There is always something exciting happening in the City of Fountain Inn, and we have just begun a vital project for our City's future. Per South Carolina state law, every municipality with zoning must adopt a comprehensive plan every ten years and update it every five years. Sometimes, the five-year mark means simply updating population/demographic information and moving on. However, since so much has changed in our community and region since our most recent comprehensive plan was adopted in early 2017, City Council made the wise decision to go through the process of adopting a brand-new plan rather than simply a modest update. The 2023 Fountain Inn Comprehensive plan, dubbed "InnVision," will be our road map to the future!

So, what does a comprehensive plan encompass? In South Carolina, a local comprehensive plan must include an inventory of existing conditions, needs & goals, implementation strategies with time frames, and ten elements (or sections): population, economic development, natural resources, cultural resources, community facilities, housing, land use, transportation, priority investment, and resiliency. All these items come together to form one document to highlight our great community and provide a road map for how best to use our resources over the next ten years.

Our previous comprehensive plan identified several areas where the City should invest time and resources. We invested heavily in our local events by creating a Special Events Department and then further expanded their roles into developing a Community Relations Department. Woodside Park, now Emanuel Sullivan Sports Complex, was renovated/expanded and is now a recreation hub. The attraction of Fox Hill Business Park was a massive gain in bringing more industry to our municipality. We have an ongoing project to update Main Street (from Jones Street to Highway 418), and our public spaces, like the splash pad, have seen several enhancements. We are excited to accomplish so much more in the coming years, and we "InnVision" a prosperous Fountain Inn. 

The comprehensive plan is not created solely by City Council and staff, but is an opportunity for every citizen, business owner, visitor, and employee to voice their desires for the future of our City. There will be ample opportunities for you to engage during this process, but we will have our first public meeting for the project on January 26 from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Fountain Inn Activities Center at 610 Fairview St, Fountain Inn 29644, SC. We invite everyone to attend.  

Shawn Bell is the City Administrator of Fountain Inn. He is an ICMA-Credentialed Manager. For more information, go to www.fountaininn.org, call 864-862-4421, or email shawn.bell@fountaininn.org.■