Town of Chapin Mayor's Message

At the Town Council meeting last Tuesday night, Council adopted a new Comprehensive Plan for the Town of Chapin.  The adoption of this plan will greatly impact future development in the Town for the coming decade, and we, as a Council, are very proud of the final product. Per South Carolina State Law the Comprehensive Plan must be reviewed every 5 years, and a new one adopted every 10 years.

The Comprehensive Plan serves as a statement of our values as a community, it contains important data and statistics about our area, and a vision for the future of Chapin. The Comprehensive Plan will serve as the foundation planning document for the Town, and will guide us in the management of growth and development as well as identifying long-range strategies for projects, programs, and policies. The plan specifically covers the following 10 elements: Population, Economic Development, Natural Resources, Cultural Resources, Community Facilities, Housing, Land Use, Transpiration, Priority Investment, and Resiliency.

Over the course of our conversations reoccurring themes emerged and all elements were designed to address problems currently facing our community. Many of the strategies that were identified will involve documenting the current condition of specific items like roads, housing and town ordinances. The information gathered on these items will be used to develop concrete actions to improve their current condition. These steps will allow future Council administrations to develop tangible data and adopt meaningful policies that will impact change in the future. 

For the past year Town representatives, Town staff, and citizens of our community have worked with our consultants to prepare this important document. This work took on the form of surveys, open houses, committee meetings, and public hearings, and I believe the plan is reflective of these efforts and collaboration. I personally would like to thank everyone who took the time to contribute to this plan, and hope to see continued interest and involvement in comprehensive planning in the Town of Chapin. This plan is a “living” document, that our Planning Commission and Council will use and continue to improve over the coming years. I look forward to seeing the growing impact of this plan as its implementation begins to shape policy and projects.
 
All my best,

Mayor David Knight