By Natalie M. Zeigler
City Manager
Building a community, as has been said many times, is a team effort. Too many people, perspectives and backgrounds are involved for it to ever work as a top-down process; it takes the involvement of many of the people who call the community home.
Over quite a few years here in Hartsville, the Oakdale Neighborhood, a place which no one can claim to be in decline anymore, has shown us the value of teamwork. A City of Hartsville-sought Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), made possible by the S.C. Department of Commerce, brought numerous safety projects like new streetlights and an in-residence police officer to the community. At the same time, a passionate and dedicated Neighborhood Association came together and led the charge to improve their community with everything from cleanup days to a crime watch.
Now, the City is seeking CDBG funding for Hartsville’s other eligible community, the South Hartsville neighborhood. This application, which is expected to have a decision by the end of the year, proposes that a portion of the money would be used to demolish the Lincoln Village apartments, a large-scale blight which has troubled South Hartsville for a long time. The experience of recent years has shown that the costs of tearing the complex down as a way of supporting and protecting nearby housing are too great for private development. Using CDBG funds for this large-scale project, along with the Community Foundation for a Better Hartsville’s Residential Demolition Assistance Program for smaller blight problems, helps us set the stage for the ultimate goal: private infill development in South Hartsville.
Another portion of the CDBG funds could be used for some of the same projects as seen in Oakdale: new sidewalks, streetlights and cameras. Of course, plugging in all of these puzzle pieces doesn’t do much without a committed resident population pushing for improvement. That’s why it has been so gratifying to see the ongoing work of the South Hartsville Neighborhood Association.
The group has been making excellent use of the revitalization plan, completed earlier this year by volunteers from the American Planning Association, which provided a road map for the future development of the region’s housing, transportation, commerce and identity. The Neighborhood Association has already sent volunteers to conduct surveys to better understand the area’s housing needs and has created a newsletter to keep residents informed. The group has collaborated with Habitat for Humanity to develop a targeted residential façade improvement effort. It has also partnered with the Byerly Foundation and with the City to create a low-income entrepreneur revolving loan fund program.
In short, South Hartsville these days has a large number of people and organizations coming to the table and working toward a common goal. It’s an exciting process to see, but more importantly, it’s the best way there is to build a better Hartsville.
Natalie Zeigler is the City Manager of Hartsville. For more information, call City Hall at 843-383-3015 or email info2@hartsvillesc.gov.