Zoning plan may be ready by end of July

A Land Management Ordinance for Aiken County that has been almost two years in the making is expected to be ready for review by the end of July.

Aiken County Planning Commission Chairman Terry Turner told members of the Aiken County Council her volunteer committee has held a total of 17 special meetings, each lasting about two hours, in recent years simply to review the land use plan.

Currently the committee has about 60 pages to review, but some of that has already been reviewed as part of the process, Turner said.

"It has been a long, laborious process," Turner said. She added, "I knew this review would take some time because of the Planning Commission's desire to 'get it right' since it would not be reviewed again for five years and updated for 10 years according to state law."

Turner said the review could be completed in August, but Council members Scott Singer and Gary Bunker both pressed Turner to shorten the study period.

After the Planning Commission review, Turner said the next step is unclear.

In the past such documents have faced three public hearings around the County. One is normally held in Aiken, one in North Augusta and the last time such a document was considered New Ellenton was used as a meeting spot, she said.

The Planning Commission is required to hold one public hearing, but the other hearings have been held in the past to receive more input.

The Land Management Ordinance sets proposed zoning uses for property in the unincorporated portions of Aiken County.

Recently Council member Eddie Butler, who missed this week's meeting, complained about the length of time the Planning Commission had spent on the document, which it started to review in October 2004.

Faced with first reading approval of the first phase of Trolley Run Station, Butler said he wished he could see how the project fit into the County's long-range plans, which is contained in the LMO.

Turner said the 17 additional meetings held by the volunteer commissioners had provided time to comb through all the intricate details involved in the Land Management Ordinance.

"I am sure that once you see the fruits of our rather lengthy labor, that you, as Council members, will be pleased with the end result," Turner said.