Monthly Archives: August 2025

August 2025, Editorials, Over-development, Trees and Deforestation

Reflections on a Walk in the Woods

3 Comments

By Christopher Hall
August 31, 2025

Buck was little more than a year old in 2007 and only in his forever home for about 3 months when he and I went exploring in Hitchcock Woods. I had been to the woods on several occasions, mostly taking that familiar path from the main entrance at South Boundary, Devil’s Backbone, to the Horse Show Ring. We walked and walked, one path leading to another.

After a while, I noticed the sun was starting to set. I decided it was time to head back. It was then that I also discovered that we were lost. Did I bring a map? No! Why would I need a map?! After all, this was ‘just’ Hitchcock Woods! I tried to retrace our steps and was moving along quickly when we crossed paths with someone. Directions were shared, and the fellow admirer of the woods went his way, while Buck and I went ours, trying to find our way out. It didn’t take long before I  realized that those well-intended directions just didn’t make sense.

All the while, the sun was slowly sinking off in the distance. I stopped. I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere fast. Well, I was moving fast but no closer to where the hike started. The sky around me in those woods grew darker, and I made a decision: the woods aren’t that big, and if I headed in one direction long enough, I’d find my way out. With that in mind, I looked up towards the westward-setting sun, then set my course and started making tracks towards the south.

I found myself at the Palmetto Golf Course. Considering the day of the week and time of day, I felt the odds were slim of running across anyone, so I took the shortcut across the course. Getting to the other side, I reached a chainlink fence. I lifted Buck on my shoulder, climbed to the top of the fence, dropped him over on the other side and hurled myself over too. There on Whiskey Road, we walked along the sidewalk until arriving back at dirt lot at South Boundary. The sun had set, the stars were starting to shine, and Buck and I had our first of many adventures together.

_________

Recently, I started feeling my levels of stress rising and rising. It had been a while since I’d paddled or gone hiking anywhere, and there’s no better cure for stress than time spent outdoors. With that in mind, after work one day, I made a quick stop by the store, then headed to Hitchcock Woods at the Stable on the Woods entrance, which is located off of Dibble Road. With a quick change of clothes, I pulled on my boots and started down Cathedral Aisle. As I neared Black Gum Pond, I heard a Barred Owl in the distance. it wasn’t long before I felt that shift inside. I slowly started to unwind. Walking along, I cut off on the trail right before Black Gum Pond and started the slow climb uphill, continuing on until I reached High Point Line. In the back of my mind, I wanted to put in an hour’s hike, and I didn’t care what trails I took.

I’ve spent a lot of time in the woods over the years since that early adventure with Buck. Section by section, I learned the main routes that ran through the woods, north to south, and east to west. My general mode when I start another walk is to jump right in and follow whatever path seems to pull me in. I intend to get lost. The key, though, is that now I take a map — an important tool, since not every trail connecting the named trails has a name. I might head out on Coker Springs Road, but after heading down the main trail, I’ll take a left or a right, going deeper into areas with which I’m unfamiliar. Those unnamed, connector trails have the potential to make the day interesting.

Hiking along High Point Line, I cut across on another path and after a while, I noticed someone walking towards me. About that time, a light rain started to fall. We exchanged greetings and both agreed that the rain was a welcome event on this hot humid evening. She continued on her way and I on mine. The rain started falling harder, and I continued on my way, veering to the right on a path that seemed to offer some tree cover. As the rain came down, I looked over my shoulder and could see the pine trees on a slight incline with the sun shining through. The rain coming down made it a magical scene.

Walking along, I pulled out the map, but the rain made it difficult to read. I knew where I wanted to land so that I could connect back to Cathedral Aisle, and I had a sense of how long it would take to circle around to the start. I pulled out my phone to look at the time and noticed a missed call. Standing under some trees, with the rain falling down on me and all around, my friend and I talked about our days. I mentioned I was hiking in the woods with the intention of diverting from weights and gym workouts to connect with the outdoors for a while. My spirit needed it. They agreed. We said goodbye and I continued on. It wasn’t long before the trail I was on connected with another, and I recognized where I was – the Barton’s Pond Bridge, just as I planned.

The rain had stopped, and I started down Cathedral Aisle towards the parking lot and my car. In between the tall trees, the sun shone down, lighting everything it touched with a muted glow. Looking off into the trees, I stopped. Looking back between the trees, a doe was standing there frozen in motion. We stared at each other for a couple minutes, before she decided two’s a crowd. Off, deeper into the woods she went. I continued on, passing by Black Gum Pond. It wasn’t long before I was back in the parking lot. Drenched with both rain and sweat, I peeled out of my shirt and boots, then slipped on a t-shirt and Chacos. It’s handy to have some things in the car, just in case.

