Aiken County Board of Appeals approves variances; split vote on Whiskey Road height request

Jason Whinghter, chairman of the Aiken County Board of Appeals, presided over the board’s June 11 meeting where members approved several zoning variances affecting properties across Aiken County.

The most contested decision involved LPA-Aiken Cottages LLC’s proposal for property at Whiskey Road and Hunters Glen Road. The application (VA26-000011) sought to increase the HCO-zone height limit from 35 feet to 52 feet, 8 inches and to reduce the required distance between buildings from 20 feet to 15 feet. David Banks, the applicant’s engineer, told the board their original cottage-style plan proved unworkable because of the site’s topography and the cost of deepening a sewer line, and described a revised senior-living, apartment-style design; he said architects’ changes could bring the building "to 55 feet." Opponent Patrick Duffy said he opposed the height request, citing concerns about "maximizing density and profit," potential safety issues in a five-story building and the impact on adjacent residential areas. The board approved the variance on a 5–2 vote; Jerry Waters and Don Houck voted in opposition. The motion to approve was made by John Zentz and seconded by Tina Bevington.

The board also approved several accessory-structure variances. Designer Builders’ application (VA26-00009) for 648 Pintail Drive requested a 1,018-square-foot variance to allow a 3,658-square-foot accessory structure where the zoning maximum is 2,640 square feet; the applicant confirmed a 724-square-foot reduction from the initial plan and said a temporary horse structure would be removed. After removing the item from the table, the board approved the amended variance by unanimous vote.

At 1704 Huckleberry Drive, homeowner Stephen Cline requested a 127-square-foot variance to permit a 1,600-square-foot accessory building; the maximum allowed is 1,473 square feet. Cline said his house’s heated living space increased to 2,973 square feet decades earlier when an attached garage was enclosed. Nearby resident Rhonda Platt spoke in favor, and the board approved the variance unanimously (motion by Don Houck; second by Danny Geddes).

Melissa K. Meisenheimer requested two forms of relief for a property on Eve Street (VA26-000012): permission to use a nonresidential structure as the principal use of a lot of record and a 743-square-foot variance to allow a 2,700-square-foot accessory structure (maximum 1,957 square feet). Meisenheimer said combining the two adjacent lots would require bank, appraisal and Fannie Mae approvals that could take six to nine months. Bob Hennings spoke in support. The board approved the request 6–1, with John Zentz voting in opposition; the motion was made by Jennie Marshall and seconded by Ronnie Peterson.

One scheduled item—Prescott & Sons Construction’s lot-size variance for property at 206 Larry Dee Street (VA26-00006)—was removed from the agenda because the applicant did not appear.

Procedural business included unanimous approval of the May 14, 2026 minutes (an amendment corrected a name), unanimous approval of the agenda, and adjournment at 7:30 p.m. The board set its next meeting for July 9, 2026.

Minutes and motions recorded at the meeting list the application numbers above and the vote tallies reported in the record. Where the minutes list a numerical tally but do not name every individual yes vote, this article reports the tallies as given and attributes named dissenting votes where recorded.