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Developers seek narrower lot spacing for 202-lot Kershaw Street plan; planning commission requires standard building separation and adds traffic conditions
Summary
The Aiken City Planning Commission March 11 voted unanimously to forward a 202-lot concept plan and rezoning for property around Kershaw Street to City Council after requiring the developer to meet standard building-separation rules and to add certain traffic improvements.
Developers seeking to build a 202-lot planned residential community on roughly 40.25 acres around Kershaw Street and Rudy Mason Parkway asked the Aiken City Planning Commission March 11 for ordinance waivers that would reduce required building separation between two-story homes.
Kurt Hanna, a local real estate agent representing the developer, identified the request as a conceptual plan for roughly 202 lots with smaller "cottage" units on the northern portion and larger detached single-family homes to the south. He said the project aims to deliver "workforce entry level housing" and asked the commission to consider reduced side-yard separations to keep homes affordable. "We are asking for 202 lots to be approved," Hanna said.
Developer Matt Keith said the wet area on the site is an intermittent swale rather than an officially delineated wetland and described expected walkability connections: "It's not even a delineated swell... it is a drainage way." He also said the developer would put covenants in place to restrict fences and storage between some homes as one mitigation step.
The developer requested two specific waivers from the zoning ordinance: reduced separations of about 18 feet in the northern portion and 13 feet in the southern portion where the ordinance requires 20 feet between two-story homes. Staff and public safety raised concerns about firefighting access and public safety; commissioners repeatedly noted lot widths (some as small as 30–35 feet) and the aesthetic and safety implications of narrow side yards.
At the meeting, commissioners debated lot size, garage-dominated fronts and public-safety input. One commissioner argued against waiving the ordinance: "A 30 foot wide, 35 foot wide lot, doesn't leave very much for the home itself... I would strongly advise against granting a waiver for 6 and a half foot side yards." The developer countered that tighter lots enable lower home prices; Matt Keith and Kurt Hanna referenced similar product lines built elsewhere and affordability goals.
After discussion, the commission amended the staff conditions and voted to forward the rezoning/concept plan to City Council with two clarifications: (1) the developer must comply with the required building separation (deleting the waiver language) and (2) the developer will install right-turn lanes at the four exits from the subject property subject to SCDOT approval. The motion to send the application to City Council with those modifications passed by raised hands and was recorded as unanimous.
Public commenters included nearby residents who raised privacy, yard size and emergency-access concerns. George Waddell and other neighbors asked for larger buffers and earlier commitments on fencing. The developer noted they will provide a preliminary traffic report, pursue a formal traffic study, and work with DOT and the fire marshal as engineering proceeds.
The commission’s action was a referral to City Council; final approval and any waivers would require council action and any necessary approvals from SCDOT and public safety officials.
Votes at a glance: The Planning Commission voted unanimously to forward the plan and rezoning to City Council with the two modifications described above.
