Feb. 25—Aiken may be a few months away from hot weather but development on the city's northside continues to be red hot.

The second and final reading of an ordinance approving an agreement with Beazley Development Company to provide water service to a new residential development along Wire Road is on the agenda for the 7 p.m. Monday meeting of the Aiken City Council.

Beazley Development Company is an Evans, Ga., based residential home development company. Among the company's developments are Bergen Place West, the Retreat at Storm Branch, Gregg's Mill, Summerton Village, Danbrooke Village and Clearwater Preserve.

According to a development agreement attached to the ordinance, the company is under contract to purchase a property along Wire Road on March 1.

The property is currently owned by D&M Partners LLC of Allendale. D&M purchased the property from Edaphos Land and Timber LLC for $963,720 on Aug. 17, 2022.

City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh said in a memorandum to the city council the property is 240.93 acres.

The terms of the March 1 transaction are unknown.

Bedenbaugh said the original plan to provide water service to the development was from the adjacent Summer Lakes neighborhood but after the change in ownership that plan was no longer viable.

"After reviewing other possibilities to provide water to the property the only sustainable long-term solution was to provide a new water transmission line to be located along Wire Road," Bedenbaugh said.

He added the new plan is to extend service from a large diameter line along Gun Range Road to the new development.

"This route and line will add resiliency to the overall system on the northside and provide the opportunity to extend the service area north of the city with possible future expansion of large acreage tracts and ultimately connecting to exiting service lines located at Beaver Creek Dam Road to provide additionally resiliency," Bedenbaugh said.

He added the initial extension would be 9,100 linear feet (1.72 miles) of 12-inch water line to the development. Bedenbaugh said the next phase would be to connect the new line to the city's existing system along Beaver Dam Road. He said additional phases could extend the water line along Wire Road to Exit 29 on Interstate 20.

In the development agreement, the city would agree to reimburse Beazley Development up to $985,679.12 of the project cost. Beazley would be responsible for $311,357.58 of the cost.

The new development is one of several residential developments planned for the city's northside including

* A 336-unit apartment complex at the intersection of University Lane and the Gregg Highway (the Parker at Aiken Apartments);

* A 330-unit townhome rental community near the intersection of Laurens Street, Rutland Drive and University Parkway (Aiken Village);

* A 316-unit duplex development near the intersection of York Street and Bushwillow Circle;

* 200 homes near the intersection of Williams Lane and Edgefield Highway (River's Crossing);

* 150 homes nearly across from River's Crossing (Portrait Hills);

* 120 homes near the intersection of University Parkway and Vaucluse Road;

* A 72-unit multifamily development between University Parkway, Lokey Lane and the Gregg Highway; and

* An apartment complex at the intersection of Sundy Avenue and Jake Place.

Also on the agenda are second and final readings of ordinances:

* Approving an agreement with Peach Properties for improvement of city-owned property located adjacent to the grocery store and shopping center planned for Silver Bluff Road;

* Amending the city's budget to include and spend funds the city received from the state's settlement with the federal government over plutonium stored at the Savannah River Site; and

* Annexing and zoning a single family residence at 1804 Pine Log Road.

On the agenda for first reading are ordinances to annex and zone:

* A property at the intersection of East Pine Log Road and Levels Church Road to allow for the construction of a third Parker's Kitchen;

* A property at intersection of Sundy Avenue and Jake Place to allow for the construction of an apartment complex; and

* Single-family homes at 19 Russellwood Court, 1107 Williams Drive and 1892 Huckleberry Drive.

Petitions and requests to be considered are:

* Scheduling a meeting of the Aiken Municipal Development Commission;

* Approval to provide water service to 1410 Hampton Ave. NW so it can be developed into a car lot;

* Entry into a participation agreement with the South Carolina Department of Transportation for the University Parkway widening project;

* Approval of Destination by Design of Boone, N.C. to be the city's marketing agency for one year; and

* Approval of a fireworks display at the Reserve Club at Woodside on Independence Day.

Appointments to be considered are:

* Lela Wulf (reappointment) to the Equine Committee;

* Sam Erb (reappointment) to the Planning Commission;

* Katy Lipscomb (reappointment) to the Design Review Board; and

* Laura Thomas to the Senior Commission.

The meeting is scheduled to take place in the council chambers on the third floor of the Municipal Building located at 111 Chesterfield St. S.W.

An executive session to discuss an unspecified lawsuit will be held at 6 p.m. The executive session will be held in Room 315 of the same building after the city council meets and votes to go into executive session to receive legal advice.