May 28th - City Planning Commission to Vote on Comprehensive Plan - 6pm Municipal Court House
PDF of Comprehensive Plan Draft - 2040 (dated 3-27-24)
The crux of the plan calls for relaxed zoning and higher density throughout the city with an emphasis on a tourism based economy. This puts us on track to be the next Myrtle Beach.
Example of Relaxed Zoning/high density on Front St.
Summary
What is in the Comprehensive Plan?
Increase density (leads to more flooding, more traffic and other infrastructure challenges)
Create more developments (many existing developments are still not fully developed years after their inception.)
Allows developers free reign
Focuses on tourism
Attracts retirees
Allows short-term rentals
Continues to allow derelict boats in harbor
Further Comments
The Comprehensive Plan talks about our city’s continuing decline in population. Young people continue to leave the city. While all jobs are honorable, not all jobs lead to attaining wealth and financial independence. If it is not available here, our young people will go elsewhere to find it. The city should be actively recruiting new businesses to locate in Georgetown and simplifying the permitting process in our commercially zoned areas to allow businesses to be up in running in the shortest possible time.
The Comprehensive Plan also calls for attracting more tourism to the city. Although tourism is good for Georgetown, it should be a secondary source of income not the primary. Georgetown already has a high poverty rate, high unemployment rate and a high crime rate. A tourism economy can make all of these conditions worse. Think of Myrtle Beach.
The Planning Commission meeting will be held on May 28th at 6:00pm at the Municipal Court House, 2222 Highmarket St. to vote to adopt this new plan, please join us if you can.
