And Other Reports of Modular Offices and DOE Advanced Manufacturing Facility, A Case of Lost Equipment at SRS, the $1 easement in the Highway One Corridor, and approval of water and sewer for the Seven-Eleven Store and Gas Station/Truck Stop at I-20’s Exit 22.
by Don Moniak
April 28, 2023
Updated May 11, 2023 (1)
A Shrub Grows in Aiken
Several years ago, the City of Aiken’s Public Works Annex at 655 Kershaw Street, NE, appeared well-kept, the grass mowed, the weeds whacked, the grate in the parking lot covered.
The city obtained the property from South Carolina Gas and Electric (SCEG) in 2006. The 4685 square foot office building, built in 1975, is part of a complex valued by the city at just over $2 million and insured for $2.253 million—-the same insurance value for the vacant Holley House Motel on Bee Lane.
At Monday night’s, April 24th City Council meeting, Aiken resident Laverne Justice spoke about property’s current appearance (above), while addressing the Dumpster Depot’s continued presence in the neighborhood:
“It is right there by the old SCEG building, which is not kept up. The grass is not cut (at the old SCEG building), there is trash there. That is city property and it’s not being maintained.” (2:54 mark of meeting)
The next day, probably in response to Ms. Justice’s comments, freshly cut grass could be seen; but the property remained in a state of neglect, landscape-wise. The situation is exemplified by a shrub that adorns a damaged grate in the parking lot.
City code states:
“It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain or to permit to be maintained any premises owned or occupied by him or under his control, including vacant lots or land, upon which grass, weeds, undergrowth, trash, garbage offal, stagnant water, building materials, glass, wood or other matter deleterious to good health and public sanitation, which is permitted or caused to accumulate in any manner which is or may become a nuisance causing injury to the health or welfare of residents or the public in the vicinity or causing injury to neighboring property..” (Section 22-7(a)).
Although some complaints are deemed “unfounded,” the city’s code enforcement division routinely issues warnings and citations for “care of premises” and “lot clean” violations of the code. The monthly report is longer during the growing season due to overgrown vegetation in a wet, humid climate; but even in winter there are warnings and citations.
Here Comes The Lab
Meanwhile, on the other side of town the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is clearing land and doing site prep work (above) on its $50 million, 60,000 to 65,000 square foot Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC) complex at the University of South Carolina at Aiken (USCA)
The U.S. Department of Energy is expanding its presence across the region beyond the fenced and guarded Savannah River Site (SRS), and the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) is at the center of the expansion. In addition to the AMC, the City of Aiken is currently planning to construct a 45,000 square foot “Workforce Development Center” in downtown Aiken that is also envisioned to be a nuclear nonproliferation training center for intelligence agencies.
According to the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), which is tasked in its contract with DOE with design assistance and operation of the AMC, the mission of the USCA complex is to “be an innovation hub for manufacturing, fostering modern industrial practices, advancing new technologies and training the future manufacturing workforce with a focus on chemical and materials manufacturing.” The security needs for this new federal facility have not been disclosed.
The construction of the complex does coincide with plans for Savannah River Site to enter a new manufacturing phase in nuclear weaponry work, this time to produce nuclear explosive parts known as plutonium pits. The pit mission, as it is commonly called, will involve the need for a substantial materials and chemical manufacturing workforce. Of course, plutonium pit work will be conducted at F-Area; well inside the highly restricted SRS complex.
Typical of DOE projects, the AMC facility is well behind schedule. The ceremonial groundbreaking was in April of 2022, six months after an expected start. In an October 12, 2022, email (obtained via FOIA) from SRNL Director Vahid Majidi to USCA Chancellor Daniel Heimmermann, Majidi wrote:
“To be frank, I was expecting the bulldozers to be moving dirt around this month. I know the Department had to make a few last minute alterations, but I don’t know what the time line is. I am still very hopeful for an October start but I will verify with Tony.”
According to a November 7, 2022 email from Majidi to Heimmermann, funding issues “were resolved and the building will be built as envisioned.”
In late January 2023, DOE’s SRS Director Michael Budney told the SRS Citizen’s Advisory Board (SRS-CAB):
“Uh, you know inflation has impacted the cost of the facility to be built as designed so we are still moving forward. Construction should actually begin here within just the next uh three or four weeks uh I think we’ve worked through all the issues and how we’re going to construct that thing and to meet the original objectives.”
In late March, 2023, work began in earnest; and in April two modular office buildings were moved in to accommodate the design and construction team. The buildings are similar to those found across the SRS radiochemical industrial landscape. (photo below)
According to its physical property inventory, SRNL has seven modular office buildings to supplement what City Councilman Ed Woltz described during the latest State of the City address as “remote, aged facilities.” Close to 1,000 SRNL workers and researchers will continue to work in the aged facilities behind the SRS gates and fences, not within “walking distance proximity to cultural amenities, dining, and retail stores” that was one criteria for the downtown SRNL office complex.
