Aiken Counting Planning Commission approves plan, with contingencies, for Warren Mill

Feb. 17—A major development that will transform an abandoned textile factory in Warrenville into an apartment complex is moving forward.

In a split decision, the Aiken County Planning Commission approved the project at the Warren Mill, with contingencies, during a meeting Thursday night at the Aiken County Government Center.

The vote was 3-1.

Denise Fulmer, who expressed concern about the 11.11-acre site's close proximity to railroad tracks, was the lone dissenter.

She mentioned several train disasters and mishaps involving Norfolk Southern trains.

They included the 2005 crash in nearby Graniteville that resulted in the release of 90 tons of deadly pressurized liquid chlorine and, more recently, the Feb. 3 derailment in Ohio involving cars carrying hazardous materials.

"I am all for these projects," Fulmer said. "There are benefits, they look great when they're done and they do bring further development.

"But I live a mile and a half from this place (Warren Mill). This is where I live, where I was born and raised," she continued. "I just want it on the record, that given Graniteville's history with Norfolk Southern and given the things that have happened in the past two weeks ... I don't think I can say in good conscience that this is the best location for a concentrated development."

Dennis Gmerek, William Harris Jr. and Jason Palmer were in favor of letting the development proceed.

The applicant was Warren Mill Invesco LLC, represented at Thursday's meeting by John Gumpert, president of Atlanta-based Camden Management Partners Inc.

The Planning Commission's conditions for approval include the completion of a traffic analysis.

The county's chief planning officer, Joel Duke, told the Aiken Standard that the study would be a collaboration between county staff, the Warren Mill Project's engineer (Cranston Engineering Group) and the South Carolina Department of Transportation.

In preparation, "a good bit of work" already has been done to evaluate the site," said Duke, who also is an assistant county administrator.

"The format of the study is what's under discussion now," he continued. "We are looking at the best approach for doing a traffic analysis on this previously developed site."

Built in the 1890s, Warren Mill is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The 190,677-square-foot factory has been closed since 1982.

When the Warren Mill Invesco's project is finished, there will be a 205-unit apartment complex on the site.

The existing four-story brick building will be repurposed for housing, and three new, three-story structures will be constructed.

"It's a market-rate, top-class project, and a lot of the beauty will come from the building itself," Gumpert said. "We've really worked hard to create a special project based on what the building had to give us."

Warren Mill Invesco purchased Warren Mill for $1.6 million from Warren Mill LLC in 2021.

Also during Thursday's meeting, the Planning Commission elected Liz Stewart as its chair and Palmer as its vice chair.

Stewart didn't vote on the Warren Mill matter because the role of the Planning Commission's chair in the decision-making process is to break a tie when needed.