Members of the North Augusta Planning Commission had to chance to ask questions about a major development that’s been revived for a tract bounded by Old Sudlow Lake Road, Belvedere-Clearwater Road, Ascauga Lake Road and S.C. Interstate-520.
A representative for the Highland Springs development brought a sketch plan review before the planning commission on March 16.
Tommy Paradise, director of the Department of Planning and Development, laid out the nuts and bolts: Approximately 1,250 acres; more than 2,800 housing units including apartments, townhouses and single-family homes; about 3.2 million square feet of industrial area, a village square covering about 555,000 square feet and that same amount of space allocated for commercial development.
Although the last interest in developing the property stalled in 2018, the first mention of the project actually dates to 2001.
Lance Cheely of Cranston Engineering, representing Auro Divine Development, LLC of Greenville, S.C., said the new plan is to stick as closely as possible to the original proposal.
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He said one major change, the building of the Palmetto Parkway, is having the greatest impact on modifications.
“So, as reaction to 520 coming through, we have repositioned some things on the site to make the plan work. Most of the area that you see that has been taken away for 5-20 was taken out of the golf course area, which just is not a viable economic product these days,” he said, adding, “So, we have done the best we can to stick with the intent of the original PD (planned development) and bring you something that is not far afield from that but something that responds again to our current economic climate and the physical alteration on site.”
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Cheely said they are calling a section along Edgefield Road as the “Highway 25 mixed-use zone.” It will consist of residential and commercial development. The areas near and along I-520 would primarily be commercial, such as fast-food restaurants and big box stores.
“Our greenspaces, we have the passive park in the middle, a lot of this area is currently wetlands and associated buffers, we do plan to have some pedestrian access there to make use of that,” he said. “We also have a linear park that connects from north to south that will serve as both a buffer from our higher density commercial areas and our residential area and also a thoroughfare for pedestrian and bicycle access potentially.”
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Chairwoman Christine Crawford, recognizing the size and scope of the project asked how development would proceed, if the plan was to do residences in the first phase or a combination of residential and commercial. Cheely confirmed work would be done in phases but said specifics on what will be done, where and when has yet to be determined.
Only one resident came forward with a question. Robert Flanagan asked if the access point on Blanchard Road would connect to Ascauga Lake Road.
We’re currently not showing an access to Ascauga Lake Road, it will likely be very close to the intersection to the flyover of Ascauga Lake and 520,” Cheely said. “But we do have a piece of our property that touches this Ascauga Lake Road, you’ll notice kind of a very northern tip of that. So, we do have a potential access point there. But at this time, it’s unclear as to whether that’s a feasible access.”
Commissioner Timothy Key and Len Carter both expressed concerns a development of this size will have on traffic. Paradise said he anticipates a traffic analysis will be conducted before the project comes before the planning commission again.
This is also the area where the Aiken County school district is building two new schools. Highland Springs Elementary and Middle Schools, costing an estimated $39.7 million, were included in the $90 million dollar bond referendum voters approved in 2018.
District spokesman Mike Rosier said crews have begun clearing the land and preparing to begin construction.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a general assignment reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
