By Natalie M. Zeigler
City Manager
Driving around town recently, you may have noticed traffic cones going up at several key points around Hartsville. This is a small but exciting sign of things to come, as no less than three street upgrade projects are about to begin.
Late last year, the City of Hartsville sought an extension of the areas in which Hartsville’s Multi-County Business Park funds may be used to include our downtown district, and was granted this by Darlington County Council. This special tax district, which includes the business districts on Fourth and Fifth streets as well as Second Street, has generated property tax revenues which have been used for general infrastructure improvements within the district. Over time, however, we have seen that some of the greatest improvement needs are found downtown, and for this reason, we sought the ability to use these funds there.
Two of the current projects fall within the original boundaries of the district – a new traffic signal at the intersection of South Fifth Street and Hartsville Crossing, and another at the intersection of East Carolina Avenue and Second Street. These will help address a couple of major traffic needs around town. In the case of the Hartsville Crossing intersection, the new light will help traffic flow for the vehicles that now have difficulty turning onto South Fifth Street when leaving the Walmart area. On East Carolina Avenue, the traffic light will help establish a safer pedestrian connection between the main Coker College campus and the portion of campus across East Carolina which continues to grow, including the new DeLoach Center, the new dormitories and the athletic fields. These sites will have decorative mast-arm traffic lights, similar to those now found downtown, as well as new decorative pedestrian crossings and landscaping, including fencing along the South Fifth Street right of way at the Butler campus.
The other major project about to begin is the streetscaping along South Fourth Street past the under-construction Hampton Inn and Suites. When the Hampton Inn was first planned, it was designed to be built close to South Fourth Street to help create the out-to-the-curb feel which characterizes historic business districts, and which will essentially allow for the extension of downtown Hartsville’s look along that block. The streetscaping work comes as a part of that, creating new brick sidewalks, new trees and streetlights, and new downtown street parking.
Between improving several traffic concerns and continuing the redevelopment of Hartsville’s downtown, which continues to serve as a significant economic asset, these projects will benefit the community in many ways. Additional efforts that will get underway soon – the repaving of the deteriorated East College Avenue, its sidewalks and its parking lots – will achieve more benefits still. A thriving city requires ongoing reinvestment into its own infrastructure, and I’m glad to say the City is making huge strides toward that need.
Natalie Zeigler is the City Manager of Hartsville. For more information, call City Hall at 843-383-3015 or email info2@hartsvillesc.gov.