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.

The goals to achieve this mission are as follows:

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.