Town of Chapin Mayor's Message

Envisioning a Future

Greetings,

The Town of Chapin has spent the past year working on a comprehensive plan for our community. This comprehensive plan was developed utilizing extensive input from the public. The plan will provide staff and elected officials guidance and long-range strategic direction as we develop and implement projects, programs, and policies that will affect the future of the Town.

Through internal discussions with our comprehensive plan advisory committee, small group listening sessions with community stakeholders, a community survey with over 600 responses and a public drop in meeting several planning themes emerged. One of the most significant themes to materialize, next to growth management, was the need for the development of a Town Center. Since the early 2000s, a vision has been established for the creation of a Town Center in Chapin that provides a place for public gatherings, festivals, events, entertainment, outdoor dining and other similar activities and uses. The desire expressed in those previous planning initiatives to create a Town Center remains an important goal of the community. The general area envisioned for the Town Center has always been linear in nature, extending along Columbia Avenue from Town Hall, connecting to the old school property, out to the traditional commercial center of Chapin in the Beaufort Street area.

While our Town has an active civic and social life, we desire to create a central gathering place that will be the focal point of the Town. Our desire is that this gathering place will integrate greenspace in a walkable environment that enhances the quality of life for our residents and provides access to our commercial center. The geographic location of the old school property in relation to Chapin Town Hall and the Lexington County library, the historic nature and cultural significance of the area and the potential of the property make the former Alternative Academy, Theater and former sports fields an ideal location to become a revitalized Town Center.

Over the course of the past four years, the Town has met with staff and elected leadership from the School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties to discuss the possibility of partnering with them to develop a plan for the property. In each case, this concept was received favorably and the Town was assured that we would have the opportunity to work together but that the timing for the discussion was not suitable. Unbeknownst to the Town, a committee of the Board recently met to discuss the school district owned property along Columbia Avenue. At this time the Town attempted to set up a meeting with representatives of the school board, however, the Town was informed that the property was being added to the school board agenda with the recommendation to sell the property.

The surprise and recent discussions by the Board to sell off the property to the highest bidder without a discussion with the Town on ways to partner for the greater good of the community was disappointing. Properties sold to the highest bidder can potentially develop in a manner inconsistent with the needs and desires of the local community and are often developed for short term profitability rather than long term sustainability. In order to fully realize the community’s vision for the property, leadership from the school district, the county and the Town would need to develop a public private partnership, create a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district as a funding source and explore the feasibility of the Town of Chapin performing arts center.

In order for the Town to invest funding into the research and development of the school owned property, we would need an assurance from the school district that the property would not be sold while the Town was conducting an evaluation and honor previous discussions to work with the Town to best utilize the property for the community. I urge my neighbors and surrounding community members to speak to their representatives about the need to collectively work together to explore the potential of the property. The Town seeks to see this property be utilized in the manner in which it was orginally intended nearly a century ago, as a gathering place for our community, and not to be developed for the financial interest of the limited few that are most able to profit from its development.

This property represents a singular chance for the school district, the county and the Town to partner in a way that will be mutually beneficial to all organizations and support the Chapin community. In that spirit, the Town has had discussions with the Chapin Library, the Crooked Creek Arts League, the Greater Chapin Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Chapin Theatre Company about future needs. The Town believes that through a coordinated development strategy of the property we can accomplish the collective goals of the community. All too often our large entities work independently in their individual silos rather than cooperatively in conjunction with one another. What one entity by itself could not do, partnerships make it possible. I am looking forward to developing this partnership in the best interest of the Chapin community.

Best regards,

David W. Knight
Mayor of Chapin

Any questions or comments regarding information contained in this document please contact communications@chapinsc.com