Planning

The Mission of the Department of Planning is to assist elected and appointed decision-makers of the City of Aiken in efforts to achieve the highest possible quality of life for current and future residents through:

• Maintaining and improving the city's appearance and livability
  
  and
  
  
• Guiding growth and development so that the essential character of the city is preserved.

1. To promote orderly growth and development through:

• Encouraging long-range planning to identify problems and possible solutions by providing staff support to the Planning Commission;

• Encouraging development of high quality through review of annexation requests, development plans, subdivision plats, rezoning requests, and other proposals;

• Proposing development regulations; working with other agencies;

• Enforcement of Development Regulations;

• Promoting a coordinated planning effort; and

• Providing the most efficient and effective system for review of development applications;

2. To assist the Board of Zoning Appeals;

3. To assist the Design Review Board in its efforts to protect Aiken’s historical assets;

4. To serve as a primary source of socioeconomic information;

5. To promote coordinated transportation planning and needed improvements through active involvement with the Augusta Regional Transportation Study and the South Carolina Department of Transportation; and

6. To work with Aiken County and other entities in promoting a coordinated planning effort.