When the Carlisle Finishing Plant closed its doors back in 2020, the small South Carolina town (pop. 319) where it was located lost its major employer. In the ensuing years, the predominantly African American community sought to find a way to draw up a shared vision for its recovery and future, with a focus on spurring economic opportunity and creating desirable living communities. The effort was off to a good start: the town had recently been connected to the county water infrastructure and had a $15,000 grant from the South Carolina Municipal Association to develop a Comprehensive Plan. With a Smart Growth Grant from the Spartanburg Association of REALTORS®, it was able to hold a three-day charrette to help community stakeholders envision their options.
A charrette is an intensive, collaborative workshop that brings stakeholders together to find solutions or craft a plan; they are typically conducted by subject experts, and are especially useful in community planning projects.
Jodi Viehman, the Executive Vice President of the Spartanburg Association of REALTORS®, explains that she was approached about the project by Erika Stahl, a senior planner with the Catawba Regional Council of Governments. Aware of the REALTOR® Party’s Smart Growth Grant program, Stahl asked for help securing funding to support Carlisle’s planning exercise. “For the application, Erika provided all the necessary detailed information,” says Viehman. “Once we were awarded the grant, her organization used it to conduct the charrette.” This involved outreach to residents, utility companies, adjacent local governments, business owners, developers, and government officials; sixty-eight Carlisle residents participated, which is 20% of the town’s population.
During the first day of the charrette, the Carlisle stakeholders discussed where and how development should occur to most effectively curtail population loss and stabilize and grow the community. The Smart Growth Grant paid for the modelling of six possible scenarios featuring medium-density housing and light industry, including estimates of the number of housing units, jobs created, and sewer and water usage. Participants chose their preference to be incorporated into the town’s first Comprehensive Plan.
A few leadership members and staff from the REALTOR® association were involved in various stages of planning, and volunteered at the event, itself. “Our immediate past President had the opportunity to address the gathering and gave a brief history of the association and what we do, and why we feel supporting this kind of project with NAR resources is important,” says Viehman.
“The whole event made it clear to the region that the Town of Carlisle was serious about planning for its future, and that the REALTORS® are behind them.”
Stahl reports that since the Comprehensive Plan was drafted, the Town of Carlisle has been busy. It has established its first Planning Commission, which recommended adoption of the Comprehensive Plan to the Carlisle Town Council – which it did, by ordinance after a public hearing, on April 29, 2025. The Planning Commission continues to meet monthly to draft the Town’s first zoning ordinance, which will enable them to realize the development that was first modelled at the charrette. The next step for the Planning Commission will be to prepare an annexation policy for adoption by the Council.
Viehman encourages other associations to consider partnering with a local stakeholder organization to support planning for growth and development. “The Smart Growth Grant provided us with a great opportunity to help a community with a catalyst for their future planning. It has been so gratifying to witness Carlisle’s progress from the initial meeting to the completion of its first Comprehensive Plan, and we look forward to watching them grow!”
To learn more about how the Spartanburg Association of REALTORS® is helping local jurisdictions plan for future growth and prosperity, contact Executive Vice President Jodi Viehman at jodi@spartanburgrealtors.com or 864.583.3679.
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