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The Clinton City Council adopted the Clinton Economic Development Strategic Five-Year Plan (2019-2023), developed through a process led by the NC Main Street & Rural Planning (MS&RP) Center. Between March and October of 2018, the Clinton Economic Development Strategic Plan Steering Committee met monthly with the NC MS&RP Center staff to create the plan, which the City Council adopted in early December.
The plan contains nine strategies focused on: Organization, Promotion, Design, Business Development, Downtown, Land Use & Environment, Highway Corridor, Transportation, and Community Resources. Each strategy is tied to the City’s vision and has goals with achievable actions. By design, the plan incorporates many components from the City’s 2035 Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2015, as well as relevant parts of Clinton’s Comprehensive Pedestrian and Bicycle Plans, adopted in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
A unique aspect of the plan is the inclusion of a strategy for the businesses along NC 24 and NC 701 – also known as the Highway Business Corridor. As in many towns, Clinton had plans for industry and for downtown, but not for a third group of businesses located along the Highway Business Corridor. The dual goal of the Highway Corridor strategy is to: (1) provide an elevated level of design and pedestrian connectivity for more efficient commercial development; and (2) provide business-community connectivity through a Main Street®-type organizational structure to create a sense of community or belonging for these businesses.
NC MS&RP Center staff involved in the project included Community Economic Development Planners Bruce Naegelen (North Central Prosperity Zone), Mark Ziegler (Wilmington Office), and Grace Lawrence, Sandhills (South Central) Prosperity Zone, as well as GIS Specialist Glen Locascio (Asheville Office), who provided mapping and GIS assistance.