For Hub City Times

MARSHFIELD – More restaurants and retail shopping options top the list of things that could make Marshfield an even better place to live and work. That’s according to city Development Services Coordinator, Josh Miller, who presented the results of a brand new ‘Economic Development Survey’ to Marshfield’s Common Council on June 25.

Miller said the survey asked, “What kind of places would you like to see in the city in the next two years?  The top answers were restaurants and retail.  That’s what the folks want in the community.  More options, more choices.”

Also high on the list of “wants” according to the survey: more outdoor recreational opportunities, and there’s even those who want a new indoor aquatic facility.  “Not surprisingly,” Miller said, “we see the outdoor pool, and a little more surprisingly, we saw about 41 percent of the people want an indoor pool.”

And one of the survey’s other major findings according to Miller, single-family housing is still preferred.  “Overwhelmingly, 64 percent wanted to see single-family housing, and we’ve identified that as a major need.”

Jobs, the city’s low crime rate, good conditions for raising a family, and short commutes, were among the main reasons people said they came to, and stay in Marshfield.

About 43 percent of respondents thought city taxes were too high, and that one of the biggest challenges the city faces is attracting young people to live and work in Marshfield.

The survey was conducted for the city’s Economic Development Board, and the Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  The 27 question survey was taken by 975 respondents over a three-week period in May, and was the first survey of this type conducted in Marshfield since 2006.