Hartwell launched its first comprehensive plan public input session on April 22 following the survey opening March 5.
Adam Hazell, Georgia Mountains Regional Commission planning director, said the purpose of the hearing was to seek public input, emphasizing the significant impact the plan has on the city’s development.
There were 18 community members present at Tuesday’s public input session.
Several individuals referenced a disliking to new fast food restaurants and commercial growth. Others mentioned that growth may be necessary for Hartwell to thrive.
“I think if you don’t grow, you die,” Debbie Henry, Southern Living Realty realtor, said. “Those are just sitting and they’re empty and they’re ugly…I just see all these empty buildings around and the manufacturing buildings and I’d love to see them, something done with those.”
Hartwell City Council member Tray Hicks said that Madison is a prime example of what Hartwell could look like one day. The city could rezone the downtown area to preserve the historical charm, while allowing the rest of Hartwell to grow and inhabit commercial and industrial businesses.
Rezoning can be addressed in the comprehensive plan. However, Hazell said that the plan does not solidify exactly what Hartwell’s future will look like.
“[The plan] has so many limited powers,” Hazell said. “So, I like to describe it to people that you’re at least trying to make sure that you get most of what you want and the least of what you don’t.”
Several other issues brought forward by community members include sidewalks, trails and accessibility.
Healthcare was a popular topic mentioned by several attendees. Hazell said a lack of nearby health facilities can be a deterrent for non-residents looking to move to Hartwell.
Additionally, Hazell said the survey responses have only shown five mentions of healthcare-related desires, contrasting the public input from the meeting.
“I can’t say those who showed up represented the folks who have not taken the survey,” Hazell told The Hartwell Sun following the meeting. “There could be a large crowd out there that just wants to go in a completely different direction.”
Hazell said utilizing online surveys is the best way to be organized and ensure everyone’s opinions regarding the comprehensive plan are heard. However, several attendees raised concern for accessibility to the elder community that prefers to stay on pen and paper.
In response, Hazell urged the community to volunteer and assist others with the online survey.
A second public input session will be held May 20 at 6 p.m. at city hall.
“I encourage more people to participate in the future,” Hazell said. “This is their chance to say what they want for the future of Hartwell, and we can’t act on that or make recommendations if we don’t know what they want.”
The survey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Hartwell2050.
“This plan that we’re putting together now will be our future for the next 10 years,” Hicks said.
The existing plan from 2020 serves as a basis for the upcoming 2025 plan. It is available to the public on the City of Hartwell website at https://www.hartwellga.gov/about-hartwell.
Hazell hopes to reach at least 1,000 responses, breaking the record for any city survey he has created. Hicks said there are approximately 850 responses on Wednesday morning.
The survey is projected to close on May 31, allowing plan revisions to begin in June.