Town of Bluffton: Comprehensive plan review enters final steps

Bluffton officials say their 10-year update of the town’s comprehensive plan is entering “its final stages of review.” 

The plan, which is known as Blueprint Bluffton, will help the town “prioritize projects and allocate resources” as it guides “Bluffton’s next decade of growth,” officials said. 

Town Council will vote on whether to adopt the proposed comprehensive plan later this summer, following several workshops and public hearings. 

The Bluffton Planning Commission will host a workshop at 6 p.m. July 13 at Town Hall, 20 Bridge St., with discussion and public comments on the plan. It will conduct a public hearing and vote on whether to recommend it to Town Council at 6 p.m. July 27. 

Town Council is scheduled to conduct a first reading of the plan and accept public comments at 5 p.m. Aug. 9, followed by a final vote and public hearing at 5 p.m. Sept. 13. 

The town said public comments or questions about the plan can be sent to principal planner Charlotte Moore at cmoore@townofbluffton.com. More information about the plan is available at https://www.townofbluffton.sc.gov/721/Blueprint-Bluffton-Comprehensive-Plan. 

Kyle May of planning and urban design firm MKSK said earlier this year the comprehensive plan is a "blueprint document the community references as it strategizes, considers, and prioritizes investments that it's making in a regular ongoing way." 

Elements of the plan include population, economic development, natural resources, cultural resources, community facilities, housing, land use, transportation, resilience, and priority investment. Each element has a list of objectives for the town to complete or address in the coming years. 

Andrew Overbeck of MKSK said officials asked the public for feedback as they formed the proposed comprehensive plan, adding that residents said their main priority is maintaining the town's "unique culture" while addressing issues involving transportation, housing and development. 

"The Blueprint Bluffton Comprehensive Plan will serve as the vision for the Town of Bluffton and its partners in successfully guiding future development and improvements to preserve the Town’s Lowcountry character and improve the quality of life," the town's website says.

"The comprehensive planning process will assess the current state of the Town, evaluate opportunities for public infrastructure investments and private development, and provide a roadmap for future decision-making by the Department of Growth Management, Planning Commission, and Town Council."