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JOHNS ISLAND - The public got its first look at Charleston County's plan for
spending $221 million in greenbelt money from the new half-cent sales tax,
and while many had questions, they also seemed to like what they saw.
Fred Wichmann, a James Island resident, thanked the volunteer board members
who worked on the plan, and most of the 75 people who turned out clapped
their hands. Their clapping continued when Wichmann said: "Let's don't
postpone acquiring land that is to be acquired. Let's borrow some money now,
float some bonds and go for it."
The plan, developed by the Greenbelt Advisory Board and the county's
consultant, Greenways Inc., calls for giving about $60 million to the
county's Parks and Recreation Commission to buy parks. The remaining money
would be split 70-30 in rural and urban areas, respectively.
Chuck Flink of Greenways said the county already has about 166,000 protected
acres, and the plan calls for preserving 40,000 more - or 30 percent of the
county's land mass.
"That allows us to protect not only the landscape but also the lifestyle
people cherish," he said. The plan also sets a goal of having 200 miles of
bike and pedestrian trails by 2030.
Specifically, the plan calls for preserving 16,240 acres in the county's
rural areas; protecting 10,275 acres privately owned inside the Francis
Marion National Forest; conserving 5,610 acres of wetlands; buying 4,675
acres for new regional parks; acquiring 2,000 acres for urban greenbelts and
1,200 acres for greenway corridors.
Most of those who came to the workshop didn't question the plan's visions or
goals but had specific questions about how the money would be spent, whether
it would preserve enough wetlands, how it could create new opportunities for
fishing and crabbing and how the new parks and trails would be kept up.
County Council will make the final decision on greenbelt spending, but it's
still unclear which groups council might rely on to provide recommendations.
The Greenbelt Advisory Board is expected to discuss that issue when it meets
at 2 p.m. today at the county's North Charleston offices.
If you go
The county is holding four identical workshops on its greenbelt plan. All
begin at 5:30 p.m. at the following dates and locations:
--Today at the Charleston Museum in downtown Charleston.
--Wednesday at the county's Public Services Building in North Charleston.
--Thursday at the Mount Pleasant Regional Library.
For more information, call Cathy Ruff at 202-7204 or visit
www.smallchangeforbigchange.org and click on "Greenbelt" or e-mail cruff@charlestoncounty.org.
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