24/10/2023
The Lack of Topography Information: Ok for most developers, not Ok for Old Hospital Concept Plan.
Last night Aiken City Council conducted a public hearing on Turner Development's rezoning request and concept plan for a proposed redevelopment of the old Aiken hospital property at 828 Richland Avenue, West. One of the issues raised several times was a lack of "topography" information.
Aiken resident Peter Messina, representing himself as a resident at this meeting, was the first to raise the issue. Mr. Messina had also raised the topography information issue in his role as Planning Commissioner at the commission's October 10th public hearing on the Turner concept plan.
After stating he had "over fifty years in land development," Mr. Messina had this to say about topography and other "gaps" in the concept plan:
"There is very very little information on this plan, there are no dimensions , no setback, no heights, no impervious surface limits There is even no topography, in my background that is the first thing we get, are there places that are low...are there ravines, what's out there?"
On December 13, 2022, the Planning Commission's public hearing included an application for an 330-unit apartment complex on 29 acres of undeveloped, forested property along Gregg Highway. The property has nearly 100 feet of elevation change, with a few slopes exceeding thirty percent. This topographic information was not in the PC’s information packet.
At that meeting, neither Mr. Messina nor any other commissioner cited a similar lack of topographic information as a concern for moving forward. Nor was there any discussion of impervious surface limits. In fact, the PC required the developer to add an additional fifty parking spaces as the expense of open space that helps control stormwater runoff.
On January 9, 2023, City Council conducted its first hearing on the apartment complex. Again, there was no discussion of topography or existing conditions, even after I raised the issue. In fact, only one Council member posed a question for this development that is more than three times the size of the Old Hospital site redevelopment.
In contrast, 828 Richland Avenue is already developed and has sixty feet of elevation change, which is considerable, and the steeper slopes are short and on the edges of the property.
Topographic maps are readily available on Aiken County's land database. It would be very easy for any developer to provide this information, but it is not on the Planning Department's application checklist. Very few applicants submit topographic maps, and topography is seldom discussed at Planning Commission or City Council hearings.
Topography is very important and should be an essential part of any development discussion, but to only raise it last night indicates a glaring double standard.
