Transportation Plan Forging Ahead!

The last two weeks have been non-stop transportation planning for the Florence County Planning Services staff. The Florence Area Transportation Study (FLATS) Long Range Transortation Plan (LRTP) is coming along nicely thanks to Florence County resident's interest and input. The LRTP serves as a guide for overall transportation improvements in the Florence area. Safety and mobility for bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders and highway users is so important.


The Transportation Advisory Committee (TPAC) met in the afternoon of February 18th to review the recent updates to the plan. These updates were presented by Kimley-Horn and Associates, the consultants on the plan development. In the evening of the 18th, we had the opportunity to speak with Florence residents at the 2nd public workshop to review the same updates. Participants were given the opportunity to ask questions and then vote on preferred projects from several lists of recommendations.


During the first public workshop a few months back, your major concerns were about the need for more provisional bicycle and greenway space and the need to clean up what we already have in Florence County. You gave us great ideas on problem areas to look at and study.


If you have not been able to attend one of the first two public workshops, you'll have another chance soon, so keep your eyes and ears open for the next public notice. Better yet, comment on this blog and give me your e-mail address and I'll add you to the FLATS Contact List and you'll receive all updates on what's going on in the FLATS area.


In the meantime, take a look at the completed chapters for the LRTP on the transportation website and give us your opinion and feedback.

Hybrid Rebates Anyone?

The $500 hybrid rebate offer continues until 06/30/10. This rebate was approved for a second year by County Council to encourage "greener choices". Florence County continues to lead the way in improving our air quality and with your help we can make it happen!

Last fiscal year we issued eight rebates to Florence County residents. Six residents were from Florence, one from Scranton and one from Olanta. They were the proud owners of the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, or the GMC Yukon. These are only a few of the hybrids that qualify for the rebate.

Our first recipient this year is Peggy Brown from Florence. Ms. Brown purchased a Toyota Prius and states that she "LOVES" her car.

If you are in need of a vehicle, we hope that you will consider a new hybrid. The fuel reduction creates significant savings that you will realize over a period of time. This in addition to the reduction of harmful emissions makes the hybrid purchase a wise choice for anyone.

Please visit http://www.florenceco.org/ for more information and the application. A $500 rebate may be awaiting you!

Census 2010 Road Tour Comes to Florence

Look for a census vehicle on February 3rd at the intersection of Baroody and Irby Streets. The 2010 Census vehicles are about to invade cities across the U.S. in a national campaign effort to promote communication. The objectives of this Portrait of America Road Tour are:

• Emphasize how safe and easy it is to complete the questionnaire;


• Communicate when the form will arrive in households;


• Show an example of the form and envelope;


• Educate the public about the uses of census data;


• Communicate that personal information completed on the form is secure by law;


• Emphasize that immigration status is not asked on the form.

There will be hands-on experience with promotional giveaways and exihibits that will be inviting while educating the diverse audience. The Road Tour is designed in a way that connects to the public and explains what the census is and why it is important for all of us to participate.

Please take this opportunity to support Florence County in this educational experience that will benefit us for years to come.

A Community Foundation for the Pee Dee Area

Until a few weeks ago, I was not aware of the many benefits available to an area through a community foundation or that nearly all of South Carolina is served by them. The Eastern Carolina Community Foundation serves our Pee Dee area and is located here in Florence at 234 West Cheves Street. This foundation was formally announced in November of 2007 to serve Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Marion, Marlboro and Williamsburg counties.

If you're as unfamiliar as I was with what a community foundation is and what they can do for a community, let me fill you in. They are tax-exempt public charities created by and for the people in a local area to help improve the quality of life. Their four main roles are:

• act as grantmakers to any non-profit in the region;
• community conveners and partners to bring together government, business, and individuals to address local issues and needs;
• consolidators of existing small foundations; and
• philanthropic advisors and partners to match donor interests with community needs.

In January of 2008, the Eastern Carolina Community Foundation was chosen as the recipient of the first Liberty Prize from the Liberty Fellowship, a statewide leadership program that seeks to inspire value-based leadership among young South Carolina leaders. This vote validates the importance of the Eastern Carolina Community Foundation not just to our area, but to the state as a whole. Impressive!

