Sprawl: A Deeper Look

“Growth” and “jobs” have been added to the list of buzz words showing up on campaign flyers or in TV ads these days. Once elected the discussion often doesn’t go much deeper than that, and if it does, there is not much vision. However, we do need to drill down on this issue as a county in order to deal with what is heading our way.

Our county leaders tried to grow manufacturing and have turned up the effort to attract tourism. Both with little success.

Whether we like it or not, what is barreling toward us is not a manufacturing boom or a future as a tourist mecca, but old fashioned urban sprawl from Greenville and to a lesser extend Clemson. Where is the plan to deal with that? There isn’t one.

All you have to do is look at Highway 123 in Easley (the next Woodruff Road) to see where we’ll end up if we don’t effectively deal with what is coming our way. Do we want that zigging and zagging all over the county?

Residential, commercial and business development will follow where sewer, faster and wider roads, and water systems are put in place. I suggest we develop a clear and long-term infrastructure plan that will best direct this coming sprawl over the next decade or two.

I would focus on beefing up the infra-structure along Highway 123 between Easley and Clemson. Additionally, instead of having stores right on Highway 123 between Easley and Clemson, build exit ramps onto parallel frontage roads on both sides of 123 over the Easley to Clemson stretch.

That 15 mile stretch between Easley and Clemson will remain a high-speed highway connecting the two largest cities in our county, and that stretch will not become bogged down over time like 123 is now in Easley due to commercialization, local traffic, and traffic lights.

This will channel business development into what will become the county’s business corridor between Clemson, Easley and Greenville.

If those working in Greenville and moving out here can jump on 123 and it takes them into Greenville at a high speed, most are going to choose to live in the southern part of the county near 123, rather than up at Table Rock for instance.

Commercial and business development will sprout up on the frontage roads parallel to 123. That is, such development will remain close to the highway and NOT spring out north into the country side.

With the residential, commercial and business sprawl taking this east-west path, and remaining close to 123, this design will protect our natural resources like rivers, hunting grounds, view-sheds and wild life in the northern part of the county.

Finally, the problem with 123 in Easley is the mixing of through traffic on the way to Greenville with local traffic stopping at Popeye’s or Lowe’s. Here is a pie in the sky-idea: elevate 123 over the 5 miles stretch in Easley, making the top section high-speed through-traffic only. The street level would remain local traffic for shopping and moving around within the city of Easley.

Sprawl is coming. If we just let it happen naturally we'll get Woodruff Road zigging and zigging all over Pickens County. We should use infra-structure planning to direct commercial and business development in an east-west direction along Highway 123, encouraging a business corridor from Greenville to Easley to Clemson. Additionally, this east-west movement will limit encroachment into the northern part of the county, protecting our beautiful natural resources. Finally, our leaders must think longer than 4 years down the road to best address this issue.