North Augusta council annexes 67.45 acres on Hammond Pond Road amid tree, traffic and infrastructure concerns

The North Augusta City Council voted to annex about 67.45 acres on Hammond Pond Road on second reading on Nov. 17, approving an ordinance that will bring the property into the city and apply R‑14 zoning. The measure passed 4–2 after public comment and an extended council discussion about trees, traffic and infrastructure capacity.

Mayor Brittney S. Williams opened the discussion by noting that the annexation question is limited to whether the city should accept the property; she said detailed development plans, traffic studies and environmental controls would be reviewed later by the planning department and then the planning commission. "At that point is when the developer would have to present what's called a major site plan," Williams said, adding that "the planning commission is the body that will approve the major site plan. It is not going to be the council."

The developer’s representative, Will Caicos, said the proposed lots will be wider and larger than nearby subdivisions, with 75‑foot lots (about 15,000 square feet) and roughly 22 acres—more than 30 percent—reserved as green space. "We're doing 75 foot wide lots, which would make these lots 15,000 square feet…we have 22 acres of green space. That's over 30%," Caicos said, and estimated builder interest for homes of about 3,500 square feet starting in the mid‑$500,000s.

Neighbors urged caution. Sharon Melton, who lives near the property, said she is not opposed to development in principle but worried about tree loss and the timing of infrastructure work. "You tell me that we're going to be annexing 67.45 acres…and you tell me that…we have wastewater being availability issues already, and you don't tell me how you're going to promise me that the arbor situation slash tree situation is going to be absolutely…different," Melton said, adding she feared a repeat of prior clear‑cutting on nearby sites.

Dylan Miller, another nearby resident, asked why the city should not annex the land so tax revenues would match the public safety response. "If the developer is gonna move forward with the process, it's gonna happen regardless. Why not an exit into the city limits so that at least in that way you can get tax money…if a fire happens…first responders aren't gonna respond knowing that we're not getting any tax money from it," Miller said.

Council members split on the measure. Several members said annexation makes sense to align standards and ensure the city can set building rules and collect taxes to support services. One council member who opposed the annexation noted traffic concerns at the Hammond Pond/Curits Drive area, uncertainty about future connectivity to other neighborhoods and questioned whether the market would support the higher‑end homes the developer described.

Councilwoman Pat Carpenter and others said the city does not forcibly annex property and reiterated that major infrastructure issues such as traffic signalization, speed limits and wastewater capacity will be determined during site‑plan review and the planning commission process. The mayor reiterated there is "no issue with wastewater capacity on this development" as framed by the city’s recent analyses and that traffic mitigation would come from a site‑plan traffic study.

After members explained their votes as requested by the mayor, the council voted 4–2 to adopt Ordinance 2025‑28 on second reading. The mayor announced the tally as "4 for, 2 against." The council directed staff and the planning commission to evaluate the developer’s forthcoming major site plan, environmental safeguards and traffic studies as part of the formal review process.

On related business the council approved on second reading Ordinance 2025‑29, a nonexclusive franchise agreement with Loomis Scribe South Carolina, LLC (Lumos Fiber), to allow additional fiber options for residents; administration said the ordinance had cleared its first reading and the vote was unanimous. The council also voted to authorize funding allocations recommended by the Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee for the 2024–2025 revenues; staff noted 16 applicants with 15 recommended for funding and said awards follow state law about allowable uses and a reimbursement process.

The annexation vote propels the matter to the planning‑department review and, if a major site plan is submitted, a planning commission hearing. Residents who raised tree preservation and traffic questions were urged by the mayor to follow planning commission livestreams, which the city posts monthly, and to participate in the public hearings where site‑plan details, traffic studies and mitigation measures will be considered.