Sans Souci community spearheads growth plan, looks ahead for what’s next

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - An upstate community is working on the next steps in their master plan. The Sans Souci Neighborhood Alliance created the plan four years ago.

During Tuesday night’s neighborhood meeting, they discussed the progress they made and what else needs to be done.

“Really what it takes is people who you really want to change,” said the neighborhood alliance president Tee Thompson about how they began the community master plan.

“We started on, you know, some infrastructure projects, parks and green space projects,” he said.

They have five priorities including beautification, safety and crime, road and sidewalks and affordable housing. Greenville County staff helped layout the plan, but Sans Souci residents are the ones making it happen.

“A lot of people have things that they want to see happen but, you know, not as many people have things that they want to make happen. So that’s what we try to emphasize is what we can do and what people have the energy for” Thompson said.

Whether that’s cleaning up parks, planting trees, creating a Swamp Rabbit Trail connection or pushing county leaders for road work. Change has been in residents’ hands. One priority and biggest question mark on the plan is what will become of the old Bleachery Mill site. The plan is to redevelop it into a large mixed-use housing development but the clean-up process has been lengthy.

“I know a lot of these types of things can take time,” he said.

So neighbors are looking ahead at what can be done.

“I think it’s a beautiful area and I think it has a ton of potential,” Thompson said about Sans Souci.

Residents have begun to brainstorm how they’ll continue the master plan and update it as needed. The alliance says it’ll be a continuous process as long as the neighbors stay involved.

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