Developer weighs in on why Aiken has become so popular

Richard Fine believes in taking a long-term view when looking at development.

Over the next 10 years the planning and infrastructure currently going into the ground at Trolley Run Station and Sage Creek will be utilized and 5,000 new homes will be occupied by owners in Aiken and Graniteville.

"We are planning for when it is really done that we will have all the infrastructure in place," Fine said.

Currently Sage Creek, which will have 1,400 new homes, is about three months ahead of Trolley Run Station, which will have 3,600 homes, in its preparation, Fine said.

Homes are already being built in Sage Creek, even though utility lines have yet to be run in the area, said Charles Hilton, manager of Breezy Hill Water & Sewer Company.

In July the bridge currently being constructed at Trolley Run Station will be completed and most of the infrastructure for water and sewer service hooked into Valley Public Service utilities will be ready for builders to start putting up houses, Fine said. Much of the infrastructure work is completed in Sage Creek, from the developer's standpoint.

Fine, who has visited the area for the past 15 to 18 years, said his company selected Aiken County for its most recent projects because of the small town atmosphere and amenities it offers.
"It is a small town, but it has the sophistication of a much larger town," Fine said.

Another reason Aiken was selected by Fine-Deering is the community has not followed "normal" growth patterns, Fine said. Normally a community grows toward interstate highways, but Aiken has not grown toward the interstate in many years. Instead, the community has grown away from the interstate. "The natural growth of a city is toward an interstate," Fine said.

Fine said returning the balance to Aiken's growth pattern, by offering new housing options, will restore the balance.

"I think Aiken has its best years ahead of it," Fine said.

Fine said doing advanced planning, and working that plan, will help his communities to have a flow to them, instead of appearing to be a patchwork of plans held together with Band Aids.