Florence County Foreclosures 2006 - 2011

Brookings Institute has stated that the vacancy rate for owner-occupied housing is at 2.5 percent. This remains to be a percentage point above the pre-crisis norm.

A big concern is the future of home prices. Recent months have reflected a modest decline which is troubling because it could get worse before it gets better. The flooding of distressed properties could only worsen the pricing situation. New home selling prices are expected to be down about 3% in 2011.

According to Money Magazine, home prices will start to stabilize by late 2011 or early 2012. However, median prices will decrease by 5% before then.

A bigger challenge is the large number of households that are curently "underwater" with their mortages. It is estimated that a fifth of borrowers are in this group with half or more in states that have been hit the hardest.

From 2006 through 2010, there have been 1527 foreclosures in Florence County. Below are the yearly totals.

• 2006 - 249
• 2007 - 328
• 2008 - 298
• 2009 - 214
• 2010 - 438

Total foreclosures by municipality for 2006 - 2010:

• City of Florence - 470
• Coward - 7
• Johnsonville - 59
• Lake City - 98
• Olanta - 18
• Pamplico - 5
• Quinby - 18
• Scranton - 4
• Timmonsville - 42
• Unincorporated - 811

Florence County foreclosures remain steady in the new year. Eighteen have been reported thus far. The next sales date is 1/18/11.

Planning "2011"

Yep, It's almost here! What does 2011 have in store for Florence County? We'll soon find out. First let's take a look back at some information we've shared with you in 2010 that will continue in the upcoming New Year:

• 'The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes revisions to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ground-Level Ozone' - This would strengthen the "primary" (designed to protect public health) and "secondary" (designed to protect sensitive vegetation and ecosystems) ozone standards, which could place Florence County in a non-attainment status. Florence County is currently marginally in attainment.

The Florence Area Transportation Study (FLATS) is the metropolitan planning organization for this area. The federal requirements and regulations on transportation planning for a metropolitan area in non-attainment will be strict. Everyone's support will be needed. The new standards are scheduled to be released by July 31, 2011. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, if you'd like to learn more about this, take a look at EPA's website.

• 'Alternative transportation and a multi-modal roadway network' - This is so important for all Florence County residents. Whatever your choice or necessity is for getting around in our awesome county, it should be easy and readily available for you. So let us know your thoughts on areas in our county that need transportation related enhancements.

Let me share the most recent resident request and the positive outcome. Some county residents whose choice of transportation is via bicycle utilize Highway 51 (Pamplico Hwy.) to reach their place of employment. The request was for more sidewalks. Well, SCDOT had a resurfacing project scheduled for Pamplico Hwy. from Freedom Blvd. to Howe Springs Rd. to be contracted out by the end of December, 2010. So, we contacted them regarding this request. No new sidewalks were included in the contract, only repairs to the existing ones. However, SCDOT advised if the City of Florence and Florence County desired, during the resurfacing project, they could enhance this roadway to a shared-use facility. The road is not wide enough to mark a bike lane, but the outside lanes could be widened to 14' to accommodate bicyclists. (like Hoffmeyer Rd.) The city and county have formally made this request to SCDOT, so look for this improvement soon. The resurfacing completion date is tentatively September 30, 2011.

• 'Sustainability, Smart Growth, Livable Communities' - Yep, you've heard quite a bit about this and I told you it was just the beginning! There's a good possibility these initiatives could become federal regulations. The American Planning Association (APA) recently held a Federal Policy and Program Briefing and Planners' Day on Capital Hill. Take a look at the accomplishments of the last 20 months through the lens of APA's board-adopted legislative priorities:

1. Support federal initiative promoting community livability and sustainability through enhanced planning;
2. Adopt comprehensive climate change legislation that supports planning to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address local adaptation;
3. Transform federal transportation policy;
4. Invest in rebuilding America's infrastructure;
5. Help communities promote job creation, increase economic competitiveness, and build strong neighborhoods by taking innovative approaches to housing and community development policy;
6. Promote energy efficient communities;
7. Provide high-quality federal data for local decision making;
8. Protect local planning authority;
9. Advance the development of healthy, safe and active communities;
10. Encourage strategic and sustainable investment through location-efficiency standards and expanded regional planning;
11. Improve policies aimed at addressing the unique environmental, economic, and safety needs of coastal areas.

Wow, that's a mouthful! Each of these priorites are explained in APA's November edition of their planning magazine which can be accessed on APA's website. The goals in the recently updated elements of the Florence County Comprehensive Plan address many of APA's priorities in addition to other issues that are significant in order to achieve positive growth for our county.

