Nov 19, 2013: Kathryn Basha has been a senior planner with the BCD Council of Governments since 1997. A graduate of Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia, she has degrees in historic preservation and land use planning. Prior to her arrival in the Charleston area she did planning and development work in the state of Virginia.
BCDCOG is one of ten regional councils in South Carolina and encompasses all of the towns, cities and communities that make up Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester Counties. Its mission is to support member governments in efforts to preserve and enhance the quality of life for the citizens of the BCD Region. It is made up of 56 members representing every part of the BCD area. Its objective is to prepare plans, to provide technical assistance to local governments and promote coordination and cooperation among public programs in the Region.
Services of BCD include Grants Administration, Community and Economic development assistance, Revolving Loan Fund Program, Transportation and Land use Planning, GIS projects, Water quality management and Workforce development. Households in the region are expected to increase by 88,000 by the year 2040. This increase will affect the port, the airport and the expansion of Boeing and will affect costs, transportation, quality of life and affordability to live in the region. Thus the Region has a five point vision:
1)Planning future transportation options
2)A vital economy with good jobs, schools, healthcare, and affordable housing
3)A protected environment with clean air and water
4)Diverse low country communities
5)Cooperative caring atmosphere at the intergovernmental level
Trends are being studied to determine where growth will be and where the open spaces and corridors will be located. Computer models include the number of miles a typical person drives in a day, how many road miles are driven and where the points of congestion are located. New town centers must be planned for as well as transportation corridors. Also important is the preservation of open spaces for recreation purposes.
By 2035 the population of the BCD Region is expected to reach 900,000. The future of I-526 is still not clear, but it does seem likely that the Glenn McConnell Parkway will be extended.
Submitted by Fred Sales, Keyway Committee