Strategic Spartanburg

The following Best Practice Strategies were provided by the Clemson Univeristy's Regional Economic Development Research Laboratory in the Department of Applied Economics and Statistics.

Programs Used to Reduce Farmland Conversion and Vehicle Miles Traveled

A. Farmland Preservation
• Provide “use” valuation of farmland for property tax purposes (note: this will not be effective protection if there exists strong pressure for converting lands to non-farm uses, i.e., prices for lands for develop-ment greatly exceed prices for farming.
• Establish a public or private program to purchase transferable development rights.
• Establish urban service zones whereby public infrastructure invest-ments (schools, roads, sewers, water) and services (fire, police, refuge) are concentrated in certain areas.
• Implement subdivision controls and planning ordinances that direct growth.
• Provide a comprehensive education program for elected officials and the public regarding the potential consequences of their decisions regarding infrastructure investments and development subsidies.
• Require developers to pay impact fees to cover the costs of new public infrastructure that results from sprawl development.

B. Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled
• Make significantly greater investments in public transportation alternatives
• Promote regional planning that combines the efforts of transporta-tion, land-use, environmental, and economic development programs
• Build more affordable housing near transit and jobs.
• Support greater public involvement in transportation and land use planning processes.
• Plan pedestrian-friendly developments where people have transport-tation alternatives to the automobile (e.g., walking and bicycling paths)
• Fund innovative, incentives-based programs that encourage the use of car pooling, public transit, walking, or biking.

Programs to Reduce Mobile Sources of Ozone
• Vehicle inspection and maintenance programs to ensure that emissions controls are functioning properly
• Increase the local use of reformulated gasoline and/or low-sulfur fuel
• Provide tax credits for removing old automobiles from service (older cars have a disproportionately negative impact on air quality)
• Introduce transportation control measures that reduce vehicle miles traveled and improve traffic flow
• Reduce vehicle miles traveled through development planning that reduces sprawl

Programs to Reduce Point and Area Sources of Ozone
• Apply the “Reasonably Available Control Technologies” to point and area sources. Control measures will vary by particular source of VOC (e.g., dry cleaner, petroleum refinery, chemical manufacturer, paper manufacturer).
• Consider emission-trading programs where an emission cap is established for the area, emission rights are established for entities, and a system is designed to facilitate the trading of rights.
• Encourage businesses to voluntarily adopt environmental manage-ment and information programs such as the International Organi-zation for Standardization (ISO 9000) standard or the Chemical Manufacturers Association Responsible Care Initiative.
• Have industrial sources of VOC work proactively with the county to develop strategies to reduce ozone levels.
• Educate the public regarding best practices in disposing of hazardous wastes.

Programs to Protect Surface Waters
• Provide aquatic butter ordinances that clearly mark buffer boun-aries, stipulate buffer maintenance, and specify management of buffers
• Provide and enforce ordinances that prevent erosion and sedimentation during the initial phase of construction projects
• Encourage “cluster development” for residential developments so that dwelling units are concentrated in a compact area to reserve open space for conservation, recreation, and stormwater management
• Provide illicit discharge detection and elimination programs to prevent the contamination of surface water supplies through the monitoring, inspection, and removal of illegal non-stormwater discharges. Illicit dischargers include illegal connections from business or commercial establishments, discharges from septic systems, illegal dumping, and improper disposal of sewage.
• Provide post-construction stormwater management ordinances for existing developments to limit surface runoff volumes and pollution loadings from impervious surfaces (e.g., parking lots, roofs, streets and roads).
• Include elements of design, routine maintenance, and inspection in stormwater ordinances to ensure that best management practices are maintained throughout the life of the control facility or program.
• Provide education programs to inform the public of the benefits of reducing surface water contaminants and best practices to follow to protect watersheds and surface water.
• Organize cleanups of county rivers, streams, and wetlands in conjunction with National River Cleanup Week.

Programs for Municipal Waste Reduction 
• Encourage the composting of organic materials such as paper, food wastes, yard trimmings, and wood. Composting reduces the need for landfill space.
• Investigate Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) community MSW pro-grams that charge residents for the collection of MSW based on the amount they throw away.
• Encourage local businesses and public agencies to purchase recycle-content products. Buying recycled products helps to “close the loop” by putting the materials we collect back into use.
• Provide educational and outreach programs pertaining to the proper disposal of household hazardous wastes (paints, cleaners, oils, pesticides, batteries, etc.).