What strikes me and, yet, is not all surprising is how those things that were weighing on my mind as I went into the woods, somehow lifted out of my head and dissipated along those trails. While it may seem like some kind of mystery, science has confirmed what many of us knew for many years: time spent in nature is good for our physical and mental health. 

Photographs by Wren Dexter..

Reflecting on this, I am taken back to the early days of the pandemic. I was an essential worker. When everyone was told to stay home, I found myself driving along roads where no other cars were seen. All along these roads, I would see acre after acre of clear cutting of trees. On these same roads I saw deer, raccoons, dogs and other animals, whose lives had been lost by the thud of a bumper. It was 2020 and I knew our area was going to explode in growth. During this time, I thought about our county commissioners. I thought about what we might talk about if we were to drive around the county. Maybe we’d talk about favorite foods or restaurants in the area. Or maybe we’d talk about music. Food and music may not save the world, but in a time when people can’t seem to agree on much, maybe we could find common grounds on these simple things.

I might also ask about their favorite places in Aiken County, and maybe we’d drive by there. After a while, I’d talk about what the natural world means to me; what I’ve learned from it over the years, and how it’s given me solace at times of grief. I’d talk about the damage to our communities when our natural world is only viewed as a commodity to be used up. Some of the bedrock environmental policies, supported and passed by Republicans and Democrats alike, have been weakened over the years through industry-supported attacks, and what we lose now can’t be undone. 

What makes a place a great place to live? Hands down, it’s the trees, the rivers and lakes, and access to these special places that pulls people in. It’s about quality of life and recognizing that if we don’t protect these places, given all the ways they benefit us, who would we be?

Epilogue

It’s a little after 5 PM on Friday and I’m at a stop light on Powderhouse Road. As I look to the left and to the right on Whiskey Road, there’s a line of cars as far as I can see. Traffic is also lined up behind me on Powderhouse. It’s not unusual. And what these long lines of cars have to do with the clearcutting of trees is everything. It’s called sprawl.

When a developer proposes a project, they are supposed to submit a traffic study that looks at trips per day. Any development on or near Whiskey Road (or other high-volume roads) would automatically trigger a study. Next, the city engineer would review the study with a lens on current traffic levels and make recommendations. The review would then go to the planning commission and city council, who would then make a decision based on the study and recommendations from the city engineer. On a daily basis, I see evidence that whatever traffic studies were completed, and whatever recommendations were made by the city engineer, must have been ignored. How else could our roads be so far beyond capacity?  There are solutions to this, and it’s called citizen involvement.

With the onset of explosive growth in the Central Savannah River Area, why are there few opportunities for citizens to weigh in on impacts to the places we call home? The City of Aiken has an Energy & Environment committee with two openings that have gone unfilled for a long time. There’s also a Citizen’s Advisory Committee that’s part of the Augusta Regional Transportation Study Metropolitan Planning Organization (ARTS MPO). The last I knew, there was no chair for the committee and no non-elected official on that committee. The whole purpose of the citizen’s advisory committee, which services Richmond and Aiken Counties, as well as part of Columbia and Edgefield Counties, is to advise on transportation planning across the CSRA. And how transportation planning takes place has everything to do with the land. 

With the total population of over half-a-million people in Aiken, Richmond, and Columbia Counties, there are no other citizen committees to advocate for our natural resources in this area. This has to change.

_________________

ABOVE: Whiskey Road gridlock on the southside. BELOW: Another longleaf pine forest clear-cut in 2024 on hillside acreage above Bridge Creek to expand the area subdivisions over to Trollelline Road, a road with already-existing issues of stormwater runoff, erosion and hazardous traffic conditions in the wake of growth and new developments over the past decade.

August 2025, Education, Letters, South Carolina

Perspectives on Safety and Security in South Carolina Schools

Leave a comment

By Dan Reider

August 18, 2025

As we head towards the start of another school year, we are excited for the children who will be attending those schools. Although not all schools are to the level we would like for them to be for our children – facilities, teachers, programs- most offer a great environment for learning, socializing, nutrition, athletics, and a wide variety of programs and clubs. With the start of the school year, there is also some anxiety felt by the parents with school age kids.

Security in schools has gotten to be a greater concern seemingly each year. In recent years we hear more about school shootings. While any school shooting is horrible, the news just seemed to make it appear so much worse and so much more prevalent than it really was in our schools. In actuality, school shootings are in the news more because they are actually occurring more frequently then in past years. In 2024 there were more than 80 school shootings and more than 800,000 violent incidents in schools in the United States.

