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.

Repaving in Florence

In addition to the Ashby at McIver Road and Pine Needles Road improvements, the following roads are scheduled to be resurfaced:

• Cherokee Road from Us 76 to US 52 (Periodic lane closures are expected during the week.)
• Third Loop Road from Cashua Dr. east to McCown Dr. (Periodic lane closures are expected during the week.)
• US 52 from 0.2 mile north of Green Acres north to SC 51 (Pamplico Hwy). (Periodic lane closures are expected during the week.)

Be careful and especially mindful of workers and truck traffic - most likely, they are our neighbors too.

Affordable Living for Seniors

Florence County continues to focus on affordable housing and addresses this necessity in the Housing and Priority Investment Elements. Recently we had the opportunity to walk through Florence's newest apartment community for low income Seniors.

These apartments are currently under construction but should be completed by the end of September and available for renting effective October 1st. This community offers 38 units to lower income Seniors. To qualify, you must be at least 62 years old with an income limit of $17,150 for one person and $19,600 for two persons. These duplex apartments consist of one bedroom and one bath. They are fully handicap accessible and energy efficient. For more information, please contact the Senior Citizens Association at 843.669.6761.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development(HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA) provide grants for those whom fit into the low-income property owner category. They also provide funding for eligible mortagors whom wish to provide cooperative housing for those persons with low to moderate income. More information can be found at the following website: www.educationmoney.com/housing.

The realization is that affordable living affects all ages of home owners. Hopefully there will be more opportunities like this in the near future for Florence County residents looking for a place to call home.

Full Week Ahead for Planners

The Florence County Planning Services staff have a week of comprehensive (Comp) plans, transportation scenarios and reporting duties. Plus, our City of Florence colleagues kick off the City Comprehensive Plan this Wednesday at Poyner Education Center, 6:00PM.

The County's Land Use element is making its way to the County Council on September 17th for its public hearing. This meeting will include time for the public to speak about the project before next month's Council vote.

The Administrative Procedures portion to the Plan returns to the Planning Commission September 22nd to review a procedural modification: allowing a rezoning and a Comp plan amendment to occur on the same agenda at the Commission and subsequently, the Council meeting. This amendment will minimize the time to rezone a property if the new designation would include a Comp plan change (to show a coordinated direction.)

Two more elements to go!! We are in the beginning process to tackle the Priority Investment and Transportation elements. Lots of meetings and lots of data! What's very exicting with the Transportation element is playing with Community Viz - a tool that allows the user to change thresholds that change outcomes - a scenario planner! We look forward to sharing these various outcomes.

In the meantime, Kimley-Horn and Associates are making strides to complete the FLATS long-range transportation plan for the urban area. FLATS is the Florence Area Transportation Study, the local metropolitan planning organization which utilizes federal planning funds to lay out a future transportation plan for the more populated area of Florence. A second public meeting will be coming out soon!

We miss our intern - All the best, Dana!

Goodbye

Its my last day as an intern and its a bittersweet feeling. These 9 weeks have flown by and I've had the privilege to work with some of the greatest people in the world. Life is about taking chances and I just want to thank Scott Park for taking that chance with me and allowing me to be a part of the FLATS Team. I've learned a lot about the transportation industry and just want to applaud everyone because it isnt as easy as it looks. These individuals above
have taught me to let down my barriers as a person and just how a team works together. I think I've grown so much as a person because of them and just want to tell them thank you.

Signing out one last time,

Dana Washington

Check Out The Signs On Lynches River

The South Carolina Scenic River signs are up!

In an earlier blog, I told you that small "blue" trees signs would be posted at County maintained

boat landings and poster size signs would be posted at seven various landings (locations listed in earlier blog). Last Friday afternoon, the Planning Services Department hung the blue tree sign at Bunk Road Landing. This landing is between Effingham and Coward off Old Georgetown Road. Here we are enjoying the moment!

This is one of the poster size signs that's up at Highway 15 Landing in Lee County.

Here's Mary Crockett with DNR! She just put this sign up at Highway 76 Landing in Sumter County. Thank you Mary for all of your hard work on this project.

Sorry, still no details on a dedication for this portion of The Lynches Scenic River Water Trail. I'll be meeting with the Lynches Scenic River Advisory Committee next week, so stay tuned for more info.

Check out the signs this weekend!

WEEKLY ROAD CONSTRUCTION REPORT

• Ashby Rd. and McIver Rd. (Intersection Improvement) - Periodic lane closures are expected during the week.
• Ebenezer Road and Pineneedles Road. (Roadway construction; construct 272’ bridge over I-95) - Periodic lane closures are expected during the week.
• US Highway 378 over the Great Pee Dee River, near Johnsonville (Bridge replacement and roadway construction) - Periodic lane closures are expected during the week.
• I-95 from north of SC 327 in Florence County to north of SC 9 inDillon County (Rehabilitation: Seal joints on I-95 from I-20 to north of SC 327) - Nighttime three mile lane closures are expected onnorthbound and southbound I-95 from milepost 171 to 193 every calendar day. Closures begin at 7:00 PM and end at 10:00 AM. Alternate routes should be considered. Detour signs are in place for motorists seeking alternate routes in these areas.