AUGUSTA-RICHMOND COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT 1 INTRODUCTION 3 THE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT 3 THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS 4 PUBLIC CONSULTATION 4 PRELIMINARY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES 4 CHAPTER 2 - POPULATION 11 INTRODUCTION 13 THE PLANNING AREA 13 POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD TRENDS 13 Race and Sex Characteristics 17 Population by Age 19 Educational Attainment 21 Income 23 Population by Census Tracts 26 POPULATION, HOUSEHOLD AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS 26 Population Projections 27 Household and Housing Projections 28 Employment Projections 28 ASSESSMENT 30 Population and Households 30 Race and Ethnicity 31 Age of the Population 31 Educational Attainment 32 Income and Poverty 32 CHAPTER 3 – HOUSING 35 INTRODUCTION 37 RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS 37 HOUSING UNIT TRENDS 37 HOUSING TENURE 41 VACANT HOUSING UNITS 42 AGE OF HOUSING 43 HOUSING COST AND AFFORDABILITY 44 i HOUSING CONDITIONS 48 HOUSING FOR THE HOMELESS AND SPECIAL NEEDS POPULATIONS 49 HOUSING PRODUCTION AND PROGRAMS 51 PUBLIC HOUSING 52 ASSESSMENT 52 Type and Location of Housing Units 52 Age and Occupancy Characteristics and Housing Conditions 53 Housing Cost and Affordability 54 Special Needs Housing 54 CHAPTER 4 – ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 57 INTRODUCTION 59 REGIONAL CONTEXT 59 Fort Gordon and the Savannah River Site 60 ECONOMIC BASE OF AUGUSTA 62 Employment by Sector 63 Wage Levels 65 Income and Earnings 66 LABOR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS 70 Labor Force and Employment 70 Labor Force Participation 72 Occupations 73 Commuting Patterns 73 RECENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES AND TRENDS 74 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES 76 Economic Development Agencies 76 Financing Mechanisms 80 ASSESSMENT 83 REGIONAL ECONOMIC CONTEXT 83 ECONOMIC BASE OF AUGUSTA 84 Employment, Wages and Income 84 Labor Force Participation and Commuting 85 ECONOMIC RESOURCES 86 CHAPTER 5 – TRANSPORTATION 87 INTRODUCTION 89 ROAD NETWORK 89 Interstates, Freeways and Expressways 89 Arterials 90 Collectors 91 Local Roads 91 RAIL TRANSPORTATION 91 TRUCKING, PORT FACILITIES AND AVIATION 92 Trucking 92 ii Port Facilities 93 Aviation 93 BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES 94 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION 94 ROAD USE AND CONDITIONS 95 Travel Characteristics 95 Street and Highway System 97 Intersection Problems 100 Vehicle Parking 101 Maintenance Activities 102 LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION 102 ASSESSMENT 103 Road and Bridge Needs 103 Vehicle Parking 106 Rail Transportation 107 Trucking 108 Aviation 109 Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities 110 Public Transportation 111 Transportation and Land Use 113 CHAPTER 6 – COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES 119 INTRODUCTION 121 GENERAL GOVERNMENT 121 PUBLIC SAFETY 122 Richmond County Sheriff's Office 123 Fire Protection 124 Emergency Medical Services 126 Animal Control 127 EDUCATION FACILITIES 127 RECREATION AND PARKS 128 WATER AND SEWER SYSTEMS 129 Water System 129 Finished Water Storage 132 Water Distribution System 132 Wastewater Treatment Facilities 134 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT 135 SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT 137 iii CULTURAL FACILITIES 138 Libraries 138 Museums 138 Augusta Welcome Center 140 Fort Discovery 141 CIVIC CENTER AND SIMILAR FACILITIES 141 James Brown Arena 141 Bell Auditorium 141 Imperial Theatre 141 Sacred Heart Cultural Center 142 Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre 143 OTHER ATTRACTIONS 143 Riverwalk Augusta 143 Augusta Botanical Gardens 143 Springfield Village Park 143 Augusta Common 143 Lake Olmstead Stadium 143 . Phinizy Swamp Nature Park 143 Augusta Canal National Heritage Area 144 HOSPITALS AND HEALTH CARE FACILITIES 144 University Hospital 145 Charlie Norwood Veterans Administration Medical Center 145 Trinity Hospital of Augusta 146 Walton Rehabilitation Hospital 146 Doctors Hospital 146 East Central Regional Hospital at Augusta 147 Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center 147 Medical College of Georgia (MCG) and Hospitals 147 Select Specialty Hospital 148 ASSESSMENT 148 CONSISTENCY WITH SERVICE DELIVERY STRATEGY 148 GENERAL GOVERNMENT 148 PUBLIC SAFETY 149 EDUCATION FACILITIES 149 PARKS AND RECREATION 151 WATER AND SEWER SYSTEMS 151 Future Water Needs 151 Projected Wastewater Flows 153 WATER AND WASTE 153 Water System Improvements 153 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT 156 SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT 156 LIBRARIES AND CULTURAL FACILITIES 156 HOSPITALS AND HEALTH CARE FACILITIES 157 iv CHAPTER 7 – CULTURAL RESOURCES 161 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA 163 HISTORIC PROPERTIES AND DISTRICTS 165 ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES 168 HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACTIVITIES 169 Survey and Nomination 169 Property Restoration 170 Property Rehabilitation