WINNSBORO – About 50 residents from the Zion Hill and
Fortune Springs communities gathered at the former Fairfield High School
building on Jan. 30 to learn how a new $487,568 Community Development Block
Grant (CDBG) will be used to implement projects in their communities.
It was the third community meeting about the revitalization
process. At this meeting, project partners Fairfield County Community
Development and Planning Director Chris Clausen and Gregory Sprouse, Director
of Research, Planning and Development for Central Midlands Council of
Governments (CMCOG) reviewed the details of the grant and answered questions.
The first phase of grant work will include the demolition
and clearance of approximately 40 dilapidated and vacant structures, according
to Sprouse, but he said there is still preliminary work to be done before
demolition can proceed.
“There are a lot of things we need to do before we’ll
actually see anything being constructed,” Sprouse said. “That includes the
environmental review process – which we’re working on now – and putting it out
for public comment, contacting relevant agencies, and other grant requirements.
We cannot spend any grant money until the properties are environmentally
cleared by the Department of Commerce,” he said. “That’s a big thing. I would
say that’s not going to be done before mid-April or May. If all goes well,
maybe by fall we can have some demolition underway.”
Besides the demolition, Sprouse said the County will be
using some of the grant money for the beautification of the Zion neighborhood
park – additional lighting, traffic calming signs in the area, adding security
cameras and other improvements.
Sprouse, Clausen and planner John Newman spent the better
part of the summer analyzing the needs of the Zion Hill and Fortune Springs
Park neighborhoods. They walked the neighborhood visiting with residents and
finding out what can be done to help bring the neighborhood back to its glory
days.
While they found the needs to be many, Sprouse said the
initial focus will be on the demolition and cleanup of the 40 structures.
Sprouse said he hopes the county can get the project
underway by the spring.
This dilapidated home on West College Street is one of the eyesores county and town officials are aiming to clean up in the Zion Hill neighborhood with CDBG grant funding. | Barbara Ball
WINNSBORO – The county and town finally have a foothold to
begin revitalization of the Zion Hill and Fortune Springs Park neighborhoods.
Last week the county was awarded a $487,568 Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) to begin the first phase of a long term revitalization operation for the
area.
The grant was awarded through the S.C. Department of
Commerce and requires the county to chip in 10 percent of the grant ($48,900)
to bring the total funds to $536,468.
The grant work will include the demolition and clearance of
approximately 40 dilapidated and vacant structures, according to Gregory
Sprouse, Director of Research, Planning and Development for Central Midlands
Council of Governments (CMCOG).
Sprouse, Chris Clauson, Fairfield Community Development
Director and CMCOG planner John Newman spent the better part of the summer
analyzing the needs of the Zion Hill and Fortune Springs Park neighborhoods.
They walked the neighborhood visiting with residents and finding out what can
be done to help bring the neighborhood back to its glory days. The planners are
also tasked with estimating the cost of the project.
While they found the needs to be many, Sprouse said the
initial focus will be on the demolition and cleanup of the 40 structures.
Sprouse said he hopes the county can get the project
underway by the spring.
“But first, we have a lot of paper work and have to meet the
federal environmental clearance process,” Sprouse said. “That takes some time.
When the actual work begins, we’ll also be adding some street lighting as well
as some traffic calming signage and public safety improvement to the
neighborhood park in the study area.”
The project is a corporative effort between the county and
town with input from the Zion Hill/Fortune Springs community. Sprouse said both
the county and the town will be applying for further CDBG grants and other
grants as the work continues. The grant work must be completed in two years.
CMOG planners Gregory Sprouse and John Newman and Fairfield County Director of Community Development Chris Clauson met with the Zion Hill community. | Barbara Ball
WINNSBORO – A new day may be dawning for the residents of
Zion Hill and Fortune Springs Park neighborhoods.
Planners hired by the county to look into the possibility of
revitalizing the two neighborhoods are applying this week for a $400,000
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to begin the first phase of a full
scale, long term revitalization operation.
Central Midlands Council of Governments (CMCOG) planners
Gregory Sprouse, Director of Research, Planning and Development, and John
Newman, along with Chris Clauson, Fairfield Community Development Director,
have spent the better part of the summer analyzing the needs of the Zion Hill
and Fortune Springs Park neighborhoods. They have walked the neighborhood
visiting with residents and finding out what can be done to rejuvenate the
area. The planners are also tasked with estimating the cost of the project.
