The Clarendon County Planning Commission held a workshop on August 23 at the County Administration Building. Planning Commission Director Maria Rose and Susan Landfried from Santee Lynches provided a detailed and comprehensive 10-year plan to the board for consideration to take effect in January 2019.
Rose and Landfried prefaced their plan with an in-depth report that included statistics outlining and defining the following: Negligible Population Growth, Aging Population, Affordable Housing Challenges, Income and Wages, Lack of Residential Development, Educational Status, Economic Landscape, Natural Resources, Transportation and Land Use.
They also shared the results of their public engagement survey that opened just prior to The Striped Bass Festival and closed the end of June and included 144 responses to their two question survey. They also held eight separate public engagement sessions throughout the county and the total inputs including the survey and public engagement sessions totaled 554 participants/contacts. The response summary clearly indicated the topic of highest concern amongst respondents is the need for recreational facilities and programs for our youth and families county wide. Other areas of concern include better paying jobs, public transportation and affordable housing.
Rose and Landfried then presented their plan that includes three goals supported by clearly defined objectives detailed with comprehensive strategies to achieve the stated goals.
The Planning Commission will meet this month to consider the plan in detail and begin the process of finalizing their 10-year plan.
