Mill village residents lay out vision for Granby, Olympia and Whaley neighborhoods

Words such as “village,” “history,” “home” and “pride” echoed through the grand hall of 701 Whaley on Thursday evening during an hourlong brainstorming session about the future of the “Three Mills” district just south of downtown Columbia.

And visions of bringing locally owned restaurants, boutique shops and groceries; greenways; a rooftop bar; and more to the historic mill village neighborhoods were jotted down, filling up a dozen sheets of paper.

More than 30 resident of the Granby, Whaley and Olympia neighborhoods attended the workshop, one of two held this week as a group of consultants starts to prepare a master plan for the area’s future.

“I’m very optimistic and hopeful that once the plan has been developed, we’ll be able to get it implemented,” Vi Hendley, chairwoman of the Olympia Residents Council, said after what neighbors agreed was a positive meeting.

Hendley and most others who attended had no qualms explaining to The Boudreaux Group, a Columbia-based firm developing the plan for Columbia and Richland County, what they want — and what they don’t.

Neighbors said they relish the atmosphere of the neighborhoods, built for mill workers and their families during the 19th and early 20th centuries and known for their “saltbox” houses with two stories in the front, one story in the back and a sloping roof above.

But there is room for improvement, they said. Public walking spaces and gathering spots, live music, recreational facilities and local shops and restaurants would be welcome additions.

But more traffic, bad behavior of renters and “slum lords” and a widening of Olympia Avenue would not.

Chris Reid, 39, who owns property in Olympia, and others at the workshop said they want the area to become a destination for residents looking to eat and play.

That vision could be thwarted if Olympia Avenue were to become a four- or five-lane road, he said.

“The purpose of a bypass is not to stay,” Reid said. “It wouldn’t become a destination.”

Residents said they were happy to be included so early in the planning process. The Boudreaux Group earlier on Thursday toured the district with some neighbors and told residents at the meeting they would be involved throughout.

“This is your community. This is your master plan,” said Irene Tyson, director of planning at The Boudreaux Group. “We just want to provide some form to it.”

Tyson said the group would conduct more research on the area and would start to prioritize feasible projects before returning to formally meet with residents again in June. The plan will take a year to develop, she said.

Bob Guild, president of the Granby neighborhood association, said the meeting was an exciting first step.

“We’re on the right track,” he said.

This story was originally published April 27, 2016 at 9:43 PM with the headline "Mill village residents lay out vision for Granby, Olympia and Whaley neighborhoods."