Comprehensive Plan Update 2014 TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT Planning Commission October 17, 2013

 The Comprehensive Plan contains a vision for the Town and a framework to achieve that vision.  Nine plan elements: Population, Housing, Economics, Community Facilities, Natural Resources, Land Use, Cultural Resources, Transportation, and Priority Investment.  Each element contains an inventory of existing conditions, community developed goals, and strategies for achieving those goals.  The Plan also contains an action plan with timeframes and designated departments/organizations to accomplish specific tasks.  Future Land Use map  The Plan is used as a guiding document when reviewing developments. Project submittals should be compatible with the adopted Comprehensive Plan. WHAT IS IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED SINCE TAKEN FROM ACTION PLAN Housing Continue to research workforce housing incentives such as expedited permit review and density bonuses, and monitor the effectiveness of existing incentives. ONGOING. Urban Corridor - Overlay District incentives; Workforce Housing Exemption Grant program. Develop accessory dwelling regulations to permit more of these types of units and ensure they are constructed in a manner consistent with surrounding development. COMPLETE. Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinance (#09062) adopted 9/08/09. Revise Traditional Neighborhood Development regulations. This may be done during the Zoning Code revision. Provide incentives to development community to include universal design elements in new residential construction. Land Use Encourage the donation of easements as a tax deduction for the proposed Cultural Landscape District. Pursue funding for conservation easements. COMPLETE. Hamlin property purchased, Cultural Landscape District ordinance adopted, Oyster Point Park Research incentives to promote redevelopment, including parking reductions, public funding for infrastructure and public spaces, and other funding mechanisms. Determine which obstacles exist in the Town that hinder redevelopment. ONGOING Implement a Green Building outreach program to promote energy efficiency and environmentally sensitive construction techniques. ONGOING. New Town Hall facility will be a green facility. Develop Master Plans for the Waterfront Gateway Districts. COMPLETE. Waterfront Gateway ordinance (#12076) adopted 11/14/12 Rewrite the appropriate sections of the Zoning Code to implement the changes in the Comprehensive Plan, including specific criteria governing development and redevelopment in designated Community Nodes, Neighborhood Nodes, and Core Redevelopment Corridors. ONGOING Revise land use protections for areas designated as Community Conservation. Can be incorporated with Zoning Code update. ONGOING. Cultural Landscape District ordinance (#12074) adopted. Develop a Redevelopment Plan for Chuck Dawley Boulevard. COMPLETE. Urban Corridor - Overlay District ordinance (#10081) adopted. Plan and design a series of Green Gateways into the Town. ONGOING. Park at Patriots Point Blvd. and Coleman Blvd. complete. Commence integrated Comprehensive Plan and Long Range Transportation Plan Update. Adopt and implement the Johnnie Dodds Boulevard Master Plan. COMPLETE. Urban Corridor - Overlay District ordinance (#10081) adopted. Continue to coordinate with Charleston County on land use issues for unincorporated areas within the Town's planning area. ONGOING

WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED SINCE TAKEN FROM ACTION PLAN Economics Continue developing and implementing the Town Tourism Plan. ONGOING. Adoption of 2009 Tourism Action Plan. TAP being updated in Conduct a bi-annual survey of Mount Pleasant's workforce. Use data to attract professional and management businesses to the Town. ONGOING Review and continue to develop the Town's economic development strategy to promote a diverse economic base and to expand business friendly policies. Review and revise every 5 years. ONGOING. Adoption of Economic Development Strategy Plan Support 'buy local' campaigns to market the advantages of supporting local businesses to Town residents. Leverage the Farmer's Market and Shem Creek to promote local goods and foods. Establish an advisory committee to study recruiting a higher-education campus or satellite campus to Mount Pleasant. Trident Tech and Wando Middle College have committed to Mount Pleasant. Initiate a mobile and temporary vendor permitting study. Adopt regulations as appropriate based on study. COMPLETE. Mobile food vending pilot program initiated in 2012, permanent regulations adopted in Community Facilities Develop a Memorandum of Understanding with the Charleston County School District to coordinate new school site locations, facility sharing agreements, and re-use of existing sites and buildings. Coordination is ongoing. Continue to develop an annual Capital Improvements Program with forecasts for capital costs and revenues. COMPLETE Implement recommendations developed by the special citizens' committee on level of service. COMPLETE. Committee shifted focus to aging. Results adopted into Comprehensive Plan. Also, Recreation Master Plan developed, and ADA Transition Plan adopted. Continue to perform an annual review of the Hurricane Action Plan. ONGOING. Charleston Region Hazard Mitigation Plan adopted, and we continue to updated the Town's Emergency Operations Plan. Adopt and implement the Recreation Master Plan. ONGOING. Plan completed. Although not adopted, some recommendations have been implemented. Integrate water access goals into the Recreation Mater Plan. Redesign Mount Pleasant's website to further encourage citizen participation and awareness of key issues facing the Town, and develop a monthly electronic newsletter for the Town of Mount Pleasant. COMPLETE. New Town website launched in Continue to pursue and promote the annexation of existing unincorporated areas. ONGOING. More than 1,500 acres annexed since Adoption and Implementation of Annexation Plan. Creation of Annexation webpage. Coordinate with Charleston County Recycling to track and encourage recycling in the Town. Develop and adopt Low Impact Design elements in the stormwater management plan.

WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED SINCE TAKEN FROM ACTION PLAN Natural and Cultural Resources Update the floodplain ordinance, subdivision ordinance and zoning ordinance to protect undeveloped floodplain from future development. Work with Mount Pleasant Open Space Froundation to target these lands for conservation easements. Require waterfront developments to include provisions for public access and create design and policy guidance for water access. ONGOING. Included in the Cultural Landscape District and Waterfront Gateway District ordinances. Develop design standards for retention/detention ponds to function as community amenities. ONGOING. Included in the draft Land Development Regulations revisions. Continue to support efforts of National Park Service and the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission with respect to the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. ONGOING. Implementation of Transportation Impact Fee credits for sweetgrass basket stands; staff reviewed the draft Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Management Plan. Develop a Cultural Landscape District Plan to preserve agricultural roots of the community. Plan should include a trail system, an interpretive sign plan, and implementation efforts to create a cohesive system; work with Office of Community Development & Tourism to continue promoting tourism. COMPLETE. Cultural Landscape District ordinance (#12074) adopted. Transportation Continue implementing Long Range Transportation Plan. LRTP updates complete. Develop a Master Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan linking existing and planned nodes, parks and schools. Consult the results of the Recreation Master Plan and the Long Range Transportation Plan. COMPLETE. Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan adopted into the Comprehensive Plan Develop design standards for pedestrian and bicycle facilities and block sizes within Community Nodes. ONGOING. Town working with Citadel to develop design standards for bus shelters. Create 'complete street' design standards for new streets and improved roadways to include bike lanes and primary pedestrian street crossings. Update Long Range Transportation Study to include roadway classification map. ONGOING. Ongoing with updates to the Land Development Regulations. Promote the 'Park-Once' concept. Research techniques such as shared parking requirements, municipal parking decks and pedestrian-only zones. ONGOING. Included provisions in the Urban Corridor - Overlay District ordinance. Parking garage in Urban Corridor with public parking approved. Research the demand and cost of operating a shuttle system connecting the Core Redevelopment Corridors. Develop design standards for provide bus shelters and other transit infrastructure in Community Nodes and Core Redevelopment Corridors.

 The Planning Commission is responsible for the preparation and periodic revision of the Comprehensive Plan.  To update the 2009 plan and make adjustments for changes that have occurred over the past five years.  State law mandates that the Comprehensive Plan be updated no less often than every five years.  Much has been accomplished since the adoption of the 2009 plan and topics that need further development have been identified.  How to proceed?  How often do we meet?  How do we want to handle public meetings? GOAL OF CURRENT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN EFFORT AND PLANNING COMMISSION’S ROLE

 Revisit the nine target strategies:  Increase the number of workforce and life-cycle housing units  Recruit a higher education campus or satellite campus to the Town of Mount Pleasant  Maintain established levels of service for all public services and develop fiscal projections necessary to support these levels.  Take a flexible and opportunistic approach to expanding water access for the Town. Identify a variety of potential sites and pursue favorable opportunities as they arise.  Create and promote access to a Cultural Landscape District in the center of Mount Pleasant  Promote appropriate infill and redevelopment.  Create Waterfront Gateway Districts at the Ravenel Bridge and at the Wando River Bridge  Develop a pedestrian and bicycle connectivity plan  Implement the Long Range Transportation Plan.  Identify new target strategies:  Topics identified by staff for review: transitional zoning, Old Mount Pleasant neighborhood character district, density for commercial land use, workforce/universal housing, incorporation of economic & business development strategies, and public transportation.  Additional Topics identified by Planning Commission for review?  Recommend new strategies for achieving Comp Plan goals  Review/revise the Future Land Use Map, including the Planning Area  Develop Action Plan NEXT STEPS

 September 5, 2013 – Official kick-off at the Meet & Greet  October 17, 2013 –Planning Commission introduction  November/December 2013 – Public meeting for input?  October 2013 thru March Working  March 2014 – Public meeting for input  April/May 2014 – Goal for Planning Commission recommendation  August thru October 2014 – PC/TC Public Hearing, review and adoption SUGGESTED/TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

 How often do we want to meet and what format should those meetings take?  How do we want to handle public meetings? Do we have one early – Nov/Dec? Wait until spring - March? Or do we do both?  Does Planning Commission have other topics to suggest we include in the plan? INPUT