City of Hardeeville Comprehensive Plan 2019 Plan
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City of Hardeeville Comprehensive Plan 2019 Plan July 10, 2019 Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1 - 1 Vision Statement……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….1 - 2 Chapter 2 Population…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………2 - 1 Chapter 3 Economic Development……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……3 - 1 Chapter 4 Cultural Resources……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….…4 - 1 Chapter 5 Natural Resources…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….5 - 1 Chapter 6 Community Facilities……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…6 - 1 Chapter 7 Transportation…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….7 - 1 Chapter 8 Housing………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….8 - 1 Chapter 9 Land Use…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...9 - 1 Chapter 10 Priority Investment……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…10 – 1 Appendix List of Acronyms Used in this Report…………………………………………………………………………………….…Appendix A HARDEEVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN - 2019 INTRODUCTION The Hardeeville Comprehensive Plan presents a conceptual framework for future growth and development of the City. It is a planning document that describes current conditions, defines future goals, and outlines a series of strategies for accomplishing these goals. This Plan is intended to serve as a tool for guiding development decisions over the next ten years. It is also designed to be flexible, with annual evaluations and reassessments of its goals and strategies, and reviews conducted every five years. Every ten years a new, updated Plan must be developed and adopted. This document serves as the ten-year update and meets all requirements of the 2014 Comprehensive Planning Guide for Local Governments. This document complies with the South Carolina Local Government Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act of 1994. The Act consolidates existing planning legislation for local governments into one law and defines a set of requirements that must be met for the planning activities of a local government to be legal. In particular, the Act describes required comprehensive plan elements, defines the implementation roles of the City Council, Planning Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals, and outlines the public review process and procedures for adopting Comprehensive Plans. Although the Comprehensive Plan was developed in response to the State’s mandate, it is also premised on the City of Hardeeville’s unique characteristics, historical trends, and current conditions. The goals and strategies presented here are intended to reflect the City’s desire to develop a reputation as a growing, vibrant town with a desirable quality of life. INTRODUCTION | 1-1 HARDEEVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN - 2019 VISION STATEMENT Our vision for the future of Hardeeville is tempered by its history. Hardeeville is characterized by its natural scenic beauty, active and future ports, extensive history, truly diverse culture, and potentially vibrant business climate. However, our greatest asset is our people. All of these attributes contribute to its accelerating growth and development. As this growth continues, it is essential that the people embrace a true vision for the City which respects the natural environment and traditional lifestyles, allows for responsible growth and quality development with an emphasis on regional cooperation. Historically a community tied to the rail system and timber industry, vast expanses of land remain in some form of silviculture use. The available land in such use with infrastructure in place and access to future and existing ports offers great potential for the future development of Hardeeville. We should make every effort to support these activities for cultural, economic and scenic reasons. Today many of our recreation activities, quality of life, and tourist attractions are derived from our waterways, scenic beauty, close proximity to historic resources, and abundant natural resources. These should be preserved and protected for future generations. Additionally, any visionary transition into the 21st Century mandates quality education. The economic base of the City is shifting; as a community we should encourage this diversification and growth while providing for a variety of opportunities without compromising traditional values and settlement patterns. Regionally, major employers are the Georgia port, tourism, the medical industry, the government and military, and increasingly logistics and distribution. As we support these economic activities and quality growth, coordination and cooperation among our neighbors must occur resulting in improved service delivery, high quality development, and unity. This health vibrant community must look to the past, consider the present, and plan for the future in order to remain a superior place to live, work, and play. Hardeeville … our future awaits. VISION STATEMENT | 1-2 HARDEEVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN - 2019 Population Element Hardeeville 2019 Comprehensive Plan Update July 2019 POPULATION ELEMENT | 2-1 HARDEEVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN - 2019 Chapter 2 Population Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................. 4 IMPLICATIONS OF POPULATION FORECASTS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 TRENDS AND PROJECTIONS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5 HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6 EDUCATIONAL LEVELS AND TRENDS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 RACE/GENDER/AGE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10 SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 NEEDS AND GOALS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………12 GOALS AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….13 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY/ACTION PLAN…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...14 POPULATION ELEMENT | 2-2 HARDEEVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN - 2019 Tables and Figures Table 2.1: Population Projections ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Table 2.2: Population Change by Percentage 2010 to 2015…………………………………………………………………………………………….6 Figure 2.1: Percent Occupied Housing Units……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7 Figure 2.2 Average Family Size………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7 Figure 2.3 Income by County…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 Figure 2.4 Poverty by County…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9 Figure 2.5 Median Age…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10 Figure 2.6 Percent 65 Years and Over……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………10 Figure 2.7 Percent Black or African American………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 Table 2.3 Population Implementation Strategy/Action Plan………………………………………………………………………………………….14 POPULATION ELEMENT | 2-3 HARDEEVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN - 2019 Chapter 2 INTRODUCTION Information relevant to a clear understanding of how the population affects the existing situation and future potential of the area is key to implementing the Vision of the City of Hardeeville. This element will cover demographics and statistics as provided by the US Census Bureau based on the 2010 Census and mid-decade estimates from 2015. For the past several years, Hardeeville has been the fastest growing municipality in South Carolina by population. Since 2010 the number of residents has risen an unprecedented 73% with an estimated population in July 2015 of 5,301. A population forecast will impact you whether you are a county, city, or other stakeholder in the comprehensive planning process. The forecast is a fundamental step in the periodic update process as it informs growth decisions and impacts budget decisions related to capital facilities, transportation infrastructure and all other elements of the Comprehensive Plan. The process should be collaborative in nature. Countywide planning policies often provide detail on the role of cities and counties, and may identify a process for reaching agreement on population forecasts and growth targets. Early and frequent communication between counties, municipalities, and service providers leads to better decisions. Coordination also prevents potential legal challenges that undermine long-term relationships and drain resources from local budgets. Implications of Population Forecasts Selecting a population projection should represent a data-driven decision that is the cornerstone of long-range planning efforts. One of the major pitfalls to avoid is adopting a population projection based on a desired outcome, rather than a projection grounded in reliable data and historical trends. Planners should recognize that projecting growth is a technical exercise and that policy decisions should be made separately, after finalizing a forecast. Cities and counties should work together to develop the regional projection based on the most likely growth scenario. Policy discussions should focus on issues local governments can influence directly, such as development patterns and their impact on rural character, trade-offs between increasing density and impact on services, and economic development strategies to support and facilitate future growth. Overly optimistic forecasts can result in long-term infrastructure commitments that