It was more than a decade ago when I and fellow school designers (architects and engineers) had discussions related to school security and whether or not K-12 schools were headed towards being constructed more and more like a correctional facility- not to keep bad people in but to keep bad people out. It did not matter whether we were working on school projects in Aiken County, Greenville County, Horry County or wherever, the conversations regarding school security were all the same.

At that time, schools were being designed with some security features such as school security cameras and more schools include a school resource officer (SRO) to help with any safety issues within the school or on school grounds. Then we started to see metal detectors at entrances to high schools. Now we see metal detectors installed in middle schools and even some elementary schools. Other changes were being made including security cameras on buses, automatic locking entrance doors and the students participating in intruder alert drills.

In more recent times, schools have been adding automatic locking doors on classrooms, auditoriums, cafeterias, libraries and really any place where students could gather. More schools have decided that automatic locking doors were not sufficiently secure and the doors must be bulletproof with bulletproof glass. Students are also being asked to report any suspicious activities observed or in emails or texts.

Our vision years ago about schools becoming mini correctional facilities from a construction standpoint is about there. About the only things missing are that the buses are not bulletproof and the schools do not have fencing with barb wire around the entire school Although it is my sincere hope that we will not ever be seeing such things, I am not willing to bet on it. It makes me and others sad that we have gotten to where this is where we might be headed.

 As a child going to the schools in the 60s and 70s, I don’t think us students or our parents had anywhere near the safety concerns students and parents now have. Is there any chance that we as a society can ever go back to those days? What would have to change to make schools a safe place as they were in this country for so many decades without having to basically fortify them with so many safety features as we are now doing? What does this say about the direction we are headed as a society?

Dan Reider is a Mechanical Engineer who has designed schools for 40 years in South Carolina.


Annexation, August 2025, City Government

The 10-Foot Wide Strip of City Land

5 Comments

How the City of Aiken is poised to expand via a creative annexation trick.

by Don Moniak
August 9, 2025
Updated August 13, 2025

The City of Aiken could soon expand to its east via a 650-foot-long, 10-foot-wide strip of land that it purchased in 2020. The strip of land will enable annexation of 66 acres between Toolebeck Road and Charleston Highway ( State Hwy 78); across the road from the AGY Plant. The property (Figure 1) is proposed for development of a 157-home subdivision called Toolebeck Commons.

Figure 1: Location of proposed Toolebeck Commons residential development. (From Aiken County public.net)

The process by which this innovative expansion has come about began in 2020. 

At its August 24, 2020 meeting (pages 34-40), Aiken City Council approved the provision of sewer service* for 247 homes on the Toolebeck Road property.

During its September 14, 2020 meeting, Council approved a $5,000 purchase of a strip of land from property owned by Dominion Energy (Figure 2) that would enable annexation of the Toolebeck parcel and proposed subdivision. That sale was finalized in December 2020.

Figure 2. The 10-foot-wide strip of land purchased by the City of Aiken in December 2020. The Toolebeck Commons property is to the right, and city-owned property with Deodora Plantation’s detention pond is to the left. Dominion Energy’s parcel is to the North, above the 10-foot strip. (From Aiken County public.net)

The City Manager’s memorandum (Page 148) read that: 

“Council has been very clear that the City should grow through targeted annexation. Recently, Council authorized the provision of sewer service to a future residential development of +/- 60.6 acre as on Toolebeck Road that is currently not contiguous to the City of Aiken. As a condition of sewer service, the property must be annexed once contiguous. I reached out to Dominion Energy to purchase a small strip of property that is +/- 0.15 of an acre for $5,000 that would allow for continuity between our existing corporate limits to this undeveloped property.  Dominion has agreed to the sale.

 I recommend Council approve this transaction…costs would come from Economic Development funds.”

The resolution passed unanimously and without question.

According to the meeting minutes the purchase was considered a step towards city expansion to the east: 

“Councilman Girardeau thanked Mr. Bedenbaugh for checking on purchase of the property so other property can be annexed. He said it is part of the movement to grow to the east.”

Between the time of Council’s approval and the closing on the purchase, a proposed cost-sharing agreement for the sewer expansion failed to materialize and the development was shelved.

As it turns out, the developer was unaware that this purchase and annexation effort was in the works. According to its narrative (Page 33), for the currently proposed 157-home subdivision:

“This purchase by the city was never mentioned during the City Services request process. If the city had been forthcoming with their intentions, the applicant would have waited until the purchase by the city was completed and an annexation petition would have been submitted instead of going through the City Services request and now the Annexation request wasting everyone’s time and fees.” 

