Hold on, Florence!

New population numbers for July 1, 2009 are out from the Census for incorporated places and minor civil divisions, released June 22, 2010: (link: http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html)

We compiled the Florence County numbers here; and, well, there is little surprise that our area continues to slowly grow regardless of economic outlook - boom or bust. (Click this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ht2Y20lOsjbyjI-kL7TzoQ?feat=directlink, to see a larger version of the graphic below)

The 0.63% population increase for the County from 2008-2009 reflects the trend over the ten years that averaged 0.7% increase every year.

This environment makes for easier planning. What would happen if a huge influx of people began calling Florence home (Beaufort saw 400% increases)? A look at the County Comprehensive Plan will show what's possible.

As the Planning Services staff near the home stretch for updates to the Comprehensive Plan, I am confident that the County has tremendous room to grow - even within our current municipal boundaries. These locations are best suited for redevelopment and increased density simply because services like public transit, water, sewer, police and fire protection, parks, museums and schools are already provided.

Even with the modest population growth in Florence, we still have our growth challenges; but the smartest way to grow and live may also mean the most reasonably priced in the short term and long run. When considering your next move, think of closing the gap to amenities you treasure and utilize most. Then once you move, support those amenities so they may better serve you and your neighbor. We just may be the start of bigger moves to Florence County.

Health Costs and Transportation

A new publication, The Hidden Health Costs of Transportation, addresses how our transportation system contributes to our rising health costs and improving public health.

U.S. traffic fatalities and injuries are high on the list. One projection showed that in 2009 there were roughly 33,963 people that died in traffic crashes. That's only 1,783 more than the population of the City of Florence in 2009! The American Automobile Association stated that the costs of traffic crashes is $164.2 billion each year which is about $1,051 per person annually. Some hidden costs of transportation are physical inactivity, rising asthma and obesity rates, and poor air quality.

The design of transportation within the communities could be improved to introduce walking, bicycling and transit which contibute to physical activity. The American Public Health Association supports access to safe sidewalks, streets and playgrounds, health services and jobs.

The Hidden Costs of Transportation publication will be a recommending source for future transportation policy and investment.

Good, Bad and Ugly

First the good:
As I am reviewing the latest and greatest of FLATS long range transportation plan, I am constantly reminded of the great job our consultants have done with the analysis of urban Florence traffic. There is great detail (for a vision document) on how to think of a 'complete street' (Chapter 5, starting on page 5-69 ), financial constraints (we only have so many funds for FLATS, Chapter 10 page 10-6), and the initial approach to improve existing streets (Chapter 5 page 5-41) with medians, curbs and interconnections between businesses over the traditional - widen until you can widen any more! I also wanted to mention the fantastic public work ethic - we had a whole slew of residents and stakeholders whom met at public meetings as well as for advisory committees. Thank you, team!

the bad?
Yes, there is plenty of that in the document as well. Where are our sidewalks? How can we connect our rail trail to other parts of the urban area? When will Hoffmeyer Road be striped for bicycles? Can we get the traffic light timing on Irby Street correct? ...and don't even mention Five (six) Points and the location of the new downtown intermodal facility (one location where cars and bikes can park, buses are routed and trains stop)! There is a lot of work to do, and we are going to have fun doing it!

the Ugly.
Um, yeah - we have the ugly here in Florence. On more than one account by residents in public forums or blogs, the 76 corridor approaching downtown Florence from the airport is ugly. Other uglies also include a list of the worst crash rate intersections (above, from the County Comp Plan)

So, there's your brief rap up of one of the big projects we all have been working on - a good project that's a great direction to clean up the bad and ugly of Florence. Review the implementation plan; it's a quick read and lists what we could be proposing in the near future and many years down the road.

EPA's Clean Water Enforcement

The U.S. Environmental Protections Agency (EPA) is getting more and more serious about improving water quality and taking the steps necessary to keep Americans informed about the safety of their local waters. Before I give you the details on the EPA's most recent press release, here's a little background on The Clean Water Act (CWA):

The CWA was enacted in 1948 and was called the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, but the Act was significantly reorganized and expanded in 1972. Major amendments were enacted in the Clean Water Act of 1977and the Water Quality Act of 1987.

The CWA is the cornerstone of surface water quality protection in the United States. (The Act does not deal directly with ground water nor with water quantity issues.) The statute employs a variety of regulatory and nonregulatory tools to reduce direct pollutant discharges into waterways, finance municipal wastewater treatment facilities, and manage polluted runoff.

Now about the press release! EPA recently launched new web tools to inform the public about Clean Water Enforcement. The interactive web tools allow the public to check water violations in their communites. The purpose of this set of web tools, data, and interactive maps is to inform the public about serious Clean Water Act violations in their communities. These web tools are part of EPA's Clean Water Act Action Plan to work with states in ensuring that facilities comply with standards that keep our water clean.

