Crosland Park resident Gary Yount supported the Urban Land Institute's short-term recommendations on ways to improve his neighborhood; he hopes, however, other residents get involved in the process as those initiatives begin to move forward.
The Urban Land Institute Technical Assistance Panel visited the City of Aiken in December to provide recommendations on how to make Aiken's Northside, specifically Crosland Park, a thriving community. Yount said he supported the recommendations, in particular the idea of more streetlights.
"That really caught my attention, seeing how we as an association have talked about this since 2008 or 2009," said Yount, who also serves as the president of the Crosland Park Neighborhood Association.
Coordinating and implementing a lighting plan with SCE&G for Crosland Park was one of seven short-term recommendations interim City Manager Roger LeDuc shared with Council on Monday night. The implementation of a residential rental inspection program and a short-term rental program for Aiken Department of Public Safety officers also shared a spot on the list.
The City entered into a $10,000 contract last year with the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit comprising engineers, architects, financial experts and developers with the sole purpose to help cities and areas solve their problems and challenges. These panels are part of the Urban Land Institute Services Program, providing advice to local governments, public agencies and nonprofit groups facing issues with land use and real estate.
The Crosland Park neighborhood of more than 500 homes was developed in the 1950s after the construction of the Savannah River Site, and throughout the years, the neighborhood has changed from primarily owner-occupied homes to now approximately 55 percent tenant-occupied homes.
The implementation of a residential rental inspection program, Yount said, is a program he would be "100 percent behind." LeDuc said a similar program came before Council 10 years ago, and at that time, the City went ahead and required a business license for rental property.
"But we decided not to go through an inspection program of any formal type," LeDuc said.
If the City implements the program, it will have to be City-wide and not just for Crosland Park.
"We think there's a lot of value on that, and not just for the large apartment complexes, but for single family homes, for landlords who own multiple units," LeDuc said.
The Urban Land Institute also recommended finding a way to change the public perception of Crosland Park and track statistics that can be used down the road to look back at how the neighborhood has progressed.
Emory Langston, the City's special projects coordinator, continues to work with Crosland Park residents, coming up with ideas to improve the neighborhood. She said she was "very excited to get this going,"
The Crosland Park Neighborhood Association will hold its next regular meeting 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 19 at the Community Resource Center, 1248 Crosland Drive.
Maayan Schechter is the local government reporter with Aiken Standard. Follow her on Twitter @MaayanSchechter.