The Hartsville Community Planning Assistance Team (CPAT) is returning Thursday, Jan. 15 to deliver its final presentation to the community, titled “A Framework for Neighborhood Revitalization in South Hartsville.” The plan to be presented will describe steps that stakeholders can take toward building a more vibrant and sustainable community.
The presentation will take place at the Butler Heritage Center auditorium, 1103 S. Sixth St. in Hartsville, from 6 to 8 p.m.
The presentation comes after the City of Hartsville sought out a Community Planning Assistance Team from the American Planning Association, in which professional city planners volunteer their time to provide new perspectives in everything from economic development to transportation and housing.South Hartsville requested that the volunteer team help the community plan to reach its full potential and address challenges such as vacant properties and limited economic opportunities. In September 2014, the CPAT invited Hartsville residents to participate in open forums and walking tours to express their ideas about the assets and challenges of South Hartsville as part of the development of the new Revitalization Plan.
Recommendations in the final report from the team include:
- Focus on the revitalization and stabilization of housing.
- Improve accessibility throughout the community and remove physical barriers that inhibit mobility.
- Provide essential services such as youth programming, public health and pedestrian amenities.
- Create a receptive environment for new businesses and new job opportunities.
- Enhance the connection of the South Hartsville neighborhood to the City of Hartsville.
- Honor the neighborhood’s cultural history and identity by creating a heritage trail.
- Eliminate barriers that prevent or discourage public participation.
“Our final report provides a framework for the community to continue moving forward toward an improved future,” said Marijoan Bull, AICP, the volunteer planning team leader. “It is now up to the community to continue the momentum and refine these ideas through implementation.”
Team leader Marijoan Bull, AICP, is an associate professor at Westfield State University in Massachusetts. Team members included: Kimberly Burton, AICP, president of Burton Planning Services and assistant professor at Ohio State University; Karen Campblin, AICP, founder of ktcPLAN, LLC; Alina Gross, a professor and public engagement expert; and Bridget Wiles, chief operations officer/TA director at APD Urban Planning and Management.
The community planning assistance team program was established in 1995. Previous teams have worked in Franklin, Tennessee; Laney Walker/Bethlehem, Augusta, Georgia; Dubuque, Iowa; and Lyons Colorado, among other locations.
More information about the Hartsville project and its findings can be found at https://www.planning.org/communityassistance/teams/hartsville/ or by calling Brenda Kelley at 843.383.3009 or Heather Garrison at 843.339.2868.