Planning Initiatives and Documents

Five Year Comprehensive Plan Update Underway!

The 2015 Comprehensive Plan is approaching the midpoint of its ten year life span. The City is now reviewing and updating the plan as required by State law. Your contribution to the process is important! Please book mark this page to follow the agendas and results of the Planning Commission’s work on the update.

1) What is the Comprehensive Plan?

The Comprehensive Plan is the main guide for land use and community planning over a ten year period. It:

combines existing and projected conditions, best practices in planning, and the Plan Statement to develop goals and objectives.
lists specific implementation items.
directs the type, location, and scale of new development.
acts as a bridge between existing plans and policy documents.
protects community character and quality of life.
identifies community issues and weaknesses.

In South Carolina, the requirements of Comprehensive Plans are laid out in the SC Comprehensive Planning Act (SC Code Title 6, Chapter 29) which tasks the Planning Commission to develop and recommend the plan to the local governing body.

2) How often is the Comprehensive Plan updated?

The Comprehensive Plan is updated every five years and completely rewritten every ten years.

3) What are the goals of the 5 year update?

The five year update is meant to:

add new information related to the required elements (population, economic development, natural resources, cultural resources, community facilities, housing, land use, transportation, and priority investments).
review progress on current goals and implementation items.
add or remove goals and implementation items.
update land use maps.

4) Who should be involved?

The update should be as inclusive as possible and should include: residents, property owners, businesses, elected and appointed officials, outside agencies, and other stakeholders with an interest in the community. Everyone who lives in, works in, builds in, or visits Folly Beach should participate in the process.

5) What is the timeline?

The following is a proposed timeline and is subject to adjustment. Additional meetings may be added

June: Overview of the process, review of goal/objective progress, create web page: PC Agenda and Backup 6/3/19
July: Review updates (provided by staff) to narrative for 2-3 of the elements, review and post public survey for existing goal prioritization.
August: Review updates for 2-3 elements, review and post public survey for additional goals.
September: Complete narrative review, PC review of goal updates/removals/additions, close public surveys and present results.
October: Workshop on narrative additions, goal updates/removals/additions
November: Review of final Five Year Update proposal.
December: Public Hearing and recommendation to Council.