EFFINGHAM COUNTY -- The Effingham County Chamber of Commerce has released a statement on its definitions of “Smart Growth” for Effingham County.
At its meeting on June 23, the chamber’s Board of Directors approved this statement:
“The Effingham Chamber of Commerce defines Smart Growth as growth that is strategically planned and designed in a manner that considers land uses, access to and preservation of its natural beauty, its close-knit hometown identity, and transportation/ infrastructure needs. The engagement and collaborative efforts of key stakeholders will result in development that brings value to our region’s economic, social and environmental future.”
Ryan Thompson, outgoing chairman of the Board of Directors, said, “The chamber has hosted and attended multiple events over the past year where the term “Smart Growth” was not simply mentioned but became the focus of the discussions. With those discussions, we realized that we should develop our organization’s definition of Smart Growth
“The chamber is enthusiastic about the current and future opportunities that exist for our members throughout our region from the growth we are experiencing,” Thompson continued. We also recognize that with growth comes change and that change can either be haphazard or it can be planned in a smart manner. We applaud the residents of Effingham County for using their voice to make sure that growth in our county is well planned, and commend the staff and elected officials in our county and municipalities for hearing this voice and dedicating the time and funding necessary to create Smart Growth.”
At its meeting on June 23, the chamber’s Board of Directors approved this statement:
“The Effingham Chamber of Commerce defines Smart Growth as growth that is strategically planned and designed in a manner that considers land uses, access to and preservation of its natural beauty, its close-knit hometown identity, and transportation/ infrastructure needs. The engagement and collaborative efforts of key stakeholders will result in development that brings value to our region’s economic, social and environmental future.”
Ryan Thompson, outgoing chairman of the Board of Directors, said, “The chamber has hosted and attended multiple events over the past year where the term “Smart Growth” was not simply mentioned but became the focus of the discussions. With those discussions, we realized that we should develop our organization’s definition of Smart Growth
“The chamber is enthusiastic about the current and future opportunities that exist for our members throughout our region from the growth we are experiencing,” Thompson continued. We also recognize that with growth comes change and that change can either be haphazard or it can be planned in a smart manner. We applaud the residents of Effingham County for using their voice to make sure that growth in our county is well planned, and commend the staff and elected officials in our county and municipalities for hearing this voice and dedicating the time and funding necessary to create Smart Growth.”
The Effingham County Chamber of Commerce is a member-driven organization focused on business advocacy and sustainable economic growth in our region. For more information, call (912) 754-3301, e-mail info@effinghamcountychamber.org, or visit www.effinghamcounty.com.
