Rock Hill’s needs are in the clouds

A world jumble might sound confusing, but in the right context it can highlight important points.

When Rock Hill residents are asked to list the city’s biggest needs, the most common concerns are mentioned over and over again. When plugged into a word cloud – a display that highlights the frequency with which certain words are used – those are the areas that stand out the most, overshadowing the rest.

When 130 people were invited to take part in an “influencers” breakfast at Brakefield at Riverwalk events center to discuss the future of the community, the themes that emerged over the course of the breakfast were shown on video screens in real time.

As participants were asked to describe different community aspects, services and places in one word, staffers plugged those words into a word cloud using the site wordle.net, where the most common replies were amplified.

The cloud highlights that Rock Hill is growing fast. Participants heard a rundown of the city’s recent improvements, additions and attractions, from Mayor Dough Echols, such as the opening of Fountain Park, Manchester Meadows and the Giordana Velodrome to future developments in Knowledge Park and the growth of residential and commercial developments downtown.

Those changes go hand-in-hand with an increasing population. The city projects its population will grow to 96,000 by 2030, up from an estimated 69,000 today.

That growth can create problems and participants brainstormed the best ways to identify and meet those needs.

In the “places” cloud, “downtown” drowned out all other responses. Many noted a need for an increased business presence, and different kinds of attractions in the city’s downtown corridor.

“It’s encouraging to see downtown show up so often, although it’s not surprising,” Echols said. “Every great city needs a great downtown.”

The mayor said the growth of restaurants and food options downtown could make Rock Hill a “culinary destination,” and that the city was considered different “lighting effects” to improve the nightlife ambiance in the business district.

In the “services” category, “transportation” was the top concern among a more jumbled field. Participants made clear that included a desire for more public transportation options within the city and beyond.

“I want to see the blue line (of Charlotte’s light rail system) come down from Pineville to Rock Hill,” said John Elliott Coleman, a member of Rock Hill’s parks and recreation commission. He also wants to see a citywide bus system and other amenities for travelers.

“With all the expansion going on, we need more hotels here for the sports facilities and the BMX track... We’re going to lose those people to Charlotte,” he said.

Another concern was that development isn’t evenly spread around town, but clustered close to the main entry and exit points on Interstate 77. Coleman said he’d like to see a focus shift to the southwest side of town, maybe by placing more business parks along S.C. 901.

Others want to ensure that social services are accessible to those who need them. Serena Williams, community services coordinator with the Rock Hill school district, said there needs to be better communicate on the available services.

“At the school district, we’ve tried to pull together those resources,” Williams said. “There needs to be a broad understanding of how to access all those resources, The United Way has kind of been the frontrunner on that.”

Participants were also asked for more detailed suggestions for improving each area. The city will compile those suggestions.

“There is tremendous value in having forward-thinking leaders get together on these issues, whether it’s parks, sports tourism or new housing options,” Williams said.

That was the response Echols was hoping to get when he asked such a large group to offer their thoughts on a variety of topics.

“It’s funneling everything together that makes a community,” Echols said.

This story was originally published September 19, 2015 at 8:34 PM with the headline "Rock Hill’s needs are in the clouds."