As you have heard or will hear soon, the Aiken Municipal Development Commission met this afternoon and considered a motion to (1) stop Project Pascalis, (2) declare the existing contract (related to the project) null and void, and (3) either amend or cancel the current Redevelopment Plan so as to follow the South Carolina redevelopment law. One member of the AMDC stated that he agreed with the motion, but that based on the recommendation of counsel and the need for further due diligence, he suggested amending the motion to continue it to the week of September 26th rather than act immediately. The AMDC members voted to defer the motion to that later week.
The fact that the AMDC is considering the motion suggests that the litigation initiated by HAF and other plaintiffs is having an impact. We are very hopeful that on the 26th, the AMDC will approve the motion as originally presented, thus achieving a reset of the project whereby redevelopment will be planned and implemented in accordance with state and local laws which would include public participation. This would be a positive step in achieving the preservation goals of HAF.
However, since the motion was rescheduled, it is too early to tell what the final decision will be, so we will be continuing our activities as plaintiffs for now.
The potential opportunity to revisit the redevelopment goals for Aiken gives added importance to our Preservation Workshop on the 28th. In that workshop, experts will discuss how vital historic preservation is to the economic and cultural health of a community like Aiken and how it can be achieved. If you have not already done so, please check your email and register for this important event.