Is this really what you (or others) want to see everday coming into our Capital City?
Recently, residents in Downtown Columbia called me and asked to meet to discuss an important matter to them. I had no idea what we’d be discussing; but felt if they wanted to meet, it must be important to them – and I’m glad I took the meeting.
Simply put: they talked about the need to “clean up the entrance way to Columbia”.
Of course during the meeting, the conversation expanded to the overall amount of litter across our state. This obviously isn’t the first time someone’s noticed and mentioned this in our state ; but I decided the problem warranted attention and so I’m working to see that their wish comes to fruition. The good news, is we all know of the the efforts to clean up litter… Keep Midlands Beautiful , Adopt-a-Highway , etc. What stood out to me though wasn’t so much the litter, it’s the “other stuff” that adds to the clutter and really doesn’t present the image I think we’d all like to see for our Capital City.
Weeds. Overgrowth. Broken “green tops” in the median. I’m not even talking about the debris that can happen any given day. Regardless of financial resources, surely we can find a way to get this cleaned up – and kept cleaned up?
Years ago, I received a letter from a Homeowner Association for having a few centipede strings growing over the curb to the road. Who sends the letter when we see things like this around the state? And whom does that letter go to?
Today, I followed up with the SC Department of Transportation after receiving some preliminary information from their office earlier this month. I decided I’d “send a letter” to them and also include the SC Department of Corrections, Richland County, and the City of Columbia as well.
As the residents shared with me “imagine what visitors to the (Riverbanks) Zoo and the city think? What about businesses that are considering coming here – you think they like that first impression?
Let’s see if we can get this cleaned up for the Midlands. Especially for the entrance ways to the Capital City!
