LaHood in Florence

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood with Congressman John Spratt.

It's not often and never anticipated to see the U.S. Secretary of Transportation in your hometown planning for transportation's future. The Secretary of Transportation is the head of the agency that provides funding for State and local transportation projects and, for the reason of today's meeting, larger national-scale projects such as I-73. So, that's is just what happened this morning. I got a tip late last night from a Darlington County colleague (thank you, Brooks) that explained that there was going to be a transportation roundtable at SiMT Friday morning.

The Planning Services team with Secretary Ray LaHood (from left, Renee Proctor, Elizabeth Ervin, myself, and Debi Matthews at the right of the Secretary.

Of course you know what I said: "what roundtable meeting on transportation at SiMT?"
So a quick search for the meeting came up with Secretary LaHood's appearance in the Pee Dee - only the second for this position. Then, since I was excited about a potential 'fun Friday' with my staff, I woke up and called them to see if they were interested! ...yes, they were interested (and were already awake!). And, plus our intern was going to go, which I though would be a fantastic experience to see government in action.

Deputy Secretary of Transportation  John D. Porcari, who LaHood said, "really runs the department." 

During his presentation, Mr. Secretary mentioned that the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is compiling a reauthorization of the transportation funding bill (where FLATS, through SCDOT, gets it's guideshare funding) worth nearly $500 billion with a tenth of that being a "down payment" to begin with the larger, important projects that the President mentioned in Milwaukee on Labor Day.

All in all, a very eye-opening day with an audience full of elected officials, MPO staff members from GSATS (our Myrtle Beach colleagues, Grand Strand Transportation Study), directors and administrators of many of the jurisdictions that would be affected by the new interstate highway.

Exciting times here in Florence!

This blog was edited to correct the number of visits the Sec. of Trans. has visited SC.

A Week of Public Hearings in Florence

A busy week for the informed public...

Tonight:

6:30PM (City County Complex, Room 803) - the Planning Commission meets with an agenda including an amendment to the Administrative Procedures of the Comprehensive Plan. In essence, this document directs how the Comprehensive Plan is utilized and updated. Tonight's update proposes to amend the Procedures so a Comp Plan amendment and a zoning or re-zoning request can go ahead at the same time.

6:30PM (SiMT, Florence-Darlington Tech, 1951 Pisgah Road) - the State's DHEC holds a Q&A and a public hearing about an air quality permit requested by Johnson Controls, who is slated to build a battery recycling plant on Paper Mill Road.

Thursday:

5:00PM (Timmonsville High School) - the SCDOT holds a public hearing about the widening of 76 from I-95 west to Timmonsville. This is the second public hearing and may show an update to the Main Street intersection.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Great Feedback for the Land Use Element!

The most important thing Florence County Staff has needed, asked, and advertised for over the last eleven months while updating the existing Land Use Element and Land Use Map, has been public input, public input, public input.

The Home Builders Association of the Greater Pee Dee has gone above and beyond in helping our department to get the word out. Florence County Staff met with their members last week at the beautiful new Pee Dee Realtor's Association building on Celebration Drive. There were more than 34 interested members present with all sorts of good questions and comments.

• When did the State Statute begin on the Comprehensive Plan? (1994)
• What is the Comprehensive Plan's role for unzoned parcels? (None)
• What is the process and how long is the procedure to make a change to the comprehensive plan change? (Very detailed answer, look for this information to be included soon in the Land Use Element DRAFT on the county website.
• Would like to see all residential uses combined into one land use designation.
• Would like to see all commercial uses combined into one land use deisgnation.
• When will the (FHD) Flood Hazard District change on the map? (Will reflect FEMA FIRM maps updates)
• Several good recommendations for additional information in the Land Use document. (To present to Planning Commission on July 28th public meeting.

Hope to see all you other interested individuals and groups at the Land Use Night School tonight at 6:30PM in room 803 of the City/County Complex. If you can't make this meeting, save the date on your calendar for the next Planning Commission public hearing on July 28th at the same time and location as noted above. Your input is needed too!

