Hartsville advances Fourth Street development plans
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
At their February 13 regular meeting, Hartsville City Council took the first step in a development program that could lead to over $10 million being invested in the city’s downtown.
Council approved first reading of Ordinance 4325, accepting up to $500,000 in grants from The Byerly Foundation for downtown redevelopment. This money, according to city attorney Lawrence Flynn, will help reimburse the city for purchases of property to be used in developing the Fourth Street Corridor.
The City of Hartsville will also receive a $1.5 million loan from the Byerly Foundation to allow the new non-profit Hartsville Public Development Corporation to pursue development projects beneficial to the city. Flynn said that earlier that day, the Corporation board met and approved loan documents for this arrangement, which will allow the non-profit entity to purchase more than 30 development-targeted properties from the city and from private owners and cover related expenses, pending Byerly’s approval.
Flynn said this five-year loan is interest-only, and carries a provision that would allow Byerly to forgive $500,000 of the principal after five years, provided there is no default.
The ordinance extract states that the City of Hartsville expects this development project – here called the Canalside Project – to yield perhaps $10 million in capital investments over the long term, including commercial and residential developments.
Council also passed first reading of Ordinance 4324, amending several city codes to create a master ordinance related to delinquent and dilapidated properties. Flynn explained that these changes make it clear that the City of Hartsville’s enforcement of International Property Maintenance codes will be “a separate and independent right of action from the state law codified unfit dwellings act provision” to allow for prosecutions, fines, and other actions to abate nuisance properties and protect public health.
Also on the agenda, Council approved a bid award of $26,784 for Southern Computer Systems of Lake City to install 12 solar powered cameras as part of the Community Development Block Grant program for the city’s Butler Historic District.