So that's an off-the-top-of-my-head recap of 2010. Stay tuned for more to come in 2011! Happy New Year and thanks to all of our Florence County Planning blog followers.

Is Florence Ready for SmartCode?

A code for what? ...how smart is it?

SmartCode is actually a model form-based unified land development ordinance.

What? I got land development, but what is form-based? ...and what's an ordinance? ...and why is it a model? ...did you say 'unified'?

It is designed to create walkable neighborhoods from the most rural to the most urban. This type of development is economically sustainable and attractive. It puts more of an emphasis on "form" of development and less on "use".

Conventional codes contributed to strip malls, big box stores with enormous parking lots, fast food restaurants and signage/billboards that could be seen a mile away. Downtowns became deserted. Children did not feel safe walking or cycling and the elderly became dependent on others for daily needs. All of these combined created SPRAWL!

Smart Growth is an alternative to urban sprawl. New codes are necessary to allow for land conservation and to return to the more traditional patterns. This is best done by implementing the SmartCode.

Technical Descriptions for SmartCode:

Ordinance - An ordinance is an autoritative rule that allows the city/county to enforce the approved regulation.

Model Code - The model code is freeware and meant to be customized by planners, architects and attorneys.

Form Based - Form Based zoning has been developed to overcome the problems of sprawl created by use based codes. The emphasis will now be on controlling the urban form instead of controlling land uses. It envisions and encourages a particular physical outcome. While the physical appearance may not change, there can be many diverse uses.

Unified Land Development Regulation - SmartCode can include zoning, subdivision regulations, urban design, signage, landscaping, and basic architectural standards.

Walkable Neighborhoods - Towns and cities should be structured as a series of walkable neighborhoods. This requires a mix of land uses including residential, office and retail. Public spaces should reflect "outdoor" rooms. Pedestrian-oriented transportation design should also be addressed.

Rural-Urban Transect - SmartCode zones create habitats from very rural to very urban. The zoning categories offer a full diversity of building types, thoroughfare types, and civic spaces. Each has the applicable characteristics for its location.

Ridgeland in Jasper County was the first in SC and one of the first few cities in the country to adopt SmartCode as their governing code. Their SmartCode zoning ordinance can be viewed at the following website:
www.ridgelandsc.gov/...FinalRidgelandSmartCodeZoningOrdinance.20100318.pdf.

Is downtown Florence a candidate for SmartCode?

Shocking Bus News

Not only shocking, but cutting edge.

A 2006 DaimlerChrysler mock up of the diesel hybrid system.

Just for illustration: please don't kick the bus:)

The Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority (PDRTA to those in the know) have just landed a $3.2 million grant to purchase low-floor diesel-electric hybrid buses, and to improve PDRTA’s maintenance facility in support of their operation.

What does this mean, you ask?

Not only does it mean cleaner air for the area (we are close to EPA standards for ozone) but it also means better options for riders and PDRTA drivers. According to Janice Baroody, Executive Director of PDRTA, there are many riders that use wheelchairs. This low-floor bus kneels and deploys a ramp to greet wheelchair patrons. Ms. Baroody goes on the say that drivers won't need to deploy the ramp themselves, thus saving time on the routes.

What looks to be a GM hybrid diesel with a ramp.

What's left to do? PDRTA still needs to go through the public comment period for adding these funds to budgets, offer the project to bidding companies, then taking delivery. All in all, it will take another year or two before Florence is the only transit system with hybrid buses.

And one last note: two PDRTA riders, Casey and Ethan, make an appearance on http://wall.publictransportation.org/ telling their story of why they like transit.

Check it out. Report back. Let us know how we are doing.

Looking for information on Florence? Try the Comprehensive Plan.

A few days ago, I got a request for the GIS information on all of the public and private schools in Florence County. The GIS department has all of this information stored in a “Major Points File” but it hadn’t been updated in a while and also includes the location of the historic schools in the county, many of which are no longer open. I was wondering where to begin, when it hit me that probably the planning department at some point had put a list of schools together. I went and asked Debi, and she excitedly handed me the Comprehensive Plan.

The Comprehensive Plan not only has a complete list of all the schools (public and private), parks, and museums in Florence, but also a lot of other cool information. For instance, did you know that an Atomic Bomb (unarmed, thankfully) was accidently dropped in Mars Bluff (Cultural Resources Element, pg. 16)? If you are wondering what the soil type for your property is (there are over 50 in Florence County), or where to put your boat in along Lynches River, check out the comprehensive plan (Natural Resources Element, pgs. 10 & 40). If you want to know the median income, the Plan has that too (Population Element, pg. 20). Want to know what Florence County is doing to create bicycle and pedestrian networks? Check out the Transportation Element (pg. 37). The Comprehensive Plan also includes some really cool maps and pictures, some of which are shown below.

