Diverse panel of experts will offer its ideas for city's future
By TIM GULLA Ledger Staff Writer tim@gaffneyledger.com

There's an old saying that free advice is usually worth what it costs.

Gaffney officials, however, couldn't pass up on the free advice they're being offered from economic development, land use and urban planning professionals from across the state.

The South Carolina Urban Land Institute initiated a program called Sustainable Leadership in which professionals of varied backgrounds were asked to tackle planning and development questions posed by South Carolina communities.

Six towns, including Gaffney, were selected and teams of eight professionals from outside the region were assigned to each town to come up with suggestions or solutions.

In his letter requesting the Sustainable Leadership Institute's assistance, Gaffney Mayor Henry Jolly noted much of county's housing growth has occurred outside city limits in the unincorporated areas. With that in mind, he asked the Sustainable Leadership Institute members to help answer how the city can better meet the need for affordable housing, how it can add new homes into the city's historic district while protecting the character and integrity of the neighborhoods, and for help in formulating a comprehensive strategy for bringing housing opportunities into the downtown.

Members of the panel assigned to assist Gaffney have already visited the area to do research, and they'll be back again this Thursday and Friday.

A key aspect of the process, several members of the panel said, will be a "visioning session" that will be held Thursday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Capri Theatre on North Limestone Street.

During this session, panel members will provide an informal way for area residents to offer suggestions of their own.

"We want to hear from folks who love Gaffney," said team member Patrick Mason, co-founder of the magazine Carolina Living. "The whole idea is to move Gaffney forward."

While it would be great for people to spend the entire three hours with the panel, team member Fred Delk said any time local residents, business owners, or even people who just pass through Gaffney can spare will be welcome and valuable.

"You can come for 10 minutes, or the whole three hours. The point is to have an exchange of information ... to see the vision of the people of Gaffney," Delk said.

Delk serves as the executive director of the Columbia Development Corporation, which does economic development work in the commercial and entertainment districts of Columbia.

All of the information gleaned from the visioning session will be commingled with the ideas the team members generate and their findings will be be presented this Friday, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Capri Theatre.

Team members were enthused about their visits to Gaffney and the work they were asked to perform.

"Everybody who has come to Gaffney so far has been impressed," Delk said. "It's a really nice town. The downtown of Gaffney has great building stock, really beautiful buildings and an interesting mix of local businesses, some of them fabulous, fabulous businesses."

Delk said he personally loved his visits to Hartzog's jewelers, the Capri Theatre and Harold's.

"These are pieces of uniquely Gaffney community character that you have there that outsiders would love to be exposed to," Delk said. "That's what I liked about Gaffney."

Other team members that are working on the Sustainable Leadership project in Gaffney include: Mary Beth Branham of LS3P Associates, Ed Garrison from the Town of Blythewood, Matt Kennell from the City Center Partnership, Gene Luna from the University of South Carolina, Bob Mundy from States Inc., and Milton Pope from the County of Richland.

This is the first year the Sustainable Leadership Institute is offering these services to South Carolina communities, said Paige King, executive director of the South Carolina Urban Land Institute. There are 54 members of the current Sustainable Leadership class.

Highlighting the differences between the state's communities, the questions the volunteers are tackling vary widely among the six communities selected this year.

Clearwater, for instance, sought the volunteer free advice from experts on the development of an 84-acre abandoned mill site, while Buford sought advice on how to best protect and develop a highway corridor.

All of the broad issues, however, revolved around several central themes, King said, such as how to revitalize local economies, bring in more jobs and maintain the character of communities.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK?

HOW DO you get more people to live in Gaffney? A panel of experts from the Sustainable Leadership Institute is volunteering its services to help the city answer that question.

THEY'D LIKE some help from Gaffney residents, business owners and people who shop or do business in the downtown.

Anyone with suggestions can talk with the panel members this Thursday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Capri Theatre on North Limestone Street.

THE PANEL will take all comments and suggestions it receives into account when it presents its findings this Friday, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the movie theater.