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Aiken County Begins Comprehensive Plan Rewrite Amid Growth

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Community members discussing Aiken County's growth plans

News Summary

Aiken County is initiating a comprehensive plan rewrite in response to projected population growth of 2% to 8% over the next decade. This plan aims to address housing needs, transportation challenges, and ensure balanced commercial development. Community input is essential, with ongoing public sessions and an online survey available until the end of February 2025. The planning department emphasizes the importance of citizen feedback to shape the county’s long-term vision and better prepare for future growth.

Aiken County Begins Comprehensive Plan Rewrite Amid Population Growth Projections

Hey there, Aiken! Exciting things are happening in our county as we begin to look ahead to the future. On January 28, 2025, Aiken County held a lively information session at the North Augusta Community Center. This gathering was all about discussing the county’s long-term vision for transportation and how it plans to grow over the next decade. With lots of folks showing up, the county’s planning department is eager to listen to the community’s thoughts.

Population Growth on the Horizon

Here’s what’s got everyone buzzing—our county’s population is projected to grow at a rate of 2% to 8% in the next ten years and could skyrocket between 4% and 15% over the next two decades! Right now, the population is about 176,000, and with this growth, we could be looking at a need for as many as 5,000 to 14,000 new homes by 2044. So, what does this mean for you? Well, it could impact everything from where you live to what services and amenities we have access to as a community.

Comprehensive Plan Rewrite

To tackle these exciting prospects and meet the needs of a growing population, Aiken County is rewriting its Comprehensive Plan. This guiding document will shape decisions and strategies for the next decade. The planning department emphasized the importance of citizen input. They hosted this session as part of the third meeting out of four designed to gather your opinions and questions. And guess what? There’s still time to have your say, with an online survey open until the end of February!

Building Boom and Commercial Development

In recent years, Aiken County has seen quite the building boom, issuing over 1,000 residential building permits annually, mostly for single-family homes in the western parts of the county. It seems like people are flocking here, which raises the question—what about commercial development? Alongside housing, the Comprehensive Plan will also focus on the need for commercial spaces, including potential new hotels. A balanced approach is key, ensuring that growth benefits everyone.

Transportation Challenges

But wait, there’s more to the story! With all this growth, transportation is a crucial topic that can’t be overlooked. The Augusta Regional Transportation Study highlighted that funding is a significant barrier to implementing transportation projects. Currently, Aiken County receives just $6.7 million annually in federal funding, which falls short of what we need. For North Augusta alone, there’s a project list totaling a whopping $51.8 million over the next decade! Community enhancements, such as pedestrian and bicycle pathways, will also be under consideration—think of future connections to existing trails!

Looking Ahead

The Aiken County Council is working diligently and aims to have a draft of the Comprehensive Plan ready by June 2025. More public sessions are lined up for the upcoming months, ensuring that the community stays involved in this pivotal process. As of now, around 150 responses have been submitted to the online survey, a promising indication of community involvement.

Your Voice Matters

In this planning process, community feedback is crucial. The planning department wants to remind everyone that this project is “the public’s plan.” Joel Duke, the planning director, noted that this planning initiative will take into account both the past decade of growth and the trends we can expect in the future. This way, Aiken will be well-prepared to handle the changes coming our way.

So, what do you think, Aiken? Are you ready to be part of shaping our county’s future? Keep an eye out for more meetings, and let your voice be heard!

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Additional Resources

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Author: HERE Aiken

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