Council approves annexation of 7.08 acres for Tribute Parkway after engineers’ stormwater briefing

The Aiken City Council voted to annex 7.08 acres of city‑owned land along Thoroughbred Run and Powder House Road so the city can become the local issuing authority and own the future Tribute Parkway roadway.

Benish Engineering representative Oliver Weston told the council the project’s design criterion is to maintain pre‑construction stormwater runoff in the post‑construction phase, using detention ponds sized to handle roadway runoff only. "For phase 1 we did have a design criteria to maintain the pre construction stormwater runoff in the post construction phase," Weston said, adding that the ponds are retrofitted with maintenance practices to filter sediment and are cleaned out after construction to form functioning detention ponds.

The presentation noted the NEPA process and Federal Highway Administration oversight were part of the environmental and permitting review; "the NEPA process is ... there to protect the environment," Weston said, describing public involvement, consultations with tribes and endangered‑species reviews. Staff emphasized that federal requirements were necessary to secure federal funding for the project and that stormwater controls must meet whichever is more stringent between the state DOT and City of Aiken.

During public comment, several residents described persistent flooding and stormwater problems in nearby neighborhoods. Todd Stilp said water collects and flows under Powder House Road at a concentrated point, producing brown water and repeated flooding; he said he has drone photos documenting recurring events and asked the city to investigate further. "My problem's not going away," Stilp said.

Councilmembers asked technical questions about flow routing and whether stormwater would be pumped or follow natural topography; Weston said stormwater generally follows natural low points and that detention ponds are placed to limit downstream impacts, while noting pumps can be used where necessary.

After discussion and public input, Councilman Waldo moved to approve the second reading of the annexation ordinance for the right‑of‑way; the motion was seconded and the council passed the ordinance on second reading.

The annexation covers right‑of‑way only and does not automatically require adjacent parcel owners to annex. Staff said future development off the annexed right‑of‑way would require separate stormwater development plans and compliance with the jurisdictional stormwater requirements that apply at that time.

The council’s decision allows the city to proceed with ownership and further development tasks for Tribute Parkway; council and staff said stormwater monitoring and maintenance will continue to be addressed as construction and subsequent phases proceed.