Here we go again.
The front page article in the Aiken Standard’s December 7 and 8, 2024 edition declares: “Design board makes Aiken less attractive to developers, Realtor says.” (For added perspective, see the Aiken Standard’s May 25, 2024 editorial column, “Aiken is growing, and that growth should be monitored.”)
Should Aiken cater to developers and rely on them to define Aiken’s vision, or should developers adhere to Aiken’s requirements? Many developers doing business in Aiken are not local; they come and go. The Aiken community does not come and go. Who but the City should set equitable residential and commercial development goals, aspirations, and guidelines throughout the entirety of Aiken’s incorporated area?
Special municipalities will always attract developer interest, enabling the communities to move forward in a way of their choosing. Mediocre municipalities with questionable architectural and zoning practices give substantial leeway to developers; which makes it hard to maintain or enhance a community’s distinctiveness. Does Aiken want to take the high road or the low road?
Rather surprisingly, our community chose not to re-elect an incumbent mayor in November 2023, with the community having considered the actual consequences of doing business as usual in Aiken. It is foolhardy to believe that developer-driven commercial sprawl and the clandestine manner in which some of the City’s related application and approval process takes place, were not factors in the election.
Having worked for a developer, I know they seek to fast-track their projects as quickly and with as little interference from the public as possible. Developers aggressively seek substantial profits, and that is legal. They also seek to minimize risk, which, too, is legal if done in a way that does not violate ordinances and victimize others – especially sitting residents.
Is it a bad thing for developers not to have virtual carte blanche for their projects in Aiken? Could there be benefit in developer perception that Aiken is being selective? Is it wrong not to prefer still more gas stations with convenience stores, car washes, dollar stores, and mattress stores populating the City? While not supporting undue delay of process, if that is what is happening, could it be the Aiken Design Review Board is just doing its job?
Whose community is Aiken, anyway?
Bill Reichardt,
Aiken, SC
Ed. Notes:
— The above letter was also submitted to “The Aiken Standard.”
— The comments in question by a local commercial real estate agent were made at the December 5, 2024 Design Review Board meeting. The commentary began at the 44:30 mark of the livestreamed video.
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I apologize for not reading the article, but I think what we need is a better newspaper (which is why I don’t care to read it).
Why is this news? The AS seems to be on one of its campaigns, which are often obviously biased and sometimes pointless. I believe a newspaper should report facts objectively…and that is all. Is this article written about a realtors option and disguised as news?
How is this vague claim quantified and proven?
How much development needs to be done in the Historic Overlay District?
On the other side of the coin, a good part of the blame for the whole derelict Aiken Hotel property fiasco starts with the City of Aiken Historical Design Review Board. Regulation, yes, but commercial properties need to be viable commercially. It is more important to allow buildings be adapted to remain alive rather than create eyesores and dead zones.
How is the DRB responsible for the Hotel?
I went to Bluffton week before last to have some Giclee’s made of my artwork. This areas growth in the last 10 years is unbelievable.
Where once it was a sleepy, tiny sleepy town just off of Hilton Head Island, it’s a magnet for development. Neighborhoods are everywhere, wherever there may have been a bit of room, it now has a home/ business on it. This is not the place I once lived in. We knew it was inevitable but.. Bluffton made sure it stayed Bluffton, that they would adhere to that “Bluffton state of mind” feeling. They don’t have subdivisions but instead they’ve created neighborhoods that adhere to the design standards of the area. They have a dollar store but you won’t see that horrible yellow sign that defines it. They have kept their aesthetic and stayed Bluffton. Aiken officials have allowed developers to define what we’re becoming.. just another generic podunk town with ugly urban sprawl.. perhaps Aiken still has a chance to right this but I doubt if our leaders have the wherewithal to learn from Bluffton.
I’m a California refugee. Half a century of watching has illustrated that typical low density suburban development is tax hungry and revenue deficient. Loss of open space and traffic congestion at some point brings NIMBYs to the fore.
Interesting to watch that clip. AIKEN is a VERY unique and special place and the DRB etc should be reviewing areas like Nantucket that have a super tight and cohesive design review process to model themselves after. This increases property values, preserves the historic character and the quality of the community exponentially while of course ticking off many developers. Lets think long term here and realize what we have.
Exactly!