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Board gives conceptual approval for four‑story boutique hotel and restaurant at Park Avenue and Lawrence Street
Summary
The Design Review Board conceptually approved a plan to renovate the Farmers & Merchants building at 167 Lawrence Street SW and add a four‑story boutique hotel and restaurant, while noting that site plan, parking and signage details will return for administrative or board review as required.
The Aiken Design Review Board gave conceptual approval to a plan to renovate the existing 2‑story structure at 167 Lawrence Street SW for restaurant use and to construct a four‑story addition for a boutique hotel on adjacent parcels along Park Avenue and Lawrence Street.
Architect Cam Scott and developer Chad Ingram presented a plan for a roughly 80‑room hotel (approximately 20 rooms per floor) that would reuse and renovate the existing bank building for the hotel lobby and a restaurant entry, add balconies facing Park Avenue, and use painted brick veneer and Anderson clad windows with simulated divided lights to match historic proportions. Scott described proposed parapet heights of about 50 feet with a center portion near 54 feet and said the design team compared surrounding building heights (post office, townhomes, Farmers & Merchants building) to demonstrate contextual fit.
Linda Johnson, a downtown resident, and other members of the public supported the proposal, saying the addition complements the block and that the minimal changes to the existing historic structures respect Aiken’s guidelines. Representatives from ACTS and other nearby institutions raised concerns during public comment about parking, stormwater drainage, proximity to the adjacent AX building and preservation of access for current users; Tom Boykin, board chair at ACTS, asked where parking for the hotel, restaurant and employees would be provided and whether loss of existing parking could affect ACTS operations.
Cam Scott and Chad Ingram told the board the final site plan remains to be completed: preliminary layouts showed parking to the rear with an early estimate of roughly 60‑plus spaces to be refined in site planning, and the design team said they expect to address stormwater in an alleyway between properties and to coordinate required fire‑code setbacks. The board’s motion found the proposal consistent with the design review manual (pages cited in staff packet) and approved the project conceptually; members agreed that follow‑on details—window color, signage, final site plan and any changes that might be outside administrative review—will return to staff for administrative approval or to the board depending on the matrix and the magnitude of changes.
The motion passed unanimously. The board emphasized that the conceptual approval does not eliminate the need for subsequent site‑planning approvals and possible return to the board for details that the staff determines cannot be approved administratively.
