01-02-1992 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Jan. OE.. 1' +_' 01:24 FM F0c outnumbered men by fourteen percent. Geographically, Fridley senior households were fifty-three percent of the sample, New Brighton, twenty-eight percent, Mounds View, ten percent, and Spring Lake Park, eight percent. A Regional Senior Center was deemed either a "top priority" or a "major priority" by fifty-two percent of the residents of the four communities. An additional twenty--eight percent called it a "minor priority. " Seniors were over twice as likely as the norm to be aware of the proposal: forty-seven percent expressed awareness. When queried about facilites to include, seniors pointed to five major components: dining facilities were mentioned by twelve percent; ten percent felt they should be able to "eat, recreate, meet and exercise; " eight percent felt it should provide card playing and game opportunities; and seven percent thought that crafts and social opportunities should be included. The programs which should be offered, according to seniors, major social opportunities, counseling, meals, and transportation. A decisive sixty-nine percent would support the construction of a Regional Senior Center; in fact, twenty-six y percent would "strongly favor" it. However, twenty-one percent opposed it; Supporters were motivated by the perceived need for the Center, while opponents did not see a need and worried about already high property taxes. MN Solid majorities of usually seventy percent or higher supported the inclusion of each proposed facility for inclusion. Ninety-three percent favored the inclusion of a large multi- purpose room for congregate dining and rental opportunities. Eighty-five percent supported an arts and crafts room. Seventy- eight percent felt similarly toward a game room. Seventy-four percent favored both a kitchen and kitchenette as well as a small library reading room and lounge. Seventy-three percent favored an exercise and fitness room. And, fifty-eight percent were favorably disposed toward classrooms and meeting rooms. The highest priority, at fifty-four percent, was assigned to the large multi-purpose congregate dining room; the kitchen and kitchenette ranked second at thirty-eight percent. Only one facility registered a moderately high degree of opposition, at eighteen percent: classrooms and meeting rooms. In general , then, the potential facilities nicely meshed with the perceptions of senior citizens. As in the case of the residential sample, this last fact was particularly important, since seventy-one percent of the sample indicated they were at least "somewhat more likely" to support the proposal if it contained the features they most favored. Thirty percentof the senior sample reported there were members of their household or nearby relatives who would be "very likely" to use the facility. An additional thirty-eight percent indicated family members and nearby re atnvet were "somewhat atli} eIy" to do sUsing standard proje t on .�h R percent s �-. � -...-.._�_:.tii �_Y'ifl.`Eb jrSa�.�. �vr4i�s s.�_x perce� �. of the senior ` �::_ f 4