Council reviews proposed Kellogg Tract annexation, raises questions on wetlands, sewer and commercial sequencing

Planning and Development Director Tommy Paradise presented a refresher on the Kellogg (Kellard) Tract, describing a three-step proposal: annexation of about 381.29 acres, rezoning to a Planned Development (PD) and adoption of a general development plan. Paradise said the plan could include up to 1,763 residential units, roughly 27 acres of retail and "approximately 117 acres" preserved as open space, including wetlands that staff identified in a January 2024 wetlands report that found about 15 acres of wetlands and a four-acre pond. "The comprehensive plan calls for mixed use," Paradise said, and staff found the submission compatible with mixed housing, commercial space and open-space preservation.

Council members repeatedly asked for clarity on how preservation would be guaranteed and whether preserved areas would be replanted after clear-cutting. One council member asked why the ordinance lists only 29 acres of green space while Paradise's slide showed 117 acres; Paradise replied the larger figure reflects ponds and wetlands carried through the plan and said staff would ensure open-space totals during preliminary-plat review. City Administrator Jim Clifford emphasized that, if annexation and rezoning proceed, the developer will be required to purchase additional sewer capacity through the Aiken County Horse Creek facility before construction can proceed. "They understand," Paradise said of the developer, "and we've had that discussion with them that it would be an upfront check."

Several council members also flagged compliance concerns about the developer's environmental history. A council member who identified himself as Kelly (counsel) read from the South Carolina Local Government Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act (Title 6, Chapter 29) and requested staff and legal review of the developer's self-reported compliance records before the council takes final action. That claim included an assertion of prior EPA-related enforcement reporting; the council requested the administration review those materials and report back.

Next steps and procedural notes: staff told the council they will have a chance next week to vote to remove the three linked ordinances from the table (a procedural step that does not approve the ordinances' substance), after which the council may vote on the annexation, rezoning and GDP or send the items back to the Planning Commission. Paradise cautioned that additional approvals would be required if the council granted annexation — subdivision plats, site plans and construction permits would still be required later.

The council did not vote on the ordinances at the study session and asked staff to supply additional information on open-space protections, sewer-capacity numbers and the developer's compliance record before any final action.