My Bio
I am a lifelong resident of Spartanburg, born and raised in the city. I attended Spartanburg High School. Today I live in the city and operate a business in the middle of downtown Spartanburg on Morgan Square, so I have a unique perspective on the decisions being made affecting downtown and the East Side. I am in favor of growth but not at the expense of what has made our city special during my lifetime- community and compassion.
My Key Issues
The Clock Tower
I am in favor of relocating the Clock Tower, not demolition. The intersection where it currently sits needs reconfiguration regardless of other construction plans, it is not safe for pedestrians (I use it at least 4 times daily).Let's find a space i for it in the city to locate it and keep the legacy (I have a brick with my name on it!).
Traffic Concerns
On The East Side of the city we have several upcoming projects that pose a concern to me as a homeowner. The relocation of Jesse Boyd to the old McCracken location is going to present traffic changes and we need to be ahead of them both during construction and when the new school is open. The intersection of Weber and Fernwood-Glendale is already a safety issue and traffic problem. We need to find a solution now, not after the traffic increases with the new school.
Other Traffic Concerns
As a downtown business operator, I am concerned about traffic during the construction of the Core planned projects. Not only will there be increased traffic but with nearly 1000 construction workers daily, I am concerned for my employees and customers/clients who will be impacted by this disruption. I want to insure that we have the proper plans and safeguards in place to address this issue.
Homeless
Again, I see this issue not only downtown as a business operator but on the East Side as a resident. I cannot walk from the parking lot to my office without an interaction with a displaced person. At home I see encampments behind businesses and as I walk in to retail stores I am again faced with an interaction with a homeless individual. I do have empathy for them and their issues, but we need to find solutions for them and help them to eradicate this issue. We also need to be sure that other municipalities are not solving their issue by adding to ours, as has been done in the past.
Send Me a Message
Have questions or suggestions? I would love to hear from you!