire. CSU’s role was to work with the Township in developing the questionnaire; and then receiving and analyzing the responses. The questionnaire was mailed to all resident addresses in the Township in May of 2020; responses were received and analyzed during June, July and August. To keep the cost low, the questionnaire was not designed to be a statistically calibrated survey, but rather a questionnaire which would enable the community to get a sense of residents’ interests and desires with regard to the Township’s future.

Of 4,724 questionnaires mailed, 1,654 were returned and deemed valid, a 35% response rate. This is a very solid response rate indicative of residents’ high level of interest in participating in Township affairs and expressing their opinion. Questionnaires included both quantitative (multiple choice) questions and open-ended questions. All responses were analyzed by CSU and summarized in this report.