and Adaptive Reuse 171 Local Historic Preservation Programs 171 Participation in Preservation Programs 172 Historic Documents and Records 173 ASSESSMENT 173 CHAPTER 8 - NATURAL RESOURCES & GREENSPACE 177 INTRODUCTION 179 AUGUSTA’S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT 179 Climate 179 Topography 180 ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING CRITERIA 180 Overview of Water Resources 181 Aquifer and Groundwater Recharge Areas 182 Recharge Areas with Low Susceptibility to Pollution 183 Recharge Areas with Medium Susceptibility to Pollution 183 Recharge Areas with High Susceptibility to Pollution 184 Wetlands 185 Water Supply Watersheds 187 Protected River Corridor 189 ADDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS 190 Floodplains 190 Soils 191 Agricultural and Forest Land 193 Plant and Animal Habitat 194 MAJOR PARKS, RECREATION AND CONSERVATION AREAS 195 Savannah River 195 Augusta Canal 195 Phinizy Swamp Wildlife Management Area 196 Phinizy Swamp Nature Park 196 Merry Brickyard Ponds 197 Spirit Creek Education Forest 197 AIR QUALITY 198 GREENSPACE PROGRAM 203 ASSESSMENT 204 Groundwater Recharge Areas 204 v Wetlands 205 Water Supply Watersheds 205 Protected River Corridor 206 Floodplains 206 Soils 206 Other Significant Natural Resources 206 CHAPTER 9 – LAND USE 211 INTRODUCTION 213 LAND USE CATEGORIES 213 EXISTING LAND USE 214 AREAS REQUIRING SPECIAL ATTENTION 216 Significant Natural and Cultural Resources 217 Areas Where Rapid Development or Change of Land Use is Likely 217 Areas Where Development May Outpace Resources and Services 218 Areas in Need of Redevelopment and / or Aesthetic Improvements 218 Large Abandoned Structures or Sites 219 Areas with Significant Infill Opportunities 219 Areas with Significant Disinvestment 219 RECOMMENDED NEIGHBORHOOD AREAS (PRELIMINARY) 219 Downtown Augusta 220 Old Augusta Neighborhoods 220 West Augusta Area 221 South Augusta Area 222 East Augusta Area 222 Belair 223 South Richmond 223 Fort Gordon 224 ADJOINING COMMUNITIES IN RICHMOND COUNTY 224 Hephzibah 224 Blythe 225 CHAPTER 10 – STATE QUALITY COMMUNITY OBJECTIVES 233 INTERGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION 235 Service Delivery Strategy 235 Developments of Regional Impact 235 Regionally Important Resources 235 Regional Planning and Development 235 Coordination with Fort Gordon 236 Transportation 236 Water Resources Protection 236 Water and Wastewater Service 236 Air Quality 236 Land Use 236 Planning and Related Studies 236 vi Coordination with Richmond County Board of Education 236 STATE QUALITY COMMUNITY OBJECTIVES 237 Quality Community Objectives 237 Regional Identity Objective 237 Growth Preparedness Objective 238 Appropriate Businesses Objective 238 Educational Opportunities Objective 239 Employment Options Objective 239 Heritage Preservation Objective 240 Open Space Preservation Objective 241 Environmental Protection Objective 241 Regional Cooperation Objective 242 Transportation Alternatives Objective 242 Regional Solutions Objective 243 Housing Opportunities Objective 243 Traditional Neighborhood Objective 244 Infill Development Objective 244 Sense of Place Objective 245 CHAPTER 11 – COMMUNITY AGENDA 247 PURPOSE 249 PARTICIPATION PROCESS 249 Public Notification and Involvement 249 Public Meetings 250 Comprehensive Plan Committee 250 COMMUNITY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES (FINAL) 251 COMMUNITY VISION 253 General Vision Statement 253 Future Development Map 253 Neighborhood Area Narrative 255 IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM 280 Goals and Policies 280 Short-Term Work Program 294 Supplemental Plans 303 Plan Amendments and Updates 305 LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS P-1 Population and Household Trends, 1980 – 2000 14 P-2 Comparison of Population Trends, 1990 – 2006 15 P-3 Recent Population and Household Trends, 2000 - 2010 15 P-4 Comparison of Population Trends, 2000 – 2006 16 Percent Change in Population, 2000 – 2006* 17 P-5 Population Trends by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2000 – 2010 18 vii Projection of Racial Trends, 2005-2025* 18 P-6 Population by Sex, 2000 – 2010 19 P-7 Trends in Population by Age, 2000-2020 20 Age Distribution Projections, 2010-2030* 20 P-8 Educational Attainment, 1990-2000 21 Educational Attainment, 2000* 22 P-9 Selected Education Statistics, 1995-2001 22 Education Attainment Projections, 2005-2030* 23 P-10 Total Personal Income Trends, 2000-2005 23 P-11 Household and Per Capita Income Trends, 2000-2010 24 P-12 Household Income Distribution Trends, 2000-2010 25 Percent Population below Poverty Level, 2000 & 2006* 26 P-13 Population Projections, 2005 – 2030 27 P-14 Household and Housing Unit Projections, 2005-2030 28 P-15 Employment Projections, 2010 – 2030 29 P-16 Population Trends, 1950-2000 31 H-1 Total Housing Units, 1990 – 2006 38 Housing Unit Trends, 1960 – 2006* 38 H-2 Housing Unit Trends, 2000 – 2006 39 Percent Change in Housing Units, 2000 – 2006* 40 Units in Structure (Percent), 2006* 41 Residential Building Permits, 2000 – 2006* 41 H-3 Housing Tenure, 2006 42 H-4 Housing Vacancy Status, 2000 43 H-5 Year Structure Built, 2006 44 H-6 Supply of Affordable Housing, 2000 44