Bluffton wins statewide recognition for Old Town

It wasn’t long ago that the town of Bluffton was seen as little more than a speck on the map between Savannah and Hilton Head Island.

Now the town is receiving statewide recognition for managing its explosive growth while maintaining the charm of its historic Old Town district.

Bluffton beat out 25 other municipalities Saturday to win the 2016 Municipal Association of South Carolina Achievement Award for towns with populations between 10,000 and 20,000.

The award highlights the town’s successes in implementing long-range planning initiatives in Old Town that “make the historic area a walkable community with a really good mixture of residential (development), shops, art galleries and restaurants,” Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka said Monday.

The Old Town Master Plan, adopted in 2006, has helped Bluffton’s leaders “find whats neat and unique about the town and emphasize it,” she said.

“We have hundreds of little towns in this state, so for ours to be recognized is very gratifying,” Sulka said of the award.

Miriam Hair, executive director for the municipal association, said in a statement Monday that Old Town “is a great example of the many successes that come from long-range strategic planning.”

This story was originally published July 18, 2016 at 1:09 PM with the headline "Bluffton wins statewide recognition for Old Town."