The November 14th Planning Commission Meeting

by Don Moniak

November 15, 2023.

On Tuesday night the City of Aiken Planning Commission took the very unusual step of tabling the project until a traffic study is completed and reviewed by the South Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT). (The meeting can be viewed at the city’s You Tube station beginning at the 18:00 minute mark.)

The unanimous commission vote occurred after twelve speakers, many of them neighbors who have resided on Osbon or May Royal Drive for decades—expressed opposition to the project in its current form, while mostly acknowledging that some future development is inevitable.

One resident summed up the issue by praising the character of the developers and designers before concluding that, “this is a bad plan, go back to the drawing board.”

The objections were a major increase in traffic, increased stormwater runoff, the prospects of property devaluation, more noise and light pollution, close proximity to the fairgrounds, disruption of the more rural residential character of the area, an excessive number of planned homes, access from the historically quiet, less traveled Osbon Drive neighborhood, the threat of future annexation, and crime.
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Discussion only ended after Commission Chairman Ryan Reynolds asked for any new issues following the exhaustive litany presented by the twelve speakers.

Traffic, traffic, and more traffic.

Traffic was at the top of almost every speaker’s mind, as well as the commission itself. Points made included:

• May Royal Drive is already very busy from Aiken County government vehicle traffic alone, as the fuel station is on the east end of the road. One resident described a high frequency of ambulance sirens through the area, as EMTs are often dispatched while fueling their vehicles. 
• Left hand turns across five-lane Hwy 1 are already difficult during slow times of day, and half-impossible at peak traffic hours. 
• Events at the Fairgrounds already cause traffic backups. 
• Trucks from the nearby Kaolinite plant add another element of risk on Hwy 1. 
• Increased travel on narrow Osbon Drive, where a 10 mph sign warns of the sharp curve on the southern portion of the road. 

Eventually, it was traffic concerns and lack of access points that prompted the commission to table the proposal until a traffic study is completed and reviewed. Commissioners expressed strong doubts about the primary access at the junction of Hwy 1, and the obvious difficulties inherent in more left hand turns. At the present time, there is no traffic signal planned, but that is likely to change if or when the project moves forward.

The Fairgrounds and Noise and Light Pollution

Noise and light pollution from existing sources coupled with the development were also on the minds of neighbors:

• The point was raised several times that Fairground events are noisy. One Osbon Drive resident described being able to hear “word for word” announcements being made during events. The same speaker cited the presence of the nearby law enforcement target practice range as another existing source of noise.
• A representative of the Fairgrounds plainly stated the developers have an obligation to disclose the noise and light impacts to potential buyers.
  
  Stormwater
  
  One day after City Councilwoman Andrea Gregory voted against a development on flood-prone Dougherty Road because “stormwater is a huge problem in Aiken County,” stormwater was again highlighted.
  
  Residents who already impacted by poor stormwater management rightfully doubted the future prospects of proper management once the forest cover was removed and the seventy percent of the area is converted to rooftops and pavement. There were doubts as to whether DHEC would institute strong enough controls, and whether the planned stormwater ponds would be sufficient.
  
  Character, Property Values, and Annexation
  
  The incongruity of 0.14 acre lots adjacent to 0.5 to 1.5 acre lots was another steady theme. Neighbors described the prospects of seven to eleven homes being within 25-50 feet of their backyards. The drastic change will obviously not improve property values at the same rate as the absence of high-density housing.
  
  Coupled with character and property values was the prospect of future annexation. Annexation of the 90.4 acres will suddenly make many properties adjacent to the city, kicking in the city’s policy of forced annexation when new property ownership occurs on parcels where city sewer and/or water services are now in place.
  
  The concerns were somewhat alleviated by Planning Commission Chairman Ryan Reynolds’ statement that “the city is not coming for you,” and that those who keep their property cannot be forcibly annexed. But the idea of annexation for heirs or future buyers remained a concern.