While they found the needs to be many, Sprouse said the
initial focus will be on the demolition and cleanup of up to 40 vacant,
dilapidated homes in the area.
“We took all the info we heard from you at the last meeting
and talking to you in the neighborhood,” Sprouse said during a second gathering
of neighbors at the Fairfield High alumni building on Sept. 17. “We’ve engaged
with over 70 people either in the first meeting or in stakeholder interviews,
and the greatest concern expressed by 70 percent of you is the dilapidated
housing in your neighborhood. We want you to know that we’ve heard you,”
Sprouse assured the gathering.
“We’re also trying to get some funding as part of this
package for emergency housing rehabilitation for qualifying owner-occupied
units. If there are some folks who desperately need roof, porch, foundation or
other exterior repairs to help stabilize a house, we could apply some of this
funding for that,” Sprouse said.
Other maybes include new street security lights and cameras
for key areas, particularly around Zion Hill Park, increased patrols coupled
with signage to let people know the area is under police surveillance.
“These are rather low cost improvements that can help
discourage speeders,” Sprouse said. “We’re also looking at landscaping
opportunities in key areas. Part of the idea is trying to create a neighborhood
identity with gateways into the community and beautification of those areas.”
Aside from the CDBG, Clauson is in the process of applying
for transportation alternative funding which would provide for some
transportation accessibility improvements in Fortune Springs Park.
“Mitigating the drainage issues there and improving
conductivity will allow access from some of the neighborhoods into the
sidewalks in the park. There‘re no real defined shoulders in the park so it’s
not safe there,” Clauson said.
The plans also call for new playground equipment, picnic and
shade structures particularly in Zion Hill Park.
“That’s something that CDBG doesn’t typically cover, but for
a fairly low cost we could get some of that implemented in the park,” Clauson
said. “We are committed to pursuing opportunities to make that happen.”
Sprouse noted that the Zion Hill/Fortune Springs Park area
has a number of community assets that can be leveraged to improve the
neighborhood.
One asset is the proximity of the neighborhood to downtown.
“And Fortune Springs Park is a regional asset,” Sprouse
said. “It was once a destination for people all across the county to come and
swim and picnic. Other assets include the recreational ball fields, the old
Gordon school, the Fairfield High Alumni building, the Zion Hill Park, the main
library branch, the affordable housing in the senior living complex, the former
hospital site that could be redeveloped over time and many more.”
Sprouse said the focus of the efforts for the Zion
Hill/Fortune Springs Park area coincide well with a census designation.
“That’s what the Department of Commerce’s CDBG program uses
to determine eligibility for funding,” Sprouse said. “They also look for
neighborhoods that are 51 percent or more at low and moderate income. This area
qualifies at 63.4 percent. Winnsboro, itself, is about 63 percent and the
county is 59 percent.”
While the population of the neighborhood is about 1,200,
Sprouse said the trend is spiraling downward at about a 10 percent since 2015.
“About 50 percent of the houses were built between 1950-59
and not much after 2010. It is an aging housing stock which means we are going
to have a lot of upkeep and maintenance issues as people leave and properties
change hands,” Sprouse said.
“If phase one is successful, we will submit for funding next
fall for phase two to continue funding for some of the demolition activities,
probably try to step up the funding for the limited housing rehabilitation,”
Sprouse said. “We also want to pursue working with other non-governmental
partners such as Habitat for Humanity.”
Sprouse said he also hopes to continue improving public
safety, landscaping, playground and tennis court improvements in Fortune
Springs Park. He said he would be applying for funds for two high priority
sewer projects in the spring infrastructure round that will benefit the
community.
“In the long term, we want to bring new, quality, affordable
housing back to the area where we’re taking houses down. Vacant lots can become
an issue unto themselves,” Sprouse said.
Other long term goals are to Identify and prioritize
potential trail connection opportunities in the entire study area to better
connect residents.
Last, Sprouse said in order to make all this happen, and to
continue the effort into the future, it’s important to establish some type of
neighborhood organization or collaborative effort to help with things like
crime watch, communication and engagement with the police department, county
and town.
