Aiken council rejects first reading of Dykes Road rezoning for Arbor Ridge transitional tiny-home project

The Aiken City Council voted 3–4 on Sept. 8 against first reading of an ordinance to rezone about 4.1 acres on Dykes Road from Office (O) to Transitional Tiny Home (TTH) and to approve a concept plan for the Arbor Ridge transitional housing development.

The planning staff presented the request as an application to create a TTH district with 39 proposed sleeping units, a 30-by-45-foot community building and parking. Planning staff said the property is currently undeveloped and heavily wooded and is partly owned by the Aiken County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. The Planning Commission recommended approval, 5–2, with conditions including compliance with buffer/tree preservation rules, required building separations and submission of a revised concept plan and signed conditions within 90 days.

Why it matters: the rezoning would authorize a site-specific transitional housing use for people exiting homelessness and provide wraparound services nearby; opponents said the chosen site — adjacent to residential neighborhoods and within walking distance of Aiken Barnwell Mental Health and Aiken Center — raised safety and infrastructure concerns, while supporters said the project would provide a needed “hand up” for people living unsheltered in the city.

Council and staff presentation Mister Beadonboe, the planning staff member who presented the ordinance, told the council the parcel is roughly 4.1 acres composed of one landlocked parcel plus part of another with frontage on Dykes Road. The concept plan described single sleeping units of about 160 square feet and double units at about 320 square feet; exterior materials would be hardiplank siding, and the community building would include laundry facilities, two offices and a meeting room of about 350 square feet. The narrative indicated common open space totaling about 59% of the buildable area. Staff said a traffic impact study was not required because anticipated peak-hour trips fell below the threshold and that the developer would be responsible for water and sewer main extensions and related easements. Staff also noted that if council approved the rezoning, the Aiken legislative delegation would need to approve the property transaction.

Public hearing: divided comments Dozens of residents and service providers spoke during the public hearing. Supporters emphasized the increase in homelessness in Aiken and said Arbor Ridge would provide transitional housing, case management and security.

- Kevin Pethick, a partner at Boston & Pethick and pro-bono counsel for the project, said the development is intended as transitional housing — typically one to two years — and told council, “This project is not being funded with your city tax dollars,” adding that churches and charitable donations were the primary funding sources described in the presentation.

- Reverend Lisa Ann Wheeler, reading a letter from George Clare of Aiken County Homeless Housing, said the development would “provide no services to people other than those residents in the tiny homes” and added the project planned 24/7 security, applicant vetting and participant rules.

- Steven Feldman, a board member of Aiken Transition Management (ATM), the proposed operations manager, described plans for 24/7 security, perimeter cameras, resident chores and a neighborhood advisory council to include neighbors, ATM staff and Aiken Department of Public Safety representation.

Opponents raised concerns about site selection, long-term operating funding, traffic and pedestrian safety and potential impacts on property values. Specific questions from residents included whether sex offenders would be allowed, whether occupants would be drug/alcohol tested, who would fund ongoing security after initial construction and how residency would be verified.

- Several neighbors said there are no sidewalks, crosswalks or pedestrian signs on Dykes Road and flagged school-bus loading and past pedestrian deaths on nearby Highway 1 as public-safety risks.

- Joel Johnson and other Dykes Road residents argued the parcel’s annexation and contiguity to city limits had been in dispute historically; planning staff responded that state law requires annexation appeals within 90 days and that the statute of limitations had passed, so the property is lawfully annexed.

Council reaction and outcome Council members discussed the project’s merits and risks. Several members said they supported helping people experiencing homelessness but expressed caution about the project’s location and about whether the developer and proposed operator demonstrated sufficiently established, long-term operational capacity and funding. Council also noted outstanding questions about partnerships with local service providers and clinical staffing for case management.

At the end of the hearing council voted on first reading of the ordinance. Councilman Giroto moved the rezoning and Councilwoman Price seconded. The motion failed on first reading by a 3–4 vote; the mayor announced “3 in favor and 4 opposed.” The council did not adopt the ordinance on first reading.

Votes at a glance - Dykes Road rezoning (first reading): ordinance to rezone approximately 4.1 acres from Office (O) to Transitional Tiny Home (TTH) and approve a concept plan for Arbor Ridge; mover: Councilman Giroto; seconder: Councilwoman Price; tally: 3 yes, 4 no; outcome: failed (first reading). Planning Commission recommendation: approve 5–2 with five conditions. - Consent agenda: ordinance to annex property at 2912 Catawba Street and zone R-S15 — approved unanimously (vote recorded as unanimous during consent). - Appointments: reappointments to the recreation, senior and arts commissions — approved unanimously. - Budget amendment FY2025–26 (first reading): carryforward and Hurricane Helene reimbursements; vote reported 4–0 (Councilwoman Price and Councilwoman Gregory absent). - Deed-of-dedication resolutions (Publix at Village at Woodside; Parker Aiken Apartments): both accepted by council (unanimous votes reported with two council members absent as noted).

What remains: next steps and outstanding questions Because the rezoning failed on first reading, Arbor Ridge cannot move forward on the current ordinance without further council action. Supporters said the project is planned in three phases (phase 1 described in presentation as 11 units), that the developer expects to seek approvals from the city and then the Aiken legislative delegation, and that site work would begin only after final approvals and final funding commitments. Several speakers and council members urged that if the project is reconsidered, the developer should present a more detailed, documented operations plan showing sustained funding for security, case management and clinical services, and specific partner commitments from local providers.

Council members and staff also logged the neighborhood’s infrastructure concerns — sidewalks, crosswalks and lighting — as matters that would require intergovernmental coordination and additional resources if the project were to proceed on this or a nearby site.

Quotes (selected) “People who live at Arbor Ridge are not problems to be managed. They are neighbors hoping for restoration,” Logan Ford said during public comment.

“The best news of all is that this project is not being funded with your city tax dollars,” said Kevin Pethick, describing the fundraiser and church-based commitments the applicant reported to the council.

“There will be no services including overnight accommodations offered to those not in the program,” the letter read by Reverend Lisa Ann Wheeler said, summarizing a written statement from the project’s organizers.

Ending Council members and members of the public said they will continue the conversation; some urged that the matter return for additional review after the developer supplies more detail on long-term operations, funding and partner commitments. For now, the Dykes Road rezoning did not advance past first reading, and several other city actions heard that night — budget amendments and deed dedications — moved forward as recorded in the council minutes.