‘Growth is going to happen:’ Plan outlines revitalization, potential development in Piedmont

PIEDMONT, S.C. (WSPA) — Piedmont is a community split by the Saluda River with roots in both Greenville and Anderson Counties.

Much like other parts of the Upstate, it’s growing!

“Piedmont, based on an analysis that we did, is currently outpacing Greenville County’s growth as well as Anderson County and South Carolina’s growth,” said Austin Lovelace, Greenville County Long Range Planner. “The average annual growth rate since 2020 has been 3.2% in Piedmont, which is double that of Greenville County and triple that of Anderson County and the state of South Carolina. We’ve seen, in that same time period, more than 3,000 housing units either approved or constructed or already have been constructed within the 36 square mile studied area.”

Austin Lovelace is part of Greenville County’s Long Range Development team that helped create the Piedmont Area Plan in collaboration with Anderson County.

“Everything that is proposed in the plan was identified in the community engagement phase. The biggest takeaways from that project was that people wanted to see downtown Piedmont revitalized, the natural resources preserved, and a local economy that benefits current residents,” said Lovelace.

With hundreds of housing units approved over the past several years and many others currently under construction in the area, the Piedmont Area Plan serves as a roadmap for future development. It includes added parks, trails and a revitalized downtown that aims to incorporate the area’s rich history.

“It definitely is getting busier. When I first moved here you could drive down River Road and not pass a single car down the entire stretch of the road,” said Sarah Lyons, Director of the Piedmont Community Alliance. “Now it is definitely busier and there is a lot of traffic.”

Local resident and director of the Piedmont Community Alliance, Sarah Lyons, represents the nonprofit advocating for the plan.

“I think that overall the community understands that growth is going to happen whether we want it to or not. But we would just like the growth to follow what’s best for the community, not be what’s best for someone else’s bank account,” said Lyons. “Smart growth is what we need and we would like to see other forms of neighborhoods built aside from your typical cookie-cutter subdivision.”

“We’ve done things the same way for so long. What is the harm in trying something new, especially when you have so many organizations out there for economic growth that are more economically viable long-term,” Lyons added.

While the Greenville County side of the plan has not been officially adopted yet, it serves as a guide for county council, the planning commissions, boards and committees as they decide how to improve the area.

Locals said they hope it’s done in a way that preserves the area.

“We really just want a holistic approach to Piedmont and to really conserve our natural spaces and have more parks and trails and communities that actually help build communities, not just separate, you know, them versus the people who have already been here,” said Lyons.

“I think having more diverse neighborhoods that have community spaces or a coffee shop, doctors office, more walkable green space and building communities that build communities at the same time,” she said.

The Anderson County side of the plan was adopted early in June. Community members said they hope the Greenville County side will soon follow.

There will be a public hearing for the Greenville County side of the Piedmont Area Plan on September 16th. If everything goes as planned, it could be adopted as soon as December.

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