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Richland County completes discovery phase of comprehensive-plan update; land-use scenarios and summer council workshop planned
Summary
Community Planning & Development director said Phase 1 public engagement yielded more than 500 survey responses and common themes including demand for parks, mixed-use growth and affordable housing; the county will present future land-use scenarios to the public May 1 and schedule weekly county meetings that month.
Richland County’s Community Planning & Development Department reported March 4 that it has completed phase one — the discovery phase — of the county’s comprehensive-plan update and will move into development of future land-use scenarios this spring.
Director Sunithia Williams told council the department collected more than 500 survey responses and held public forums, small-group presentations and one-on-one resident outreach. "Seventy-one percent of those respondents are full time residents of the county and over half have lived in the county for over 20 plus years," Williams said.
Williams summarized recurring themes from public engagement: desire for more parks and retail, encouragement of mixed-use and workforce housing, concerns about traffic and environmental protection, and requests for greater county communication about plans. She said the county will offer one-on-one briefings for councilmembers and that the advisory committee’s next meeting is March 24 to review the existing-conditions assessment.
The department plans a public forum to present future land-use scenarios on May 1, followed by a series of public meetings around the county through May. Williams said the scenarios will let residents visualize potential development patterns so they can give more specific feedback.
Administrator Brown and Williams urged continued public participation through the online survey and the idea board. Council members asked that staff meet individually with council before the summer workshop so members are not surprised by the scenarios.