So the next time you catch yourself wondering about something in Florence, and aren't sure where to look, try here: http://florenceco.org/offices/planning/#comprehensive-plan. I went looking for a list of schools, and found out so much more.

Interested in the soil type of where you live? You can use this map, and the table that goes with it to find out soil type and what type of crops, if any, are grown there. (Natural Resource Element, pg. 9-10)

Information about boat launches along Lynches River (including the canoe launch location shown above) can be found in the Natural Resources Element.

Looking to visit a new park? The Cultural Resources Element has a comprehensive list of Florence County Parks and their location.

Round and Round They Go

Looks like a regular road with a large sidewalk.

I know we talk a lot about the importance of long range planning and how our team is looking forward anticipating more and more people moving, building, commuting, playing, and shopping in Florence County. One of our major exercises focuses on transportation planning. Throughout the nation (and the world) transportation planners are working to balance the need to move traffic with the desire to maintain local quality of life. Some may say these two things are the same, but others like things to stay the way they are.

There are challenges out there. I am sure most of you have seen the video of an 'intersection in India' where rickshaws, freight vehicles, motor bikes, cars and bicyclists successfully cross a busy intersect (sans signal). Some of our colleagues to the west are looking at a measured response to balance downtown redevelopment and maintaining the ablilty to move large agricultural machinery by way of downtown roads.

Locally, one of the intersections considered the epitome of 'needing work' is Five Points. Palmetto, Cashua, Hoffmeyer and Cherokee come together here making most likely the longest light timing cycle in the county (the shortest period of time I waited was less than 30 seconds but that was around 1:00am!). A recent update to the urban long range transportation plan (LRTP) considering upgrading Five Points to the Five Points Roundabout. Now, of course anything 'round' has no points; but my point is that this intersection has six, so everyone is entitled to a unique perspective. So, how about a little preview of how a roundabout looks and what it can do.

...but these strange markings tell a different tale.

These photos and the following video were taken from the Coastal Carolina University campus while on my way to a conference. It's really amazing how well the roundabout works. I entered the campus from 544 and there was a very long line to exit at that signal. This intersection, however, was flowing very well (even with bus traffic). Watch one of the buses take a left by going right (Lightning McQueen?) around the circle.

Notice there is a dominant roadway, but once a vehicle is in the circle, they have the right of way. Also notice how far back the pedestrian crossing is from the intersection - the markings make it obvious to drivers that pedestrians come first in this setup.

Now that's not so bad, so let's get your feedback. Do you think a roundabout will work for Florence? Have you experienced this roundabout? Thank you!

Calling All Gardners! Another Sustainability BLOG?

Yep, you read it correct, another sustainability blog! It's so important, I can't contain myself. I have to share things with you as I am introduced to them. Have any of you ever heard of Hurricane Leon? No, not a storm! He is a Florence resident whose place of business is just a few blocks north of Lucas Street on North Irby. (Look for the boat with the huge fish on it at the edge of his property)

The Planning Services Department had the opportunity to meet him, visit his facility and listen to him talk about something he is very passionate about. He operates a small vegetable farm and has started experimenting with organics, (foods that do not contain chemical pesticides), hydroponics (a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water, without soil), and aquaculture (involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions). He has chickens, a rooster named "Max " (what a set of lungs he has!) and bee hives that he maintains.

If you're interested in seeing his facility and listening to his wonderful passion, I'm sure he would be delighted to hear from you. (hurricaneleon@aol.com.)

Mr. Crump is the director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund's state office in Florence. He is a member of the South Carolina Outreach Council and serves on the executive board of the National Family Farm Coalition. In 2002, he was appointed a Food and Society Policy Fellow, a national fellowship program designed to educate consumers, opinion leaders and policymakers on the challenges associated with sustaining family farms and food systems in the United States that are environmentally sound, health promoting and locally owned and controlled.

Mr. Crump assisted Williams Middle School in starting a Community Garden that the students learn from and maintain. It's awesome!

Keeping in line with Mr. Crump's passion, Eat Smart Move More (ESMM) Florence Chapter, in association with the South Carolina Public Health Institute and Francis Marion University's Advancing Rural Community Health (ARCH) are hosting a Home & Community Gardening Forum & Panel Discussion on November 9th from 5:30 - 7 p.m.. It will be held at Francis Marion University in the Lowrimore Auditorium. The speaker will be Carrie Draper, MSW who is the Healthcare organizer with S.C. Fair Share. Mr. Crump will participate on the panel. If you're interested in learning how to start and sustain a home, school or community garden, this is the event for you on November 9th.