Were you able to attend the dedication of the City of Florence Trails System and Family Fitness Day? For those who missed it, it was held on National Trails Day, June 7, 2008. The dedication recognized the growth of the Florence trails system from two miles to 18 miles, stretching from the new Veterans Park behind the Civic Center to Freedom Florence. It was a great day!

Ok, so you missed the 2008 event. You want another chance to join the fun? The Eastern Carolina Community Foundation, along with local volunteers, have just started brainstorming ideas to host a 2010 Florence Trails Event. I'll keep you posted on when and where. More volunteers to help coordinate the event are welcome. If you're interested, get in touch with David Wach, Event Chairman, and he'll add you to his e-mail distribution list. Contact him at (843) 629-4850, (843) 229-9000 or david.wach@roche.com.

I've only touched on the surface about this foundation, so check out their website for the whole picture. Susan Bankson, Executive Director, would welcome hearing from you. She can be reached at (843) 667-1131 or susan@easterncarolinacf.org.

2010 Census - Anyone home?

It's almost Census time! What is the purpose of Census, you ask? It's pretty important stuff! Take a look at just a few things that are in our hands by participating in the 2010 Census:

• Every year, more than $300 billion in federal funds is awarded to states and communities based on census data;
• Census data guide local decision-makers in important community planning efforts, including where to build new roads, hospitals and schools;
• Census data affect your voice in Congress by determining how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representative.

Florence County GIS and E-911 Addressing departments have been hands on for a couple of years now verifying and updating information needed by the Census Bureau. Their first task involved reviewing a master address list for Florence County from the bureau to add new homes that had been built or correct mistakes such as misspelled street names. Every address in Florence County was physically visited and designated on a map. This information was then sent back to the bureau.

In late spring and early summer of this year, the Census Bureau sent workers into communities to walk through neighborhoods and verify the updated address lists. Then the bureau told local governments whether it agreed with the original list. For many communities, the bureau returned a list of thousands of addresses they could not verify, with a short deadline to appeal. With between $50-$250 per person, in services for citizens available to the local community, this is entirely too much federal money for a community to give up.

Florence Counties' list totalled approximately 17,000 records to re-check. Florence County GIS department jumped on the task along with volunteers from other departments at the Planning and Building Inspections offices. 35 mind blowing days later, over 4,000 rebuttals with verification documentation was sent back to the bureau for Florence County. Thank You, GIS Department!

Now it's your turn to help! Look for a Census questionnaire to be mailed or delivered to you February-March 2010. It'll only be 10 questions, about 10 minutes of your time. Fill it out and send it back!

You didn't receive one? Never fear! Questionnaires will be available at select public sites March-April 2010.

You still have not sent one in? Beware! Census takers will visit households that did not return a questionnaire by mail.

So come on! Help your community! Jump on the 2010 Census BanWagon and make sure they have a questionnaire from you.

Best parking karma...

Be Transported!

Today's schedule includes a workshop for Planning Commission members to look over and brainstorm about the next Comprehensive Plan element: Transportation.

We all need some sort of mobility to get from home then back again while we conduct our daily lives. Seniors in our community may have radically different needs than a resident traveling to Myrtle Beach for work. The typical 'soccer parent' may have a high number of evening trips while the single person may have classes by day, but might also be a 'night owl'.

Transportation comes in all sizes. We might use feet or fuel, both having their unique needs and which depend on the landscape for space. A 12-foot wide lane may have its advantages to freight haulers on highways, but it could also accommodate both a car and a bicycle if such a lane was in a residential area.

This plan will be focusing on the anticipated transportation condition over the next 30 years. The plan will look at all modes of transportation, the people who will use it while considering future growth. Security, the environment and neighborhoods will also be considered. Improving the quality of life is the main objective.

Aesthetics play a significant role in the quality of life for Florence residents. Already a concern in many public forums is the notion of improving the entrance corridors to our municipalities. Just look at the online comments in response to a recent Morning News opinion piece. The new land use element of the County comprehensive plan has already established this idea as Goal 19.

As with the past plan elements, we NEED your INpUt! Look for a public meeting coming up in the near future and also look at a new website we are compiling to share the document as it is developed.