Florence County Foreclosures Decline to 2006 Levels

Over the past few months, the Florence County Planning Department has been tracking foreclosures back to 2006. With the help of the County Clerk of Courts and its Special Referree, we have compiled all the available information on those homes that have completed the foreclosure process.

Beginning around May 2007, it was not uncommon to see between 35 and 40 foreclosures a month. Those numbers have decreased starting in September 2008 when the highest values were between 25 and 30 a month.

For the month of June, the number of foreclosed property continued its downward trend with nine, roughly equal to the average of the first two months of 2006, which is the start of records we could find.

Annual municipalities' foreclosures in 2009 may meet or beat 2006 values if these trends continue.

So, what does this mean for Florence County? It may translate to decreased time a home for sale remains on the market. It may also signal a better market for builders seeing less competition with foreclosed properties.

As the Florence Economic Development Partnership continues to attract new an expanding businesses to Florence, we may be seeing some warming from this icy housing season.

The next question we must ask ourselves is how we want to grow to weather the next economic catastrophe. That answer may lie in considering the combined costs of housing and transportation (reflecting the new coordination between HUD and US DOT) while minimizing the tax burden. Instead of housing following new schools, how about schools locating near the housing... you'll see lower costs in maintaining our transportation network! Imagine a pedestrian and bicycle friendly neighborhood that includes that school, grocer, coffee shop, clothing store and other amenities.

Can it happen in Florence?

What happens when EPA, DOT and HUD get together?

A partenership in stewardship, that's what.

DOT Secretary Ray LaHood explained the partnership this way:

“Creating livable communities will result in improved quality of life for all Americans and create a more efficient and more accessible transportation network that services the needs of individual communities. Fostering the concept of livability in transportation projects and programs will help America’s neighborhoods become safer, healthier and more vibrant.”

The following are great goals, many of which may find their way into the Florence County Comprehensive Plan (see the website). Together with the vision of Florence County and the help of the Florence Area Transportation Study, our local transportation planning program, the next few years will hopefully lead to a more sustainable development and redevelopment of Florence.

1. Provide more transportation choices.
Develop safe, reliable and economical transportation choices to decrease household transportation costs, reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote public health.

2. Promote equitable, affordable housing.
Expand location- and energy-efficient housing choices for people of all ages, incomes, races and ethnicities to increase mobility and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation.

3. Enhance economic competitiveness.
Improve economic competitiveness through reliable and timely access to employment centers, educational opportunities, services and other basic needs by workers as well as expanded business access to markets.

4. Support existing communities.
Target federal funding toward existing communities – through such strategies as transit-oriented, mixed-use development and land recycling – to increase community revitalization, improve the efficiency of public works investments, and safeguard rural landscapes.

5. Coordinate policies and leverage investment.
Align federal policies and funding to remove barriers to collaboration, leverage funding and increase the accountability and effectiveness of all levels of government to plan for future growth, including making smart energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy.

6. Value communities and neighborhoods.
Enhance the unique characteristics of all communities by investing in healthy, safe and walkable neighborhoods – rural, urban or suburban.

More information on Interagency Partnership:

http://www.epa.gov/opei/ocmp/dced-partnership.html

About a Coalition

I was recently invited to a meeting of a particular area in Florence County where stakeholders (landowners, businesses, etc.) met to discuss ways to preserve natural resources and their rural heritage.

The group is at a stage where there are tons of strong ideas floating about, but nothing on paper. As the group shapes its objectives, they are finding that they first need a geographic focus.

The recent meeting included a presentation by Noel Thorn, a real estate developer, turned farmer, turned negotiator - in essence, someone who knows the importance of protecting natural resources while providing affordable housing, education and jobs.

