Charleston County News Release

MEDIA CONTACT

Name:   Jennie Davis Flinn, Charleston County Public Information Officer

Phone: (843) 958-4012

Email:   jdavis@charlestoncounty.org

Release Number: 3092

Date: March 30, 2010

Public Asked to Comment on Greenbelt Plan Recommendations

            Greenbelt Advisory Board to present recommendations and comments to County Council

At the request of Charleston County Council, the County’s Greenbelt Advisory Board (GAB) for the Transportation Sales Tax has been in the process of reviewing the Comprehensive Greenbelt Plan.

Before the GAB presents its recommendations to Council, it would like to receive feedback from residents.

On Tuesday, April 13, the GAB will meet at 3 p.m. to draft its recommendations. Citizens are encouraged to attend the meeting to provide input on the recommendations. The meeting will be held in the Charleston County Council Committee Room at the Lonnie Hamilton, III Public Services Building (4045 Bridge View Drive, off Leeds Avenue in North Charleston).

The GAB’s draft recommendations will be available for public comment on April 15. The public can view and comment on the recommendations until Friday, April 23, in the following ways:

• View the recommendations and submit comments online at: www.smallchangeforbigchange.org
   

• Residents without Internet access can contact Cathy L. Ruff, Greenbelt Program Director, at (843) 202-7204 to request a copy of the recommendations and a comment form.

The GAB will review the comments at its Tuesday, April 27, meeting that will be held at 3 p.m. in Charleston County Council Committee Room. The meeting is open to the public.

Below is the timeline for the process of approving the Comprehensive Greenbelt Plan recommendations:

• April 13: GAB drafts recommendations on the Comprehensive Greenbelt Plan during its regular meeting.

• April 15 – 23: Public comment period.

• April 27: GAB reviews public comments and develops final recommendations during its regular meeting.

• April 29: GAB presents its final recommendations and provides the public comments to Charleston County Council’s Finance Committee at 4:15 p.m. in Council’s Committee Room. The final recommendations and compiled list of public comments will be available online at www.smallchangeforbigchange.org

• May 4: A public hearing on the recommendations will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Charleston County Council Chambers on the second floor of the Lonnie Hamilton, III Public Services Building.

• May 4: Charleston County Council will consider the final recommendations at its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers on the second floor of the Lonnie Hamilton, III Public Services Building.

About the Comprehensive Greenbelt Plan

The Comprehensive Greenbelt Plan includes a vision for how the greenbelt program is organized and implemented. Elements of the vision are rural preservation, increased public access to waterways, and maximizing the leveraging of greenbelt funds. The plan contains urban and rural grants programs to distribute the greenbelt portion of the Transportation Sales Tax proceeds through the conservation of greenspace.

The Comprehensive Greenbelt Plan also sets a goal to protect 40,000 acres of greenspace throughout the County. Since the inception of the Greenbelt Program, nearly 17,000 acres have been protected. Of the total greenbelt funds estimated for land purchase during the life of the program, approximately $35 million remains to reach the 40,000-acre goal.

Contact Cathy Ruff by phone at (843) 202-7204 or by e-mail at cruff@charlestoncounty.org for more information about the upcoming meetings, or visit the Transportation Sales Tax Web site at www.smallchangeforbigchange.org to review the Comprehensive Greenbelt Plan and learn about greenbelt initiatives.