Comprehensive Plan public meetings to be held this month
The Spartanburg County Planning Department will be holding a series of public meetings to gather information from residents about the drafting of a new Comprehensive Plan.
Comprehensive planning is a participatory process that determines community goals and aspirations in terms of a community’s physical development. The planning process considers all the various assets and shared concerns of the community, then facilitates agreement on common goals and lays out a path to achieve them.
The Comprehensive Plan is the resulting written document that provides the basis for policies and regulations that guide the development of a community. It is a long-range plan — looking 20-30 years into the future — and it addresses a wide range of recommendations relating to land use, economic development, transportation, community facilities, parks, open space, agriculture and rural issues, community character and identity, and housing and neighborhoods, among others.
In essence, the Comprehensive Plan sets the foundation for all decisions relating to land use and closely-related community matters. Its aim is purposeful planning, and it is mandated by the South Carolina Local Government Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act of 1994 for jurisdictions that have land development and zoning regulations. The plan in itself, however, is not a regulatory document. Its map and policies are intended to shape decisions regarding land use, infrastructure, economic development, housing, and other fundamental decision-making.
In part, the plan relies on ongoing initiatives that are already making strides to improve the community in areas such as economic development. The OneSpartanburg movement, for example, is already successfully organizing community members to address key issues, including entrepreneurship as well as recruiting and retaining young talent. OneSpartanburg also plans to have a representative on hand during these community meetings to share information about the effort.
To inform the comprehensive planning process, the Spartanburg County Planning Department would like to invite residents to one of four public input sessions to learn more about the plan and gather important feedback.
The meetings are scheduled as follows:
New Prospect Fire Department
8951 Highway 9, Inman, SC 29349
May 23 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Woodruff Leisure Center
550 Cavins Road, Woodruff, SC 29388
May 29 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Cleveland Park-Spartanburg
141 N Cleveland Park Dr., Spartanburg, SC 29303
May 30 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Pacific Place-Lyman
May 31 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
