Aiken County Planning Commission approves, with contingencies, plans for subdivision near Vaucluse

Jun. 19—Plans for a subdivision near Vaucluse received the conditional approval of the Aiken County Planning Commission on June 15 by a 6-0 vote.

There will be 19 lots on the nearly 24-acre site on Hancock Road.

High Brass Development LLC was the applicant.

Scott Johnson of Civil Design Solutions LLC is the engineer for the project.

There are a number of issues that the staff of Aiken County Planning and Development Department has asked High Brass and the engineer to address, including matters involving drainage and a pond.

Joel Duke, chief development officer for the county and the department's director, told the Planning Commission that the staff comments about the issues were "generally of a nature that can be corrected."

Johnson said, "We will work for resolutions on all the comments here."

Prior to the Planning Commission's vote, several people expressed concerns. Among them were the effect of wells planned for the subdivision on the area's water table, drainage and displaced wildlife.

Planning Commission Vice Chairman Jason Palmer recused himself from the proceedings.

In other action June 15, the Planning Commission voted 7-0 to extend the prior approvals for the Aiken County Public School District's plans for a public road providing access to the new Highland Springs Middle School in the North Augusta area and Storm Branch Ventures LLC's plans for Section Six of The Retreat at Storm Branch, a community near Beech Island.

Section Six will have 34 lots on nearly 150 acres.

Planning Commission Chairman Liz Stewart didn't vote on any of items on the meeting's agenda because action on her part wasn't needed to break a tie.