Design Review Board approves new two‑story house at 456 Sumter Street in Historic Overlay District 1

The Aiken City Design Review Board on Feb. 11, 2025, unanimously approved application CERH25-030 to construct a two‑story, 32‑foot single‑family home with attached garage at 456 Sumter Street Southeast, a vacant lot in Historic Overlay District 1.

The project, submitted in the name of Leland Reynolds, proposes white Hardy board and board‑and‑batten siding, a black shingled roof with metal roofing over the garage and front porch, a brick foundation that varies in height (about 30 inches along the front façade on submitted elevations), aluminum windows with simulated divided lights and 7/8‑inch muntins in chestnut bronze, and a concrete driveway with brick paver borders. Rebecca (staff planner) told the board the lot currently has no historic designation category because it is vacant and that, if the new construction is approved, the owner or the board may later initiate a designation application under zoning ordinance 5.2.0.2(a).

Why it matters: construction on vacant parcels in a historic overlay can shape the district’s character; the board’s review determines whether new work is “in harmony” with the design review manual’s guidance on style, form, proportion and materials.

Board members who reviewed the plans said the design fits the neighborhood scale and character. Chair (name not specified) said, “The style... feels like something that you would see in the historic district,” and Board member Pat said the house “fits right into that whole neighborhood.” Kent Baldwin, who identified himself as a neighbor assisting with the project, described the driveway and exterior detailing as part of the applicants’ effort to match neighborhood patterns.

Formal action: A board member moved that the board find the proposed project at 456 Sumter Street (tax parcel 121-09-12-007) is in harmony with the design review manual and the standards for new construction; the motion was seconded and passed by a unanimous voice vote. The board recorded the approval as application CERH25-030; no nays or abstentions were recorded on the transcript.

The board noted the project’s materials, roofline and proportioning and said the design creates a suitable transition with surrounding properties. The applicants indicated the side‑entry garage and screened porch off the master bedroom shown on submitted elevations.

Next steps: With the certificate of appropriateness approved, the applicant may proceed with building‑permit steps required by the city; any subsequent applications (for designation, if pursued) would follow the process referenced by staff.