Planning Department Services
Comprehensive Planning
Comprehensive Land Use and Transportation Plan
This Plan is the primary tool by which City Council guides the growth and development of the Aiken area. The Plan is the official statement of the City’s policies on land use and the physical character of the city, and it serves as the substantive and legal foundation for development regulations such as zoning, tree protection and landscaping ordinances, and other land use regulations. The Planning Commission prepares a draft of the Plan which it recommends to City Council; Council revises the Plan as it sees fit and adopts the final version. Public involvement is promoted throughout the process, and public hearings are held to solicit formal input prior to adoption. The Comprehensive Plan is prepared about every ten years with periodic update in between. The current version of the Plan was adopted in December of 1997. The Planning Commission is in the process of updating the plan with the assistance of the 15 member task force it has appointed.
Augusta Regional Transportation Study
The City participates in a regional effort to promote transportation planning called the Augusta Regional Transportation Study, or ARTS. Aiken cooperates with Aiken County, North Augusta and the Burnettown in deciding what the priorities will be for various projects, and the South Carolina program is also coordinated with projects in the urbanized areas of Richmond and Columbia Counties in Georgia. In addition to promoting coordination, participation in ARTS is a requirement for receiving federal and State transportation funds.
Development Regulations
Preparing Drafts
In an effort to guide the growth of Aiken, the Department drafts new and revised development regulations such as zoning, tree protection and landscaping, and historic preservation. The proposed regulations are reviewed by the Planning Commission which makes a recommendation to City Council which has final approval authority.
Enforcement of Zoning Ordinance
The Department is responsible for enforcement of the Zoning Ordinance through the efforts of the Zoning Official. In addition, the Department serves as staff to the Board of Zoning Appeals which considers variances from the Zoning Ordinance and requests for special exceptions, uses which are potentially allowable as long as they do not have an adverse affect on their surroundings.
Development Review
The Department is responsible for coordinating City review of various development proposals including annexation, rezoning, site/landscape plans, subdivisions, and providing City services to development in unincorporated areas.
Historic Preservation
The Design Review Board, comprised of seven members appointed by City Council, reviews applications for Certificates of Appropriateness for construction, alteration, demolition, and relocation of structures in the Historic Overlay District and the Downtown Overlay District. Decisions of the Board on Certificate applications are final. The Board also makes recommendations to City Council on the designation of property to an overlay district and on design guidelines for these districts.
Special Plans and Studies
Particular issues arise which deserve special attention. The Department prepares studies or directs consultants in such projects. Recent examples include:
- Whiskey Road Traffic Corridor Study by Arcadis
- Whiskey Road Corridor Study by LDR
Demographic Information
The Department is responsible for working with the Census Bureau on population counts to help assure their accuracy. In addition, the Department maintains Census and other demographic information on file.