Long-range planning efforts for the west side of Greenville – which includes the neighborhoods of Southernside, West Greenville, the West End, Hampton-Pinckney Historic District, and the recently renamed Village of West Greenville – kicked into high gear last week with the first of many community-wide involvement sessions.
About 40 people attended a planning luncheon sponsored by Connections for Sustainability, a grant project that received $1.8 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) as part of the interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities. The city’s proposal was one of 42 chosen throughout the country to receive funds, and only one of 14 to receive joint funding from HUD and DOT.
Long-term planning efforts have paid off tremendously in recent years, spearheading recent downtown development announcements. Downtown Greenville, the West End and Heritage Green all have master plans in place to guide both commercial and residential development.
Mary Douglas Hirsch, downtown development manager for the City of Greenville, explained to participants that “mixed-use development is a key component of our planning efforts.”
Even though there’s a current master plan in place for the west side of Greenville, “the new planning initiative will build on this one,” said Hirsch. The Comprehensive Plan will build on all of the existing plans completed for the west side, and incorporate lessons and strategies identified in the Housing Strategy and Transit Feasibility Study.
The objective of the plan will be to document areas where revitalization can best occur, recommend tools for managing this growth to avoid involuntary displacement of residents, and outline strategies to address issues related to affordable housing options, transportation choices, parks and open space, and economic development on the west side.
The consultant team leading this process is The Lawrence Group. The team has already put together an outline with key issues and guiding principles for the project’s four areas of focus: Economic Development, Parks/Trails/Open Space, Housing, and Transportation. They’ve also been gathering data and doing analysis, as well as interviewing resident leaders to prepare for the robust public engagement schedule.
“Having a strong neighborhood helps a commercial area to renovate and renew,” said Hirsch. “Over the last 12 months or so, the momentum in that area has really caught on. Buildings have been renovated, a number of new, unique stores have moved in, and the city is planning a new streetscape renovation to a portion of Pendleton Street in the district.”
Planning efforts began in July 2013 and will continue through December 2013, when the final plan is to be presented.
