Aiken County Proposes Rezoning Around Industrial Park Site

Aiken County has rolled out rezoning plans for land around the North Fork Industrial Park location. Joel Duke, who serves as the county's chief development officer, presented these plans to the Planning Commission on Aug. 20.

The county is teaming up with the Western SC Economic Development Partnership to build the park on about 1,900 acres near Exit 33 on Interstate 20. Most of this land gets used for farming and has few houses, though some businesses dot the area.

Property within the park would shift from Rural Development to Industrial Development zoning. Land touching the site would become Residential Rural Commercial.

This zoning would permit limited development and small shops while cutting down on land use conflicts between the park and nearby properties. It would also protect the rural character.

Property along the I-20/Old 96 Indian Trail Road corridor interchange would get rezoned to Limited Development. LD would preserve the corridor but still make room for planned commercial development, according to the presentation.

Will Williams, president and CEO of the Western SC Development Partnership, spoke at the Aiken Chamber of Commerce earlier this month about keeping open spaces around the new site. "If you've ever ridden out in that part of the county, it is very rural, and I want the folks that live out there to still feel the same way," Williams told his audience, per The Aiken Standard.

Plans call for bringing water and sewer utilities to the area where wells and septic systems now exist. The Planning Commission's next meeting is set for 6 p.m. on Sept. 17 at the Government Center, but there won't be a public hearing on the rezoning proposals then.