Update from the Technical Advisory Committee
The Technical Advisory Committee’s efforts to create and to adopt an Area Performance Planning ordinance for the southwestern quadrant of Spartanburg County remain of paramount importance. Here’s an update on the committee’s progress:
- Staff, together with Charlie Compton our consultant, has digested the comments of our last meeting and has integrated those into a continued draft that will be made available for review shortly.
- Staff, together with Charlie Compton, has begun to put together new countywide subdivision regulations. These regulations will be pulled out of the ULMO and be prepared as a standalone ordinance that will also be reviewed by this Committee.
- The draft has been tested on specific developments that are under way or in the planning stage in our county. The developers of these projects that include residential, commercial, and large scale industrial/distribution projects have been involved in this process and their input has been considered and addressed. All have expressed positive appreciation of the draft as applied to their specific project(s).
- Our efforts at creating this new ordinance have revealed inconsistencies and shortcomings in our present Unified Land Management Ordinance. The two ordinances are being studied in conjunction and changes will have to be made to the ULMO, as well.
- The opportunity to improve development in our county by the passage of this ordinance is exposing an issue that we must address now: Should we include within the ordinance landscape, architectural and signage standards/ incentives? Failure to consider these three areas of concern as we approach an encompassing ordinance would seem to leave our efforts short of completion and potential.
- State law mandates that our County have an updated Comprehensive Plan before new land development/zoning ordinances can be adopted. Our Comprehensive Plan is a decade out of date. The plan must disclose information on nine areas of examination including transportation, housing, land use, population, community facilities, economic development, prioritization of public investment, natural resources and cultural resources. In addition to meeting the everyday demands of the planning department, staff is working on our new ordinance, and they must add to their work load the development of this Comprehensive Plan which will be developed under the direction of the Planning Commission.
The complexity and many facets of the assignment that we are tackling are great. Our successful completion of our assignment is going to require more time and commitment on our part. Staff has assured us that they are fully committed.
We anticipate a series of at least three, and maybe as many as six, additional meetings over the next
120 days during which we will review drafts in great detail and provide cogent comments and direction. Staff and Charlie Compton will make adjustments and new drafts will be provided for continued discussion. The ultimate product of our efforts will provide a better process of balancing the needs of future growth with the quality of life that is felt to exist here in our county.
Foster Chapman, Chairman Jay Beeson, Vice-Chairman
Technical Advisory Committee Technical Advisory Committee
