Pontiac residents have a unique opportunity to share their vision of the future of their community.

ReNew Pontiac is a neighborhood planning effort coordinated by Richland County Community Planning & Development. The goal is to gather input from residents and businesses in the development of the Pontiac Neighborhood Master Plan in an effort to grow business, enhance residential living and improve infrastructure throughout the community.

Developing a master plan for Pontiac was a goal Richland County Councilman Calvin “Chip” Jackson campaigned on while running for office.

"I set about trying to make sure that we create an opportunity for our community in our district to have the same type of neighborhood improvement plan that all the other districts have," Jackson said.

The ReNew Pontiac website is live and gives community members a chance to learn about the effort, view map drafts and provide feedback on the project.

Community Planning & Development will hold two public input sessions this month to allow people to share their vision for the Pontiac community. The meetings will explore topics including housing, business growth, recreation and area beautification.

Scheduled for 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25 and Thursday, Sept. 26, the charrette-style sessions will be in the Richland Library Sandhills Auditorium, located on the second floor at 763 Fashion Drive, Columbia.

Members of the community can also provide input by taking a survey at the ReNew Pontiac website.

"It's very important for the public to be involved because the last thing I want to do as a representative of the district is to tell the district what it needs," Jackson said. "I want to hear from the citizens that I represent what they need, and then go about the business of trying to make sure I do my best to accomplish that.”

To participate or for information on how to get involved in ReNew Pontiac, visit www.renewpontiac.com.