Doors closed on changes

A major downtown construction project has had the door slammed in its face by the City of Aiken Design Review Board. Condominiums being constructed on Park Avenue by Stevens Builders, well on their way to completion, have been put on hold because of the ruling this week.

At issue are doors. Buddy Stevens, contractor for the project, changed the type of exterior doors and doorways from those outlined in plans previously approved by the City. The doors were originally to be aluminum, but Stevens decided on mahogany doors instead and installed those. That was enough to draw the notice of DRB which denied the alteration mainly because Mr. Stevens did not come to the Board before making the change.

The person most vocal in opposing the change, Don Broderick, said he would likely have favored the change had Stevens come to DRB first.

If the doors meet the City's design standards and would otherwise have been approved, why put up a road block because of Mr. Stevens' oversight? That smacks of pettiness and a personal agenda rather than protecting the welfare of the community from builders who might try to use a bait and switch to put up a less desirable structure than the one that has been approved.

Rules are rules, and DRB's rules need to be adhered to by property owners and builders alike. The decision this week, however, was mean spirited and punitive Most consider using mahogany doors an improvement over metal ones.

The punishment of replacing the doors seems harsh. The change will be expensive for Mr. Stevens, yet Aiken may end up with a building less impressive than it is now.