This is not the only time the City has found a creative way to expand via annexation. Nor is it the only time that a third party found fault with its methods—which have continued to contribute to the fragmented and irregular shape of the city’s boundaries.

As reported in Who Bought This Property, the annexation of the new Steeplechase Foundation property was enabled via the February 2020 purchase of a 0.4-acre parcel of land by the Aiken Corporation. In exchange for this $40,000 purchase, the City forgave $246,600 in loans to Aiken Corporation.

In January 2021, Generations Park was annexed via another 10-foot wide strip (Figure 3) that had been obtained to facilitate a sewer line. This occurred two years after the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SC DOT) threatened to nullify a misguided attempt to annex via a highway right-of-way. The City had annexed Generations Park via the right-of-way in 2018 and was compelled to repeal that annexation in 2019.

Figure 3: Map showing path for Generations Park annexation. From January 25, 2021 City Council agenda packet.

(The city’s Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the Toolebeck Commons annexation and concept plan requests on Tuesday, August 12th, at 6 p.m. in the Aiken City Council chambers at 111 Chesterfield Street S. )

Update.

The Planning Commission’s August 12th meeting took a few unexpected turns, ultimately resulting in a 3-2 vote against a Motion to Approve the Toolebeck Commons subdivision.

The Motion was made by Caleb Connor, and included the amendment that Condition #3 would be removed from the list of requirements. Condition #3 required the developer to create an access point at Woodward Drive, which is now a dirt road, and improve it to City standards.

The developer, on the other hand, proposed to having that access be for emergency access only. Connor advocated this approach in response to concerns by area residents over converting a rural dirt road into a paved road and thus ruining the agricultural integrity of the area.

The Motion was not seconded by any Commissioner, so Chairman Ryan Reynolds took the unusual step of seconding it. (Presiding officers are not supposed to make motions nor second them).

Commissioners Reynolds and Connor voted to approve without Condition #3; and Commissioners Roscoe Epps, Peter Messina, and Sam Erb voted against it.

Erb had expressed the opinion earlier that two access points were needed. Messina expressed the same opinion, but went much further by stating his opinion that the concept plan did not meet the requirements of Planned Residential zoning. Specifically, the density was too high relative to the surrounding properties and landscape.

This is the second subdivision in three months to be rejected by the Planning Commission. However, the developer can move forward to City Council, which can agree with or overrule the Commission’s recommendation. The developer could also agree to provide a second entrance point, and this would alleviate half of the concerns raised against the project. I predict Council will approve this one if it is brought before it.

Footnote

* Because the property is in the Montmorenci-Couchton Water District, the request was only for sewer services; but not drinking water services.

Elections

Online Forum: Aiken City Council District 6 Republican Primary

8 Comments

On July 25, 2025, the Aiken Chronicles submitted questions on the following eight topics as part of an online forum for the two candidates, Barbara Morgan and Clayton Clarkson, vying in the August 2025 Republican primary for Aiken City Council District 6. Ms. Morgan’s responses are provided below. Mr. Clarkson did not respond. 

The written online forum gives candidates and citizens time for thoughtful reflection on issues of concern to local residents. The hope is to contribute toward a better-informed electorate, an enthusiastic voter turnout, and a healthier democracy

REGARDING CONSTITUENCY SERVICE

How would you engage with constituents, both to inform, be informed, and to advocate on their behalf when necessary and appropriate?

How would you ensure that Citizens of Aiken remain at the top of the City’s Organizational Chart?

Barbara Morgan: Constituent service begins with transparency and accountability. I believe residents deserve to be informed about what their government is doing and to have meaningful ways to make their voices heard. That means ensuring clear, accessible communication from the city and demanding openness in how decisions are made. I will advocate for more cooperative communication across departments and for making public information easier to access and understand. The people of Aiken should always come first, and I will work to ensure our government reflects that—from how we plan infrastructure to how we spend public dollars.

_______________________

REGARDING CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE II. CITY COUNCIL

Are you familiar with Chapter 2, Article II of the City Code, which addresses the roles and powers of the City Council? 

Are there any provisions in the code that need amending?  

Barbara Morgan: Yes, I am familiar with the provisions in Chapter 2, Article II of the City Code. The framework is solid, but I believe regular review helps ensure accountability. One potential area for improvement is clearer language around public input, engagement and oversight. Strengthening transparency and avoiding confusion about the Council’s responsibilities benefits everyone.

_______________________

REGARDING CHAPTER 2. ARTICLE IV. BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES

Each Council member can appoint (or reappoint) an individual to each City Board, Commission, and Committee. These entities are responsible for helping to guide city policies. 

What approach would you take to making appointments?