“We have a good starting point with the Fairfield High Alumni
Association. Because they are so engaged and so many of you work with them,
it’s an immediate thing we could start talking about. It doesn’t have to be a
formalized organization, but just a group of engaged citizens willing to help
be leaders in the community,” Sprouse said. “I think a lot of you all fit that
profile.”
WINNSBORO – After a well-attended community meeting last
month, facilitated by the Central Midlands Council of Goverments (CMCOG) to
assess the needs of the Zion Hill and Fortune Springs Park neighborhoods, CMCOG
is ready to present residents a draft plan for meeting those needs.
The community meeting will be held at the Fairfield High
Alumni Building on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria.
Gregory Sprouse, Director of Research, Planning and
Development for CMCOG and planner John Newman along with Chris Clauson,
Fairfield County Community Development Director, as well as county, city and
school officials will be on hand to talk with residents.
The meeting in July was initiated to encourage residents to
voice what they think is wrong with their neighborhood and what they want
changed.
“We wanted to find out from the residents what’s going on,
what are the issues, the opportunities, the challenges,” Clauson said. “We
wanted to hear about traffic issues, infrastructure problems, lighting, town
services, transportation (transit), public safety and issues with health and
education. Our goal is to pair them up with potential grant funds to fix the
problems.”
During the course of that meeting, residents began to pour
out their worries and frustrations, including what they perceived to be poor
code enforcement, the inaccessibility of Zion Park, poor responses from the
Sheriff’s department and town hall and nothing being done about houses falling
into disrepair.
According to Sprouse, the draft plan to be presented at the
Sept. 10 meeting will be the next step in identifying community needs, project
ideas and potential grant funding opportunities to meet those needs and to give
life to the project ideas that members of the two communities brought to the
table in July.
While the meeting will focus on the needs of the Zion Hill
and Fortune Springs Park area, the public is invited to attend.
The Fairfield High Alumni Building is located at 403
Fairfield Street in Winnsboro. For information about the meeting, contact
Sprouse at 803-744-5158.
Officials from the County, Winnsboro and Central Midlands Council of Government discuss revitalization with Zion Hill and Fortune Springs area residents. | Photos: Barbara Ball
WINNSBORO – “If we don’t get something done here tonight,” Robert Davis told a crowd of Zion Hill and Fortune Springs Park area residents, “it’s our own fault. Officials from the town, county and the Central Midlands Council of Government (CMCOG) are here to help us.”
Davis was speaking to residents who had been asked by county officials to gather in the renovated Fairfield High School building for the purpose of contributing information that CMCOG could use to create a master plan for Winnsboro.
For some in the community, the mention of yet another plan for the town immediately caused skepticism to ooze.
“I have three or four folders at home where officials have come to my area with a plan, started work, tore down a few houses, then left. Will this be a designated plan?” Betty Gunthorpe, a resident of the Cemetery Street neighborhood across town from Zion Hill, asked. She also wanted to know, “Why Zion Hill?” and “How did Winnsboro get like this?”
Resident Robert Pinkney recalls how Zion Hill used to be.
Chris Clauson, Fairfield County Community Development Director, answered Gunthorpe’s first question, explaining that this particular plan would, indeed, be different. He said the creation of the master plan is a required first step for the county and town to apply for thousands of dollars in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG’s) that can then be used to revitalize areas in neighborhoods overcome with blight caused by such things as dilapidated houses, crime, neglected parks and crumbling infrastructure.
Gregory Sprouse, Director of Research, Planning and Development for CMCOG answered Gunthorpe’s second question.
“I appreciate what you’re saying,” Sprouse, said. “To your point, we want this [Zion Hill] to be a starting point for how we can move similar types of projects into other areas of the town that need the same type of commitment. CDBG funds must be spent to benefit low to moderate income populations based on census data, and Zion Hill and the Fortune Springs area fit that criteria.”
While Gunthorpe’s third question stumped the planners, Clauson set conversation in motion as to how things could be turned around.
“Tonight is the first phase,” Clauson said. “We’ve been out in the community talking to residents and gathering data. We’ve seen some things. Now we’ve called this meeting to get input from you about what you think is wrong in your neighborhood and what you want changed. We want to know what’s going on, what are the issues, the opportunities, the challenges. We want to hear about traffic issues, infrastructure, lighting, town services, transportation (transit), public safety and issues with health and education, so we can pair them up with potential grant funds to fix the problems.