A Hazardous Waste Misclassification and $150,000 Property Loss
As reported in “There’s A Joke in There Somewhere,” SRNL is not immune from basic industrial accidents and mistakes. Hundreds of “occurrence reports” from have been filed from 1992-2023; although many of them involve workers identifying common issues such as alarm failures and fire protection devices not functioning during frigid weather events.
The occurrence reporting system functions as an important safety monitoring program more than a chronology of gaffes and miscues. But some of the latter are within the vast database.
One interesting lab-related occurrence in late 2020 involved the loss of a $150,000 Faro-Arm measuring machine (above) that was classified in the occurrence report as an improper waste shipment to the regional Three Rivers Landfill that is within the SRS boundary. The incident was not classified as a loss of government property. The summary of the incident reads:
“On December 7, 2020, during inventory of equipment that was relocated from Building 722-A (F/H Area Laboratory) due to a water leak, the FARO-Arm Quantum M/TE equipment, valued at approximately $150,000 was identified as missing.
An investigation discovered the locked cabinet that contained the M/TE equipment was inadvertently transported to the Three Rivers Landfill on December 4…. Three Rivers Landfill was contacted on December 7, and stated that the cabinet and its contents were unrecoverable. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the cabinet contained a laptop with a lithium ion battery and three lithium-ion batteries. Since the Savannah River Site was not preparing to intentionally ship the items offsite, no pre-transportation function was performed to ensure the outer packaging was appropriately marked, resulting in a Department of Transportation (DOT) shipping violation. The Director of Site Services Business placed a hold on waste shipments from Site Services facilities to the landfill.”
An April 14, 2023, email to SRS public affairs officer Amy Boyette inquiring about the incident, and whether the possibility of theft of government property had been investigated, has not been answered.
The $1 Easement and a Property Ownership Rabbit Hole
Back in Aiken, during Monday’s aforementioned City Council meeting, the issue of the city conducting business with the law firm of Smith, Massey, Brodie, Guynn, and Mayes was raised by Aiken resident Luis Rinaldini. At issue was a proposed easement across airport-area city property to property owned by Bear Mountain, LLC (Agent Ray Massey) for “ONE AND NO/100 DOLLARS ($1.00).” City Attorney Gary Smith properly recused himself from the matter due to the involvement of his legal firm partner Ray Massey.(1)
Rinaldini commented, in part:
“I just can’t help but saying that Mr Smith’s and Mr Smith’s Law Firm has a terrible record of property deals with the City of Aiken. Some of them are highly questionable. I’ve spoken to the city about it numerous times. We still haven’t heard back (to a request) to try to rescind the Mattie Hall property sales. There were other questionable deals on the SRP property, and the questionable deal in the middle of Project Pascalis to sell the L-shaped portion of the Municipal Building and the parking lot across from the hotel to another LLC sponsored by Mr Massey. This is not a good record. I am on the record saying that I don’t think the firm of Smith Massey should be doing anything with the city. It probably should be banned from doing business with the city for 10 years.” (2:35 of meeting)
Mr. Rinaldini stated he was not familiar enough with the easement application to comment further, but warned that if the deal is questionable action will be taken.
A subsequent agenda item involved another property (above) further north on Columbia Highway (US HWY 1) owned in part by companies associated with Mr. Massey. Mr. Smith did not recuse (2) himself from the Resolution to provide city sewer and water services for a 7-11 convenience store, gas station, and truck stop. The 7-11 complex is envisioned as a 4,650 square foot convenience store with five diesel pump islands and eight standard pump islands.
Investigating the ownership of the property led to a geniune, rhetorical rabbit hole that only confirmed the complexity of these developments; and serves as an instructional example.
The applicant is C4 CStore Holding III, whose agent is the ubiquitious Capital Corporate Service, Inc. The latter’s listed agent is National Data Access Corporation, which in turn has Michelle Pagan of 2 Office Park Court, Suite 103 in Columbia, SC as its agent. Many other similar paths lead to Ms. Pagan, who maintains a rigid level of confidentiality for her customers.
Although the application lists only Caradase LLC (Agent Catherine Nanarjo) as the property owner, there are four owners of this property listed in the County land database:
AOD Aiken (Agent Ray Massey), Michael McNeil, and Z&B Enterprise (Agent Royal Robbins) are all listed in the County record at 830 Colony Parkway, the business place of Coward McNeil Appraisal.
