McLEAN COMMUNITY CENTER RELEASES THE RESULTS OF 2010 SURVEY
 
12/07/11, McLean, Va.—The McLean Community Center (MCC) has released the results of a survey it commissioned of Small District One A-Dranesville residents. The report, “McLean Community Center Current Usage and Priorities for Future Expansion,” was written by Dr. James Witte, director of George Mason University’s Center for Social Science Research, which conducted the random digital dial telephone survey from Sept. 19 through Nov. 19, 2010.

MCC commissioned the survey to discover how tax district residents use its existing facilities and programs, their level of satisfaction with existing programs and facilities and to assess the level of support for future expansion of facilities and programs. A total of 39,842 phone calls were placed and the survey results were based on a total of 739 completed interviews and 59 partial (between 50 and 90 percent complete) interviews.

According the MCC Governing Board Secretary Craig Richardson, who chairs the Board’s Communications Committee, the Center’s last survey was conducted in 2006 and a new survey was needed to allow the Center to get a more current assessment of the needs of the residents it serves. “The MCC Board is weighing a number of options as it plans for the Center’s future, including a possible downtown expansion. The survey provides feedback from residents, which is critical in ensuring that we are incorporating the sentiments of those we serve,” said Richardson. “The survey is an essential tool to assess our current program offerings as well as to enable us to make informed strategic decisions moving forward,” he added.

Use of Facilities and Programs
Three types of MCC users were identified: regular users, light users and non-users. A “regular user” is anyone in a household who attended a class or an Alden Theatre performance, rented space or attended other MCC events. Light users include anyone who only participated in a large community event, such as McLean Day or 4th of July fireworks or who attended a park concert or MPA artfest. Nonusers did not make any use of MCC facilities or programs. Two-thirds of survey respondents were regular users; only one quarter were non-users. McLean Day was the most frequently attended event, attended by 41 percent of light users and by 46 percent of regular users. Thirty-three percent of all households had someone who had attended a theater performance at The Alden in the past 12 months.  The most common reason given by respondents (74 percent) for not using MCC programs and facilities more often, was that they were “too busy.”

Satisfaction Levels
Respondents were asked how well MCC met the needs of their household and the community. Three-quarters of the respondents thought that the Center was meeting the community’s needs “well” or “very well.” However, respondents’ views as to whether MCC was meeting their households’ needs varied by the type of user. Among non-user households, 44 percent of respondents said MCC was meeting their needs, as compared to 54 percent of light users and 76 percent of regular user households. 

Support for Expansion
In response to questions about expanding program offerings, performing arts and lectures were the most common requests for future programming by all types of users.  Nearly two-thirds of respondents said that offering programs specific to senior citizens was either “very” or “somewhat” important.
 
Survey respondents also were asked the degree to which they agreed with seven proposals regarding locations for the Old Firehouse Teen Center (OFTC) and the facilities within OFTC. There was relatively strong support for each of the seven options with approximately 80 percent of the survey respondents “strongly agreeing” or “agreeing” with options (c) “If the MCC keeps the teen center in downtown McLean, a multipurpose space for dances and recreation should be included in the new center” and option (d) “If the MCC keeps the teen center in downtown McLean , a game area (pool tables, ping pong tables, video games) should be included in the in the new center.”

Respondents were queried as to the types of facilities MCC should incorporate as part of a potential expansion. At least half of all respondents supported a studio for dance classes, fitness classes and rehearsals (59.3 percent), additional meeting rooms (58.7 percent) and a black box-type theater space (50.3 percent).

View the complete survey report.

For more information, call the Center at 703-790-0123, TYY: 711.