The Whiskey Road Zaxby's may be moving to a new location.
The City of Aiken Planning Commission on Tuesday night agreed to recommend to Aiken City Council a concept plan approval and rezoning for a Zaxby's restaurant to be put in the former location of Ruby Tuesday on Whiskey Road.
The property, located at 2285 Whiskey Road next to Chick-fil-A, has been vacant since Ruby Tuesday closed in March 2020. The current structure will be torn down to build the proposed Zaxby's. The existing Zaxby's at 1725 Whiskey Road will be closed down.
The new restaurant will be approximately 3,000 square feet with 56 seats and a double drive-thru, according to agenda documents.
The owner of the property is 2285 Whiskey Road LLC, who purchased the parcel in July 2020. The applicant is Jeff Carter, of Carter Engineering Consultants, Inc., in Watkinsville, Georgia.
"Zaxby's looks forward to bringing a fresh look to the Aiken community and appreciates your support," Carter wrote in a letter to the commission.
The applicant is requesting a rezoning from General Business to Planned Commercial.
A traffic study will not be necessary, according to agenda documents, because the project "does not generate 100 or more trips during a peak hour."
The vote was unanimously passed 5-0, with Jason Rabun recusing himself. Commission member Dr. Steven Simmons was absent from the meeting.
Another item on the commission's agenda was a concept plan to build an additional 144 multifamily units at Grand Oaks Apartments, located at 128 Majestic Oak Way across the street from the Aiken County Government Center.
There are currently 32 units that were constructed in 2006. The total of 176 units are "meant to serve primarily young families and students at USC Aiken," according to agenda documents.
The developer proposes to construct an additional five three-story multifamily structures that will house one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, with the individual unit sizes ranging between 750 to 1,300 square feet.
The rent prices would range between $900 to $1,400, according to the developer.
A total of 333 parking spaces are planned for the site, according to agenda documents.
A traffic study is currently underway to be submitted to the S.C. Department of Transportation and the City of Aiken's traffic consultant for approval.
Additionally, a clubhouse and dog park is shown in the concept plan.
The owner of the property is Southwood Realty Company, who recently purchased the complex.
The vote was unanimously passed 6-0.
