County Seeks Funding for Piedmont Riverfront Park
Wednesday, February 16, 2022 at 5:12PM Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
Anderson County is applying for funding from the National Park Service Land & Water Conservation Fund to support development of Piedmont Riverfront Park, a public access facility on the Saluda River.
The new facility will become an integral part of the Saluda River Blue Trail, which currently extends along a 17.5-mile recreational corridor in Anderson County and includes existing locations at Dolly Cooper Park in Powdersville, Dr. James A. Timmerman Access in Pelzer, and the Sen. M.W. Gambrell Access near Belton. The project site is located at 550 River Road, Piedmont SC, 29673.
“We see this as being a project of regional significance and a potent economic development tool” said Steve Newton, Anderson County’s Governmental Affairs Director. “More than 1.8 million people live within a 50-mile radius of the site, and market research indicates that 7.2 percent of them participate annually in kayaking or a similar paddling activity. Attracting just 4.4 percent of those persons to the Piedmont Riverfront Park will yield a direct impact of $300,000 and indirect impact of almost $1 million annually, not including persons visiting the site to engage in boating, fishing, wildlife-watching, or passive outdoor activities.”
The project's goal is to provide new public access opportunities, including an ADA-accessible kayak launch, boat landing, and shoreline trail, at an as-yet undeveloped 30-acre site owned by Anderson County on the Saluda River in Piedmont.
All project elements are designed to be wholly accessible by persons with disabilities or impaired mobility in keeping with Anderson County’s mission to make all county facilities accessible to all.
“We see this as being a project of regional significance and a potent economic development tool” said Steve Newton, Anderson County’s Governmental Affairs Director. “More than 1.8 million people live within a 50-mile radius of the site, and market research indicates that 7.2% of them participate annually in kayaking or a similar paddling activity. Attracting just 4.4% of those persons to the Piedmont Riverfront Park will yield a direct impact of $300,000 and indirect impact of almost $1 million annually, not including persons visiting the site to engage in boating, fishing, wildlife-watching, or passive outdoor activities.”
A draft environmental assessment has been prepared for this project and will is available for public inspection through March 17 at www.andersoncountysc.org.
Comments on the environmental assessment may be submitted to Newton at snewton@andersoncountysc.org