This section illustrates how the principles and strategies recommended for revitalizing existing towns and villages could be applied within the context of an actual town. 

Area overview
The village of Eastover, located in Lower Richland County, is a distressed community that has great revitalization potential. Eastover was incorporated in 1880. It is one of seven villages formed in Lower Richland County after the breakup of the large plantation estates. The building of railroads in Richland County spawned many of these communities, Eastover in particular. Today, of these seven villages, only Eastover remains. See Figure 7-19.

Figure 7-20 illustrates the existing plan of the village of Eastover. A rail line bisects the village. Eastover’s main street is 200-foot right-of-way consisting of a two way street, the rail line and a second two way street. The village can be characterized by the central core consisting of Main Street and the blocks fronting it, the surrounding residential neighborhoods, and a perceivable edge formed by forested areas. The village contains numerous underutilized parcels along Main Street. Other parts of the village contain a good stock of historic structures -- some occupied, others vacant -- and community service activities scattered throughout the village. 

 Redevelopment Opportunities
Figure 7-21 illustrates the numerous redevelopment opportunities within the fabric of the community. Residents identified these opportunities during a one-day visioning session conducted in January 1999.

 Core area opportunities:

• Vacant and underutilized parcels along Main Street could be the site for redevelopment.
• Several structures deemed historic by the community could be rehabilitated.
• Public environment improvements along Main Street would make the village center more attractive and functional. This area is ideal for community festivals.
• Several sites were specifically noted as being ideal for such uses as a tourism center, a bed and breakfast inn, a hotel, a town hall, restaurants, and other retail uses.
• A new Magistrate’s office could locate in the core area thus demonstrating confidence through public investment.

• Several sites were identified as being ideal for parks and recreation.
• Several sites were identified for various types of housing: apartments, elderly housing and single family housing.
• The Webber School site was identified as a site for demolition with a replacement school to be constructed.
• Numerous opportunities were identified for community services. These include an improved health care facility currently underway and a cultural center to be located on the old town hall site. Residents saw the town hall functions moving to Main Street.

• A trail system could be created along the village’s two flanking creeks. This system should link up with the existing and desired parks at either end of the town. In addition, a linear park down the middle of Main Street, alongside the railroad right-of –way was suggested. This should also link up with the community trail system. 
• The existing forested areas long the village edge should be retained and reinforced. Symbolic gateways could be created at all roads leading into the village to mark the act of entering the village.

• Tourism was seen as an activity with potential. Eastover and its surrounding area was thought by residents to be rich with historic structures and landscapes. These could be the basis for a historic Eastover tour. 
• Recreation opportunities abound especially river rafting along the nearby Congaree and Wateree Rivers. Eastover was seen as an ideal base for rafting excursions.
• One resident introduced the theme “visit the village in the forest” as a way to create an identifiable image for this agricultural village. This theme reinforces the idea of focusing growth within the village and preserving surrounding land with a forested edge.
• All of these ideas could be the basis for a tourism strategy that could lead to restaurants, inns, and hotel uses located within the town. 
• Residents believed that neighborhood retail and other jobs generating development were also vital to the success of the community.

General Village Revitalization
Figures 7-25 and 7-26 illustrate how the street grid of Eastover could be extended within the village limits to accommodate new residential growth. New development is based upon Eastover’s existing development module, the block. New blocks formed by street extensions are approximately the same size and are platted in roughly the same way as existing blocks. This affords traffic dispersal and efficiency as well as a sense of aesthetic continuity within the fabric of the village. The well-defined edge serves to contain new development within the village. This serves to increase density and community vitality, and remove development pressure from surrounding agricultural and open space areas outside the village.
  
7.3.1.2 Transportation for Eastover

The town of Eastover presently exhibits many of the principles implicit to the town-and-country vision: compact town surrounded by lush countryside; a comprehensive network of interconnected local streets; and a discernable “Main Street.” In light of potential suburban growth forces that might threaten the town’s identity, it is important that continued attention be given to the following: preservation of the local network, enhancement of the commercial core, and provision of connections to nearby natural assets.

The condition of the town’s “dual” Main Streets on either side of an active railroad corridor is rather unique, creating vast distances between building fronts on opposite sides. However, such a configuration can, as sketched, be converted into an asset rather than a detriment, using a portion of the railroad median as a distinguishable public space.

Improvement to the pedestrian system, through the construction of wide sidewalks and distinguishable crosswalks, is a good first step to better connect adjacent businesses as well as the two sides of the street. The erratic operation of the railroad is a problem that cannot be dealt with through design. Ideally, negotiation with the railroad can prevent trains from severing the town for more than fifteen minutes or so at a time. 

Additional on-street parking can help maximize access to businesses along the stretch and also to the new proposed public park in the median, which can be safely separated from the railroad by a wall or decorative fence. A 10-foot to 12-foot-wide recreational trail is a perfect fit for such a park, given Eastover’s low traffic volumes and the town’s proximity to preservation areas and other natural assets. Such a path typically consists of two designated travelways—one for walkers and joggers and the other for bicyclists and in-line skaters. After running through the town center along the median, the trail could ideally veer off along designated greenways toward surrounding natural assets and recreation areas. 

If desired, the town of Eastover could serve as a major focal point of such a trail system, offering food, beverages, shopping, and conversation to joggers and bicyclists. On-street parking in the town center could feed the trail with patrons, as could a designated “trailhead” somewhere within the town. 

In all, the town of Eastover would benefit from a recreational trail in two ways:

• Residents would have easier access to natural assets and recreational opportunities.
• New business opportunities would be generated within the town as it becomes the focal point of a trail system.