Fall 2002
Contents

Message From the Executive Director:
* Beyond trees in parking lots

Articles:
* The 2000 Census numbers are in:
What they tell us about the Upstate
* Upstate Forever should be embraced
* Conference on the "Z Word"
is a great success!
* Restoring and protecting trout waters
in the Upstate
* Dorman HS: A casualty of "The Growth Beast"

Upstate Forever News:
* Field trips
* Volunteers
* Staff and Board

Message From the Executive Director

BEYOND TREES IN PARKING LOTS

We began our work and advocacy for a landscaping ordinance for large office and commercial parking lots in Greenville County almost three years ago. At the time we thought that enactment of the ordinance would be a relatively easy process. After all, it applies only to large business parking lots, and these ordinances are now routine in most rapidly growing metropolitan areas. How wrong we were!
     I can’t say enough about our Associate Director, Diane Eldridge, who did a superb job in researching and explaining the issues, fielding phone calls, sending out e-mail alerts, and keeping our members posted on the status of the ordinance as it bounced back and forth among the full Council, its Public Service Planning and Development Committee, and the Planning Commission in 16 separate meetings
for nearly three years. Diane was there every step of the way.
     Major kudos also go to the Greenville County Planning Commission staff, garden club leader Linda Sisson, and Friends of Paris Mountain president Mary Lou Jones for their persistent and resilient efforts, and to
the media for their outstanding coverage.
     The passionate and broad based support for this ordinance was immensely gratifying. Hundreds of citizens turned out for meeting after meeting, taking time away from their jobs and families. Garden clubs were energized, petitions were circulated, Council members were called, and letters poured in to the local papers. In the end, it was not even close – 9 in favor, 3 opposed.
     No doubt this is an important, urgently needed ordinance, but the interest, support and passion extend far beyond trees in parking lots. What we witnessed during the last year is an outpouring of concern about what is happening in Greenville County – the loss of open space, mounting traffic problems, harmful patterns of development and so forth. It is a concern shared by citizens everywhere. As a statewide poll conducted by the University of South Carolina Institute of Public Affairs in 2000 showed, more than 70 per cent of our state’s citizens support the following: state and local funding to protect open space; the creation of green belts around cities; and restrictions on the type of growth that can take place in certain areas. Four of five South Carolinians agree with the statement: “Protection of the environment should be given priority, even at the risk of slowing down economic growth.”
     The ordinance’s tortuous process had one enormous “silver lining” – citizens became actively involved with their local government. For many, it was the first time they had ever attended a County Council meeting or ever talked to their representative. They are now engaged, knowing their voices can make a difference. We hope their example will inspire citizens throughout the Upstate to speak out as well on these critically important issues.