By: Natalie M. Zeigler
City Manager
It is time to shape a new vision of our city. This year we will begin crafting a new comprehensive plan that will layout goals, objectives and a series of strategies that will help us achieve new milestones for our growing municipality. Our current plan, Hartsville 2020, has been a comprehensive guide for all of the City’s projects and priorities. It was developed through joint efforts between The City’s Planning Commission, Planning and Development staff, the Steering Committee, the Housing Committee, Community Facilities Committee, Cultural and Recreational Resources Committee, Economic Development Committee, Land Use Committee, and many passionate community members. The Hartsville 2020 Plan was reviewed and recommended by the Hartsville Planning Commission and then adopted by the City Council in February of 2008.
We’ve met, or on track to complete, many of the goals set by the Hartsville 2020 plan. We want to continue striving for better. We need a new plan that gathers data on trends, projections, local characteristics and demographics. Having this information readily available can help guide officials and assist local leaders maintain and improve life in Hartsville.
With the Hartsville 2020 plan we started by imagining what Hartsville could look like two decades into the 21st century. Our new plan will begin with a similar exercise, by envisioning Hartsville in the year 2030.
Of course, there are key areas of focus, namely, population growth. We want to expand and welcome more residents without losing what makes Hartsville special. The new plan will have to identify central aspects of the City’s charm and culture that make us unique. We want to propose inventive ways to showcase and build upon these traits in order to establish a stronger sense of community identity. This will attract more people to visit and settle in Hartsville, creating greater diversity and opportunity.
Attracting new faces to Hartsville will also require the Hartsville 2030 plan make housing a priority. It is important we have a variety of housing to accommodate diverse incomes and lifestyles; housing plays a major role in the social and physical health of the overall community. The new plan will examine our current housing supply and provide strategies to promote safe and affordable neighborhoods. This will also help use retain current citizens.
Economic development is a vital factor in developing a plan for the future of Hartsville. In 2030, Hartsville will have seen substantial residential and commercial development and an increasing population. Naturally, we expect our local economy to have grown as well. Our new plan will propose ways to maintain known local businesses while aiding the development of new industries. The idea is to craft steps to bring more jobs to Hartsville and reinforce the sustainability of the local economy.
Generating a new comprehensive plan will help us achieve things that we might not yet be able grasp. Visioning what we want for Hartsville, no matter how unreachable that vision might appear, is an excellent way to define ourselves now, as a community, and ensure Hartsville continues to be a place we are all proud to live and work. Moving forward successfully requires taking time to examine our past, evaluate the present and plan for the future.
Planning Commission Chair Curtis Lee and the entire planning commission will be working on the 2030 plan along with City staff. If any citizens would like to be involved, email Senior Planner Brenda Kelley at Brenda.kelley@hartsvillesc.gov.