County Council discusses salvage yard fence again

12/10/2008 1:27 AM
By HALEY HUGHES
Staff writer

A proposal to erect a taxpayer-funded fence in front of a salvage yard on U.S. Highway 1 became a focal point of Tuesday's County Council meeting.

Aiken County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to reconsider the resolution after Councilman Scott Singer asked that it be added to the agenda.

Then, Council voted by majority to table the resolution so it could seek additional information on the issue from the South Carolina Department of Transportation and others. Council members Kathy Rawls, Charles Barton and Gary Bunker voted in opposition to the tabling.

Not everybody is on board with the plan for the fence, including a member of the audience who said he was "wholeheartedly" against the idea.

"The fence will be built on the road right-of-way," Larry Murphy said. "I do have a problem with the area but one day the County is going to own that property. That place is contaminated. I would love to see Council approach the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control so they can find out if there is contamination. If so, let them take care of it."

Last month, Singer said the South Carolina Department of Transportation had agreed to design and construct the fence to shield B&W Auto & Truck Parts from the view of passing traffic as authorized by S.C. Code 57-27-50. The cost of the fence would be shared equally between the County and the City, not to exceed $50,000.

S.C. Code 57-27-50 basically says any "junkyard" within 1,000 feet of a highway shall be screened so it is not visible. "After a junkyard has been screened by the (SCDOT), no junkyard owner or operator shall permit the placement of junk so that it may been seen above or beyond the screen or otherwise become visible."

The proposed resolution was met with concerns from City Council and County Council members alike at the time.

County Councilman Gary Bunker said last month the money the County would spend on the fence could be put to better use. He voiced the same concern Tuesday.

"The idea in and of itself is not bad," he said, but urged Council to keep in mind the County's economic status, especially since the state budget has endured several cuts. "This is not the right time to pursue this."

When City Council met in November, it agreed to revisit the proposed resolution in December but the subject was never broached at its Monday meeting.

In other business Tuesday, Council voted unanimously to execute a purchase agreement for the County to expand Langley Pond Park by purchasing 416 acres, including the pond itself.

The purchase price has been set at $1.5 million and, according to County Administrator Clay Killian, the funds will come from a combination of sales taxes, park improvement funds and a $648,000 grant from the South Carolina Conservation Bank.

On its acreage, the County has plans to develop a boat house, grandstand and other amenities to bring the rowing program up to the international level.

"That will make the park even more attractive," Killian said.

The County also approved upon first reading an ordinance to convey 64 acres of the park to the Aiken Land Conservancy to be left forested for passive recreation.

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