There are several words in blue throughout this commentary that provide links to the information being discussed. Click on the words and you will open a new tab to view the websites and PDFs that are attached.
Al Joseph, candidate for City Council, has written a press release outlining a possible outcome for the Steel Mill. You can read that here. Mr. Joseph identifies some key issues: being proactive and bringing the Government in to assist with the monumental task facing the city with that property. He also addresses the 700 Block and how it received much attention yet fizzled out like a sparkler on New Years Eve. The City had the guarantee of a Department of Commerce grant to assist with the exorbitant cost of complying with FEMA to rebuild. The City hired Vida Miller to organize and coordinate with the property owners to move everything forward. This imploded. The grant was applied for 15 months after the fact leaving no time to complete the process so it was cancelled when the realization of time needed was not there to meet the September 25th deadline. The development of a team to work with the property owners of the 700 block to assist in permits and conceptual designs fell apart at the seams. Can we risk that with the Steel Mill? Do we need the continued partisan divides that hinder any forward movement? NO! The people deserve better yet the people continually vote in the same party to run our local government.
The City has been under Democrat rule, personally I am not in favor of using our two National parties to define our local Government, but it is where we are, and this party rule has showed us a lack of progress and forward movement. We also have another hindrance to progress–the form of Government we are under to operate the city– Mayor Council. The Mayor is the Chief Operating Officer, where the buck stops so to speak. He is in charge of the day to day operations, long term goals and plans and employees, and with a 36 Million dollar enterprise at his hands it would take someone full time to devote to the needs of this “business”. The Mayor is part-time, he has his own business that needs his attention and there simply are not enough hours in the day to devote to both. We can change that with your help, and move to a City Manager, who is in charge of running this City and free of political expediency. A voting majority on Council of like minded individuals will provide the momentum for true progress and change that Georgetown has lacked over the years. For more on this issue read here.
A young man from Pawleys Island, Sanders Chapman, graduated from Clemson with a degree in Landscape Architecture and he used a revitalization of the Steel Mill as his graduate project. You can see a pdf short version here. His vision falls similarly with mine. When a private developer is able to take this property and turn it into a Maritime College or a mixed use development the board walk could be extended to the area. Creating a walk behind the Kaminski and Stewart Parker houses (which would increase their visibility), a designated walk across Wood Street and then completing the Harborwalk to the port. This will provide a larger, vibrant area and revitalizing Fraser Street in one fell swoop.
Joseph mentioned Brownfields funds in his proposition for the Steel Mill. These are revolving loans, require a co-pay, are limited to use for 5 years and a maximum of $1,000,000.00 (click here for a powerpoint). This program also requires action from the City to apply–much like the economic development grant available from the State Dept of Commerce that was ignored for 15 months by those in charge here. Another alternative thrown out is the “Superfund” program. One that we need to tread carefully into. That EPA fund is fragmented and not stable. There are areas in this country the EPA took control of to clean up, ran out of money for the particular project and a decade later that site is still in a state of decay with no end in sight. Once the EPA takes control, the land cannot be reverted to another use til the project is over.
We need to open a dialogue with Arcelor Mittal/ISG (they still have that name in operation) concerning an environmental assessment of the property. We need to force this to happen, even if we have to fly to 4020 Kinross Lakes Parkway, Richfield OH ourselves and demand a meeting.. The Planning Commission cannot act for a year to change the zoning or property usage label, using eminent domain against them should be a last option, we do not need a reputation of snatching property away from anyone on a whim. We need to exhaust every avenue over the next year to engage the owners of the mill and come up with a viable solution that fits everybody and shows the State and the Country that we are proactive and imaginative and a place to relocate to. We need to draw together those in this State with deep pockets and track records of success and present several conceptual uses of the land to stir interest in the property. As we have seen with the 700 Block, when the Government gets involved and has to act, things falter. This is too important to let stagnate. We need action figures to get this done, not talking heads.
Richard Powers, Tom Winslow and I are running to effect positive changes, to ensure swift and cost effective solutions to our issues (not to spend 8-10 years in discussion before taking action). We truly love this City and want only the best for it and everyone that resides here.
Vote November 3rd, 2015 