The new web page provides interactive information from EPA's 2008 Annual Noncompliance Report, which pertains to about 40,000 permitted Clean Water Act discharges across the country. It also makes it easy to compare states by compliance rates and enforcement actions taken and provides access to updated State Review Framework (SRF) reports.

We all know that clean water is vital to our health, to our environment, and to our economy. Failing to protect our lakes, rivers and streams leads to the loss of irreplaceable natural resources, destroys ecosystems and endangers species. When I have spare time, which seems to be less and less these days, I enjoy reading speeches by EPA's Administrator, Lisa P. Jackson. Check this site out when you get a chance.

Don't forget to take a look at the three links regarding EPA's press release. Lots of information and a little overwhelming, but makes you think..... what little things can I do on a daily basis to help?

Rebates are still Available!

Hybrid rebates are available through June 30, 2010. This fiscal year we have only had one applicant compared to eight last year. The fund balance is $19,500. This rebate may or may not be approved again by County Council.

Our hopes are that the rebate will continue and all of the funding will be used thus increasing the population of hybrid vehicles in Florence County. It is no doubt that the economy has played a big role in the purchase of any vehicle but we hope that those of you who are in the market for a new car will consider a hybrid.

The main purpose of the rebate is to help reduce emissions in Florence County. Air Quality will definitely continue to be a topic for conversation due to new EPA ozone regulations. That will be another BLOG!

Please contact us or visit our websit www.florenceco.org for an application or information regarding the rebate.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Highway 51 (Pamplico Hwy) Widening

I recently attended a Public Information meeting on the widening of SC Route 51 (Pamplico Highway). There were probably 150 citizens in attendence all wanting to know how their property would be affected. The proposed widening extends approximately twenty four miles from S-57 (Claussen Road) near Florence, to US 378 (East Myrtle Beach Highway) near S-225 (Sandpit Road).

The purpose of this meeting was not only to supply the public with as much detail as possible but SCDOT wants to hear what the public has to say. This preliminary design offers much conversation for the land owner. The best way to express your concerns is to fill out the provided comment sheet. SCDOT will take all of these comments into consideration to make the best choices for all involved.

The proposal will consist of four lanes instead of two with a 15-ft paved median/left-turn lane. There will be 10-ft shoulders with 2-ft being paved and the other 8-ft grassed.

The total estimated cost of this project is $151.5 million. This will be the fifth project to be funded through a combination of Local Option Sales Tax and State Transportation Infrastructure Bank funds.

I heard pros and cons regarding this widening. Some of you felt that this is a much needed project that will benefit the growth of Pamplico and others of you felt that Pamplico would lose it's quaint charm.

If this widening project affects you, how do you feel about it?

Logging On Lynches River

I joined a group of Lynches River residents along with officials from The Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the South Carolina Forestry Commission and The Morning News on a kayak trip along The Lynches River near Johnsonville where a logging operation was recently completely.

I'm an 'every now and then' kayaker, but when I do go, my favorite part is floating along the more open portions of the river, leaning back and enjoying the peaceful feeling of seeing nothing but trees and the habitat amongst them. This particular trip was a little more challenging for me. The experienced kayakers took me through narrow areas and slews where my kayak was like a magnet to the trees. That'll teach me not to go but 'every now and then'!

Anyway, back to the purpose of the trip! Some local residents were concerned about the thin canopy in some areas as a result of the recent logging activity. You may remember from one of my blogs last year about this portion of the Lynches River being designated as a State Scenic River.

Logging operations are protected by State Law; however, logging activities are subject to state and federal laws concerning water qualtiy and maintaining an adequate buffer. A buffer is riparian lands maintained immediately adjacent to streams or lakes to protect water quality, fish habitat, and other resources. The South Carolina Forestry Commission's Better Management Practices manual suggests a 40' buffer remain between logging activity and a river. There is always that potential for the accumulation of sediment in the riparian areas, which in turn leads to possible impacts on water quality and fisheries. A well established buffer from open land serves as a point to retain such to eliminate it from reaching the water.

During the float trip, we did notice areas where the logged area was apparant through the canopy. The trees in these areas were small and spaced out, but the 40' suggested buffer seemed to be there. It did however, take away from the serene feeling of the river.

Logging operations are very important to South Carolina's economy. It brings in billions of dollars to the state annually, and provides employment to thousands of people. Water quality, and protecting our environment are important as well, so it's always good to expand our knowledge on the awesome benefits nature has given us and anything we can do to assist.

On a different note, I'd like to share something I witnessed during the trip that made me smile. Two mother ducks appeared a few yards ahead of us. They'd fly slightly above the water, then drop and fluttering in the water, then fly again. They continued this display every few feet. One of the kayakers explained to me that they were trying to get us to follow them so we wouldn't notice their babies at the edge of the canopy. When they are comfortable that we've passed where their babies are, they'll fly back to them. Sure enough, shortly after he told me this, we saw the babies swimming along the edge of the canopy and soon thereafter, the mother ducks were gone.

Ae you smiling yet? Maybe you had to be there!