Purpose of the Comprehensive Plan

In accordance with the 1994 State Comprehensive Planning Act (S.C. Code §6-29-310 - §6-29-380), South Carolina requires local municipalities to form a Planning Commission and facilitate a comprehensive planning process every ten years. While Comprehensive Plans themselves are not regulatory, they provide the key policy foundations for enforcement, implementation, and amendment of other City codes and documents, such as the Zoning Ordinance, Land Development Ordinance, and Capital Improvement Plans. Within a Comprehensive Plan, several key elements must be addressed (outlined below), as well as a vision statement, goals and objectives, and an implementation strategy with timeframes.

The TEN required Elements of a Comprehensive Plan include: » Population » Economic Development » Natural Resources » Cultural Resources » Community Facilities » Housing » Land Use » Transportation » Priority Investment » Resiliency

A Comprehensive Plan, however does more than fulfill State Law requirements. The purpose of a comprehensive plan is to proactively plan for the future based on past trends and current conditions and to promote public health, safety, morals, convenience, prosperity, and the general welfare. The planning process is a unique and vigorous process that reveals any strengths, weaknesses and areas of opportunity that a community has to offer. The implementation plan outlines recommendations that, when effectively implemented, act towards enhancing the efficiency, sustainability, and quality of Hanahan.