 What criteria should a citizen have for serving on any Board, Commission, or Committee? 

Barbara Morgan: Appointments should be based on merit and service, not politics. I will seek individuals with relevant experience, diverse perspectives, and a commitment to improving our community. Citizens who serve should be prepared, engaged, and willing to ask hard questions to make these bodies stronger. I also believe we should improve outreach so that more residents are aware of these opportunities and how to get involved.

_______________________

REGARDING CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE V, DIVISION 3. LEGAL SERVICES

City code allows for two options for the legal department: all in-house or a mix of inhouse and outside, contracted counsel. 

Are you familiar with these options? 

Which of the two choices would you prefer; or should a new structure be codified? 

Barbara Morgan: I am familiar with both in-house and hybrid legal models. Each has its strengths. I support a blended approach that ensures consistent legal advice while allowing for outside expertise when appropriate. I would also support clarifying when and how outside counsel is used so the public can better understand the city’s legal strategy and costs. We must insist on strict adherence to the rules of professional conduct with no actual or perceived  conflicts of interest so  that our citizens receive the most principled and expert legal guidance possible. 

_______________________

REGARDING MEGA PROJECTS

What are some of the lessons learned from Project Pascalis? 

Barbara Morgan: One of the key lessons is the importance of public trust. The problem was not vision but process. Major initiatives must involve the public early and often, with full disclosure  at every step and discernable response to feedback. We need stronger oversight, clearer communication, and a renewed commitment to open government when considering any large-scale project.

_______________________

REGARDING PROPERTY SALES AND PURCHASES

Aiken City Council approved the $9.6 million in bonds for the purchase of the Project Pascalis properties. City Council also sold two properties, the Laurens Street Building (now SRP) and the Mattie Hall property, to investors who turned around and made $500,000 and $130,000, respectively. 

What approaches to property sales and purchases would you advocate, if any? 

Barbara Morgan: City-owned properties are public resources and should be treated as such. I support requiring competitive bidding processes, full public disclosure, and careful financial analysis before any sale or purchase. These decisions must be strategic and based on long-term benefit to the community, not short-term deals that leave taxpayers footing the bill.

_______________________

REGARDING WATER, SEWER, AND STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE

The City of Aiken will have $28 million from the latest Capital Project Sales Tax dedicated to Sewer and Water System ”improvements.” This could mean expansion as well as maintenance.

The City has been mostly expanding the past several years, especially up around Exit 22. For example, it is also spending $3.5 million of plutonium settlement funds on a Northside Sewer Lift Station that will largely service the Shiloh Church Road and Exit 18 areas. 

What approach do you advocate for prioritizing spending on expansion of new water/sewer infrastructure vs maintenance of existing infrastructure?

Barbara Morgan: We must prioritize maintenance before expansion. Growth should not come at the expense of long-neglected systems in existing neighborhoods.  You can’t have growth of any type without functioning infrastructure.  I support a thorough assessment of current needs and a plan to address them using available funding. Every resident deserves reliable services, regardless of what part of the city they live in.

_______________________

REGARDING MORATORIUMS ON DEVELOPMENT

Numerous jurisdictions (i.e. Mount Pleasant, Fort Mill, Greenville County, Kershaw County, and North Augusta) have implemented temporary moratoriums on various developments 

Would you advocate for a temporary moratorium on development, at least until the new Unified Development Ordinance goes into effect?

Barbara Morgan: I would give serious consideration to a temporary and targeted  moratorium on certain  developments  until the new Unified Development Ordinance is in place. A pause would give us time to ensure that future projects reflect updated rules, better infrastructure planning, and clearer expectations. Growth should serve the people of Aiken, not outpace the community’s ability to manage it.

_________________

About this Primary

Only the District 6 race will feature a primary; between Republican candidates Barbara Morgan and Clayton Clarkson.

Early Voting for the Repubican primary for Aiken City Council District 6 began on July 28 and runs through Friday, August 8; at the County Administration Building at 1930 University Parkway. The primary election will be held on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.

About the Republican Primary Candidates

Barbara Morgan served as the Solicitor (equivalent to a District Attorney) for the Second Circuit– Aiken, Barnwell, and Bamberg Counties– from 1990 to 2009; having been elected four times in total. Most recently she has served on the City’s Design Review Board after being appointed by Councilwoman Andrea Gregory in February 2024. For more information, visit her Facebook page and website. 

Clayton Clarkson has served as Councilwoman Kay Brohl’s appointee on the City’s Planning Commission since February 2020. For more information, visit his Facebook page and profile on Aiken2025.com.

The above primary info is sourced from Don Moniak’s recent article, Update to Local Politics and Planning 2025.