New-construction homes planned for downtown Aiken area

Aug. 23—More houses could be coming to the downtown Aiken area.

The Aiken City Council voted unanimously on Aug. 22 to approve the second and final reading of an ordinance entering into a development agreement with South Company for the construction of six single-family detached houses on Union Street.

The council also unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance changing the zoning of a property to allow for the construction of nine single-family homes on Park Avenue.

The Union Street development will be called Union Street Station, and homes would be priced from $275,000 and up. The development will be constructed on a 0.42 acre piece of property located at the corner of Union Street and Cumberland Lane, diagonally across from the Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum.

Aiken City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh said in information provided to the Aiken City Council that the new development will create a need to replace water and sewer infrastructure in the area. He added the developer, South Company, has agreed to replace the infrastructure.

The city will reimburse the company up to $169,749 once the work is approved by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The Park Avenue homes would be constructed on the corner of Park Avenue and Beaufort Street, south of the railroad tracks.

The properties are currently zoned light industrial and would be rezoned to residential multi-family low density if city council approves the second reading of the ordinance at another meeting.

Bedenbaugh said in information provided to council that the light industrial zoning was no longer appropriate for the properties because the surrounding areas are residential in nature.

The unknown developer originally planned to construct a total of 11 homes on the properties but changed to nine after the Planning Commission considered the request.

In other action, Aiken City Council approved the second and final readings rezoning a property on Whiskey Road to allow for the construction of a Scooter's Coffee, amending the city's budget to use American Rescue Plan Act funds for the Powderhouse Road water and sewer project, and amending the city's code regarding mobile food vendors.

The council approved the first reading of ordinances annexing and zoning a home located at 3514 Augustus Road and adding unspent funds from the 2021-2022 fiscal year to the 2022-2023 budget.

The council also approved the reallocation of around $1.68 million in fourth penny sales tax funds from the H. Odell Weeks Activities Center Project to the Smith-Hazel Recreation Center for interior and exterior upgrades. It also accepted a $350,000 recreation grant from the South Carolina Department of Aging for the project.

City council tabled a vote on a petition to provide water and sewer service to a property at 1410 Hampton Ave. to allow for residents to meet with the property owners over concerns that the property owners could abandon the property after trying to turn it into a car lot.

The council also accepted a trophy from the Municipal Association of South Carolina for its municipal achievement award in the public works category for the Hitchcock Woods stormwater project.