City of Laurens Dedicates “Welcome Plaza” and First Electric Vehicle Charging Station in Laurens County

LAURENS, S.C. – Sometimes a parking lot is more than a parking lot. On Wednesday morning (July 14, 2021), members of the Laurens City Council, Mayor Nathan Senn, Laurens CPW General Manager John Young, and members of the public dedicated a new “Welcome Plaza” at the northeast corner of the intersection of US Highways 221 and 76 and a refurbished public parking area featuring Laurens County’s first electric vehicle charging station.

In spring 2020, the City of Laurens’ public parking lot at the corner of East Main Street (US Hwy 76) and North Harper Street (US Hwy 221) needed to be resurfaced badly.  Lack of curbing, accessibility for disabled individuals, shade, and limited lighting all combined to render the parking lot inadequate for the city’s needs.  The corner which stood at such a prominent intersection was frequently littered with temporary signage and had no direct access from the parking lot to the sidewalk.  So, the City’s administration reasoned that if this long-overdue project needed to be done anyway, it made sense to improve the long-term functionality, accessibility, and function of this public parking.

Now, the public is now welcomed to the city by a beautiful brick paved plaza and public parking area which is not only more attractive, but more functional and accessible. that is wheelchair accessible for all of the public to use while enjoying our downtown experience. The skillful masonry work was completed by Henderson Brothers.

Every detail of the plaza and parking area improvements were carefully considered.

Masonry costs were reduced by utilizing a combination of both concrete and brick to pave the plaza, and this pavement pattern was used to designate the placement of an existing historical marker and a new streetlamp, giving the entire plaza a more cohesive, orderly appearance.  Additional access to SCDOT underground infrastructure was added so that the need for future digging and traffic disruption may be reduced.

Other creative approaches were taken to utilize existing infrastructure.  An existing signal box could not be relocated, so it was incorporated into the design to provide signage directing visitors to downtown shopping and dining, the Laurens County Museum, and other points of interest.  Additionally, the vinyl-wrapped signage, which may be periodically changed out and replaced at minimal cost, provided an opportunity to feature the town’s new “Friday Night Live” initiative and its identity as the home of the Piedmont blues. The graphic design work for this project was donated to the City, and the vinyl wrapping itself was created and installed by #1 Signs and Designs and have created a welcoming atmosphere.

Adding to the beauty and comfort of visitors is addition of new trees to the parking area.  Now, rather than parking in the discomfort of a hot, bare blacktop parking lot, summer visitors will be able to enjoy parking under three new American elms and several maple trees which will create shade as they grow and mature.  This variety of tree is a relatively new cultivar of elm, having been created in the 1990s, and is resistant to many of the diseases common to older varieties of elm trees.  River rock was used as ground cover to reduce the need for ongoing maintenance.  This landscaping was installed by Michael Young of Design South Landscape Co., who also worked with the City on the recently-completed Back Street Park.

The parking lot also has special significance as the home of Laurens County’s first electric vehicle charging station, with two specially designated EV parking spots.  This charging station can be used free of charge, at this time, and is listed on several online directories. The Siemens® VersiCharge™ 8EM1310 series electric charger was donated by Commission of Public Works and is already being used by individuals while they shop or attend to business in our downtown area.  So, while this charging station signals Laurens forward-thinking as the automotive industry transitions toward more widespread use of electric vehicles, it has already been effective in bringing new customers off the interstate and into the city.

For bicycling enthusiasts, a new branded bicycle rack which Main Street Laurens won through a Main Street America national conference was installed.  Even the placement of this bicycle rack was deliberate, utilizing an otherwise wasted space created by the differential in the angles of vehicular parking spaces.

The parking lot project was funded in part by a PARD grant with help of our legislative delegation, with the special help our chairman Mark Willis. Much of the work to refurbish the park and built the new plaza was overseen by recently retired Special Projects Department Director, Tommy Burns. The Commission of Public Works also assisted in relocating existing infrastructure and relocating a new main streetlight on the corner.  The city wishes to extend special recognition and thanks to all who collaborated to help bring this project to completion.

Finally, CPW collaborated to add improved overhead lighting on existing poles by installing modern LED lighting, which both better lights the area and eliminated the need (and expense) of installing additional light poles in the paved area. Now members of our community have a safe and well-lit parking area to use when our days start getting shorter, and the nights begin earlier.

“Now that we have creatively and thoughtfully built a nice public parking area, people will not have to dodge curbs anymore to get in and out of the parking lot,” said Mayor Nathan Senn. “This project has added great ‘curb appeal’ to the historic Back Street area, and we have already noticed a dramatic increase in the use of this area by the public.

“To paraphrase long-time Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, great cities set themselves apart with the way they show attention to detail and striving to do things with excellence,” said Mayor Senn, “and that includes parking lots!”