Planning
Growth can be more than inevitable. It can be good. Properly managed with regional infrastructure planning, growth can strengthen an area's economic vitality, while retaining its quality of life, which is why we are reaching out to conservation, historic preservation and transportation leaders, among others.
We envision the East Edisto planning process will take about eight months and will include extensive public involvement. And we welcome your input throughout the process. Please select the Meetings link for updated announcements concerning public meetings.
To take your ideas from thoughts to actual concepts, we sought out premiere planning professionals to ensure we're as thoughtful and holistic in our approach as possible. From transportation and land planning, to education and cultural assets, East Edisto will be a place that preserves the rural character of the area and enhances the community. Here are our expert planning partners that will work together to bring this vision to reality.
EDAW
As those of you, who attended the first round of public meetings know, we selected EDAW, the world renowned conservation planning firm, as our land planning partner.
EDAW's planners led the breakout sessions during the public meetings in June and July and will coordinate the entire planning process under MeadWestvaco's direction.
EDAW is internationally recognized as a leader in environmentally responsible planning, and is a major firm with more than 1,400 employees. The company has extensive relevant experience and is considered a best-in-class partner.
In the words of President and CEO Joe Brown, "EDAW is an idea-driven firm, whether the idea comes from science, planning, or design. The distinguishing quality in a democractic design and planning environment is its ability to push its people toward the powerful, profound ideas, and to stave off complacency. The best idea wins."
Thomas & Hutton Engineering
Thomas & Hutton Engineering are our transportation experts.
Thomas & Hutton is a full-service civil engineering and consulting firm specializing in land development for residential, commercial and industrial clients. Experts from their Lowcountry office will focus on transportation planning, roadway design, and water/sewer solutions for East Edisto.
They will evaluate the existing levels of service on adjacent and surrounding roads, identify the impacts from East Edisto, and determine the necessary improvements to mitigate those impacts. In addition to planning for vehicular travel, public transportation alternatives will also be analyzed and evaluated for inclusion in the plan.
Brockington and Associates
Brockington and Associates of Charleston are our cultural resources experts.
Brockington's focus is identifying archaeological sites, historic buildings, and other cultural properties so they can be effectively managed. They work with clients to evaluate the significance of these properties, and then to develop the most effective plans to preserve or to mitigate impacts when necessary.
Brockington is using MeadWestvaco's land records and local studies to understand sites of special interest. They are also doing on the ground surveys to verify what we have identified previously and also what we've not identified because it may not be visible.
Breedlove, Dennis and Associates, Inc.
Breedlove, Dennis and Associates, Inc. is our environmental expert.
Breedlove, Dennis is a professional environmental and natural resources consulting firm founded in 1976 and based in the Southeast.
Since its inception, BDA has established a reputation for solving the most difficult environmental problems through the application of good science, knowledge of the regulations, and the ability to communicate with regulators and clients.
Breedlove will be using some of MeadWestvaco's studies and their own observations to provide input on wildlife and human interactions. They are developing maps, wildlife models and other tools to identify areas that are critical for habitat; and then making recommendations on how those should be addressed in the master plan.
Economics Research Associates
Economics Research Associates (ERA) is analyizing our economic impacts and public services costs.
ERA is an international consulting firm working primarily in real estate, leisure, land use policy and planning. They work with private entities, government agencies, and non-profits to help them understand their markets, to assess risk and to clarify the uncertainties inherent in any business strategy and public policy development.
With East Edisto, they are doing three things. One, looking at commercial needs in the area. Two, understanding public infrastructure and service costs and benefits, such as water, sewer, roads, police, fire, EMS, schools.
This reinforces our commitment that development should pay its own way, but first we need to know what those costs are. Third, they will address the workforce housing supply.
Permar
Permar is a real estate, economic and market research firm based here in Charleston.
For more than 20 years, Permar has been working with planners of some of the most highly recognized communities and some of the most environmentally sensitive planned communities in the Southeastern US.
Permar's role on this team is to provide market-driven input to our visioning and planning process, enabling us to create places that are attractive, appealing and affordable for who will live and work there while at the same time are environmentally sensitive and financially feasible.