“The point tonight is to determine what the potential projects are and to set priorities for them,” Clauson said. “The problem we’ve heard the most about is dilapidated houses and other structures that are deserted and falling in. They’re eye sores,” Clauson said. “But we have to create the master plan for revitalization before we can apply for the funds to deal with the houses.”
During the course of the evening, residents began to pour out their worries and frustrations, including what they perceived to be poor code enforcement, the inaccessibility of Zion Park, poor responses from the Sheriff’s department and town hall and nothing being done about houses falling into disrepair.
Chris Clauson, director of the County’s community development, leads revitalization discussion.
“It can be a very arduous process to condemn these houses and clear them out,” Mayor Roger Gaddy explained. “The laws are on [the property owner’s] side. It’s a very costly process. Before we can do anything, we have to find the property owner, who frequently lives in another state, and send two registered letters,” Gaddy said. “Then, after they open the first letter, they won’t sign for the second one. It’s extremely frustrating. But if you don’t go through the process, you put the town at risk of being sued.”
But solutions were also presented. Clausen explained that the County is making some headway in eliminating blight by tearing down those dilapidated structures that have come under the county’s ownership through tax forfeiture.
County Administrator Jason Taylor explained that the county has acquired more than 100 structures over the years through the forfeiture land trust, and has begun tearing those structures down. He said the county is also trying to acquire others that it doesn’t own that need tearing down.
“But you have to have the money to do this or it’s just a dream,” Taylor said. “A CDBG will give us $500,000 to work with to get property owners to sign the properties over to us so that we can tear them down.”
Taylor’s plan includes more than just tearing down the houses. He said the lots that remain after the houses are torn down could be leveraged to accommodate new affordable homes in the neighborhood.
“Once we tear the houses down, we have all these empty lots throughout the town with water, sewer, electricity, sidewalks and roads ready to be built on. When you build a new subdivision, you spend most of your money on roads, sewer, water, those kinds of things that these lots already have,” Taylor explained. “So we have reached out to Habitat for Humanity. Once we get ownership of all of this, we hope to bundle the lots and work with Habitat or some other developer to come in and put new houses on them.”
Other discussion centered around problems at Fortune Springs Park – lack of tree pruning, soil erosion, sidewalk needs and more.
There were also poignant testimonies of a once thriving neighborhood that is now at the mercy of crime.
“I grew up on Zion Hill and nothing’s the same anymore,” Robert Pinkney told the planners. “You used to know everybody and feel safe. My house has been broken into five times and I finally had to go find the thieves myself and get my own things back – three TVs, two lawn mowers, two weed eaters and more,” he said. “We don’t get any help.”
While some of the complaints residents relayed to the planners were raw and difficult for city and county leaders to listen to, it was what the organizers had come to hear.
“I’ve been to these community meetings all over the state,” Newman told the 60 or so residents in appreciate of their participation, “and the turnout here is amazing. Haven’t seen anything like it.”
“We have some competitive projects here,” Sprouse said, “and we will be submitting our application for a neighborhood revitalization grant in September.”
According to Taylor, together, the town and county are eligible to apply for four $500,000 CDBG grants each year, one each for the county and the town for infrastructure in the spring and one each for the county and town for community revitalization and enrichment in the fall.
“Working together,” Taylor said, “we can do a lot”
Asked by one resident, what MCOG’s track record is for getting CDBG money,” Sprouse answered with a smile, “it’s good.”
“We are committed to getting some of that money in here,” Clauson said. ”And we will be having more meetings like this one for future projects if we are successful with this.”
Before the crowd dispersed, Ridgeway Town Councilman Don Prioleau, who is also the president of the Fairfield High School Alumni Association, invited those attending to take a tour of the renovated school building to see first-hand what revitalization can do.
After the meeting, Prioleau pointed out that the school has been almost totally restored to its original state through the efforts of its former students and with no government help.
“The building is now beautiful and useful. It offers meeting space for community meetings such as this one,” Prioleau said. “It’s a wonderful asset to the community now. The renovation of our school is something we worked long and hard to accomplish and we are very proud of it,” Prioleau said. “I’d like to see that for this whole Zion Hill community, for the whole Town of Winnsboro.”