Cardasa LLC (Agent Catherine Naranjo) is listed at 237 Park Avenue, SW, Suite 215 in the Secretary of State’s database, but at 831 Hayne Avenue in the County land record. The latter address is owned by G-Mar-C Enterprises, LLC of 1008 Old Graniteville Highway, Aiken SC (Agent George Crawford), whose information in the Secretary of State’s office is up to date. The latter address is owned in trust to two other parties.
AOD Aiken (Agent Ray Massey) is listed at 210 Colony Parkway, the business place of Smith Massey Brodie Guynn and Mayes, in the Secretary of State’s business entities database, but at 830 Colony Parkway in the County land record.
Z&B Enterprises (Agent Royal Robbins) is listed at 239 Midland Drive, Graniteville, an area zoned RC in Midland Valley Golf Club subdivision, in the Secretary of State database; but at 830 Colony Parkway in the County land record. The Midland Drive property was sold by Frances Michaelis to Krisha Wall in September of 2021.
Since 2019, the property has had three changes in ownership:
In March, 2019 AOD Aiken LLC and Cardasa LLC purchased the property, composed of two parcels, for $329,000.
On March 22, 2023, AOD LLC sold a one-quarter interest in the the property to Z and B enterprises, LLC for $5. The conveyance was sigend by Robin Robbins on behalf of both AOD LLC and Z and B enterprises. (below). Ray Massey signed the affidavit as closing attorney. (The county records list Michael McNeil as the seller, but the RMC deed record does not).
On March 22, 2023, AOD LLC sold another one-quarter interest in the property to Michael S McNeil for $5. The conveyance was signed by Mr. McNeil under AOD LLC. Again, Ray Massey was the closing attorney.
AOD LLC and Caradasa LLC appear to have retained a collective 1/2 interest.
The only other interesting aspect of the equation is that in December 2020, Aiken County Council held the “Third Reading of an Ordinance Approving The Request Of The City Of Aiken To Expand Its Service Area Or District For Water And Sanitary Sewer Services To Include Certain Unincorporated Areas Located Generally North Of Interstate 20 Along U.S. Highway 1 And S.C. Highway 19; Between Wire Road (S-49) And Interstate 20; And West Of S.C. Highway 19 Near Interstate 20 As Are More Specifically Shown On The Attached Map.”
In a letter to County Administrator Clay Killian, City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh wrote, in part:
“We have received multiple inquiries from various entities over the last 18 months about water and sewer service availability for possible residential and commercial development in this proposed new area.”
The map shows a substantial expansion of the boundaries of the city’s water district, extending north of Exits 22 and 19 (below), which County Council approved by a unanimous vote after making amendments to protect existing, closer volunteer fire districts.
In September 2021, The City of Aiken put out a request for bids on a Highway One Utility Extension of 922 feet:
“Specifications include, but are not limited to: Furnish all materials and equipment and perform all labor necessary for the installation of approx. 150 LF of 12″ PVC Sewer Main and approximately 922 LF of 12″ DIP Water Main and all appurtenances for a complete project per plans and specifications.”
On April 1, 2022, a City of Aiken water and sewer extension job was awarded for the revised price of $2,036,543.00 to Corley Construction of Columbia.
The completion date of the job is unknown, but the City’s GIS mapping system shows a map, updated November 2022, of the city’s water and sewer system with both water and sewer extending slightly past Exit 22 on Interstate 20 leading to Columbia Highway. According to the County database, the distance from the nearest property south of Exit 22 (Waffle House) is 921 feet.
Updates:
(1) The original story should have read that City Attorney Gary Smith also recused himself from a Resolution to provide city water and sewer services for a 410,000 square foot warehouse on the same property to be accessed via the easement. The meeting minutes accurately reflect this:
“UTILITY REQUEST – RESOLUTION 04242023 Water and Sewer Service. Herb Witter Columbia Highway N Windham Boulevard TPN 133-00-19-011
Mr. Gary Smith, City Attorney, recused himself from this item as his law partner, Ray Massey, is an investor in the company. He left the Council Chambers”
(2) The original story incorrectly reported that City Attorney Gary Smith recused himself from the Resolution to provide city water and sewer services to the 7-11 gas station and convenience store. He did not recuse from that proceeding, as the minutes reflect:
“UTILITY REQUEST – RESOLUTION 04242023A Water and Sewer Service
Columbia Highway N
I-20
C4 CStore Holdings III, LLC TPN 133-00-04-003
Mayor Osbon stated a resolution had been prepared for Council’s consideration to provide water and sanitary sewer service to 5.70 acres located on Columbia Highway N. near I-20.
Mayor Osbon read the title of the resolution.”
(