Mr. Thorn may have given the group a good direction to begin organizing the way they want their community to look. First thing's first: establish your boundary, establish your stakeholders, establish your goals that include the future economic viability of sustaining their commmunity.

I am very excited about working with this group. For a County planner, this affords an opportunity to work close and share potential regulatory tools to help residents realize their objectives while working with planners  across jurisdictional boundaries.

What about your community? Do you have everything you need and want in your neighborhood? If not, talk with your neighbor and invite me to a meeting so we can get your sustainable neighborhood started!

Another Piece to the Puzzle

County Planning met (braving the slushy roads) yesterday with Economic Development Partnership for a productive discussion about the Future Land Use element of the Comprehensive Plan. It's great to be a part of these instances when knowing information up front can ward off many future conflicting plans.

Economic Development is located in the Southeast Institute of Manufacturing Technology on the Florence Darlington Technical College campus (pictured to the left). Beyond the fabulous campus, this team includes hard-working employees dedicated to keep the Pee Dee region an attractive destination for relocating businesses. And it works! ...QVC ...Heinz ...Monster.com

This team, headed up by Joe King, includes those whom I have met so far, Jessica Griggs, Kyle Edney and Thelma Carney-Kennedy. In addition to the Future Land Use element, this group has been instrumental in reviewing our Economic element as well as sit in on a conversation with DHEC regarding our air quality. Feel free to visit their website!

So, what happened in the meeting?

You'll just have to wait to see the Future Land Use element!

Okay, I can give you sneak peak: we learned that industrial businesses like to be close to rail or no more than 10 miles from an interstate. We learned about sites that this team is actively marketing for industrial development such as property west of Roche Carolina and south toward Smurfitt-Stone, areas south of Honda on I-95, and areas around 327, especially near its interchange with I-95.

Another topic that was discussed was a plan for biofuel refineries and its product transport. More props to the benefit of locating adjacent to a rail line.

Still more discussion was focused on a 'freight community' or 'freight village' - a place where freight exchanges modes. For example, a train off-loads goods to a long-haul truck and where long-haul truck transfers goods to smaller light trucks, etc. Where would such a place be located? One potential is where we have these modes close together - such as where the airport, Hwy 76, Hwy 327 and the rail line come together.

These are the visions! Yes, they are general and only a vision; but it's better to be prepared for the area's potential future than see a mixture of uses that should have been further separated [I would not live adjacent to an industrial park!]

Industry affects surrounding land uses, traffic and the ability for governments to provide services such as water, sewer, as well as fire and police protection. It's a hope that this plan will be able to place industry in the right place - buffered from residential and natural resources like our waterways.

Trails Documents

As I promised in my November blog, our Florence Trails Committee Mission Statement and By-Laws are posted for you. Check them out on our website.

I haven't heard from any of you about joining our group. It's an open invitation.

Our next meeting will be in February, so give me a shout.

I plan to have the Florence Trails Map and Master Bikeway Plan online for you sometime in January. I'll let you know.

Tis' the Season for Public Hearings

As Florence County Future Land Use and Transportation plans are being worked on, public hearings are scheduled to get the public in on the planning level. Check out and visit the bottom of the blog for public notices for your area.

Florence County Opportunities

Planning Services is expanding it's horizons for future County partnerships and programs. Yesterday, we attended the American River's Blue Trails presentation in Mullins. The program is a stakeholder driven effort to attract the people who enjoy paddling sports. We hope to bring the same initiative to Lynches River, Jefferies Creek, the Great Pee Dee River and Black Creek. The State's DNR is currently working on designating the Lynches River as a scenic river. In contrast, the Blue Trails designation hold no regulatory weight, but facilitates the preservation of a river's natural resource values through community involvement.

Today, Sumter County Planning and SC Forestry Commission are joining us to two Sumter County developments that have 'gone the extra mile' to preserve a live oak canopy and integrate low impact development (LID) techniques. This trip will be instrumental on our continuing efforts to develop the Florence County tree preservation and landscape ordinance.