Last week The City of Charleston released it’s Plan West Ashley Draft Report, which deals with reshaping, growth, and preservation in West Ashley. The 258-page report is the culmination of ideas generated by community members through several public input sessions and informed by meetings with stakeholders and technical experts. It also incorporates the findings of relevant previous and current studies. The report will serve as a master plan to shape the future of West Ashley’s streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces.
There will also be a series of public meetings about the draft report over the next several weeks. Members of the city, the West Ashley Revitalization Commission, and Dover, Kohl & Partners, the firm who was hired to oversee the Plan West Ashley initiatives, will be on hand.
The purpose of Plan West Ashley is to set policies and identify future public and private actions aimed at enhancing quality of life and protecting the area’s historic, cultural, and natural environment. Five big ideas, organized around the topics of Community Design & Land Use, Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability, Housing, and Economic Development, form the foundation of the plan.
Organized by topic, each chapter of the report contains a summary of existing conditions, community concerns, vision/ goals to address community concerns, and finally implementation steps for immediate (1-2 years), near-term (2-5 years), and longer-term (greater than 5 years) timeframes.
Plan West Ashley is just one of many initiatives currently underway aimed to secure a more prosperous future for our part of town. Among these initiatives are Charleston County’s 1⁄2 cent sales tax projects, and numerous other economic development, housing, open space, sustainability, and preservation plans. Simultaneous efforts include an in depth study of stormwater/drainage for the Church Creek and Wappoo basins, and BCDCOG’s regional transportation studies.
PUBLIC WORKSHOP
Monday, September 18, 6 to 8 p.m.
The Schoolhouse, 720 Magnolia Road
Members of the Dover Kohl planning team, City staff, and the West Ashley Revitalization Commission will receive public comments on the draft report. The public session is a drop-in format. The West Ashley Commission workshop session is from 2 to 5 p.m.
TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE SESSIONS:
Sept. 19 and 26, 8-10 a.m. at WildFlour Pastry, 1750 Savannah Hwy. City staff will be available with copies of the plan. Community members are invited to drop by with comments/questions. West Ashley Commission members may also be present.
WEDNESDAY EVENING FARMERS MARKET SESSIONS:
Sept. 13, 20 & 27, 3-7 p.m. at Ackerman Park, 55 Sycamore Ave. City staff will be available with copies of the plan. Community members are invited to drop by with comments/questions. West Ashley Commission members may also be present.
THURSDAY WORKING LUNCH SESSIONS:
Sept. 14, 21 & 28, 11a.m. -1 p.m. City Planning Department, 2 George St., 3rd floor. City staff will be available with copies of the plan. Community members are invited to drop by with comments/questions. West Ashley Commission members may also be present.
You can also see the draft report in its entirety at www.planwestashley.com/engage. If you would you like to review a hard copy of the draft plan, copies will soon be available at the following locations:
• Hurd/St. Andrews Library
• West Ashley Library (South Windermere)
• Main Library
• Deming Park Community Center
• Bees Landing Rec Center
• Charleston (West Ashley) Tennis Center
• City Hall
• City Planning Dept.
• City Permit Center
