Jim Fair
David Langley, center, said Greer is ripe for a third master plan that will produce results like the city and municipal complexes.
“The underlying thing not talked about is that Greer is a small town with a lot of character and is in the middle of an international business community,” said David Langley. “The question is ‘how do you grow without losing the value that makes Greer unique?’”
Greer has hosted three well-attended workshops in the past 18 months – South Carolina Inland Port, high-speed passenger rail, and citizens voicing their wish list for roads and repairs.
Thursday’s workshop will have a brief introductory presentation. “Tables will be set up for informal discussions with representatives for your vision for the future. This is an opportunity for all of us to plan the community out for years to come,” said Langley.
Langley, of Langley and Associates, has designed many buildings in greater Greer and is on the Board of Architectural Review to ensure standards are maintained for the integrity of the historical district and other neighborhoods.
The Partnership for Tomorrow (PFT), a visionary entity of community leaders, has developed two Greer Master Plans that have resulted in a Greer City Hall, City Park and the Municipal Complex housing the police and courts.
Those venues, including the Cannon Centre, have become a gem that government and business organizations around the Carolinas have visited while hosting workshops and meetings. Often PFT representatives are asked for guidance how to land similar complexes.
“The Municipal Complex is proof that the planning process works,” said Ed Driggers, Greer’s City Administrator and chair of the Community Master Plan Committee. “Master planning isn’t predicting the future. It’s the science of determining where we are as a city and what we want it to become in the near future. Community input makes that possible.”
“There are a lot of variables taking place and it will take a few months before we put a plan (Greer Master Plan) in place,” Langley said. “We’ve seen a lot happening in the city we’ve not seen in five to six years.”
The Greer Community Master Plan’s goals are to create a community-wide vision to guide growth and development; to improve the stability, physical condition, and economic wellbeing of the city; and to make Greer a more livable and sustainable community of choice between now and 2030.
Among topics that affect quality of life and economic vitality are: infrastructure, parks and open space, housing choices and affordability, walkable neighborhoods, protecting existing neighborhoods, road congestion, transportation choices and connectivity, downtown development, and development pattern.
An informative website helps the community to remain informed about the Greer Community Master Plan. Individuals may sign up for a mailing list that will keep them informed through the planning process.
A community survey is available for individuals to share their thoughts.
“We will take all the results with public comment and pool them into different areas by choosing categories and different topics,” Langley said.