I wanted to write again updating you on what is going on in the city of Simpsonville.  

Council has been busy working with SCDOT as well as resident’s feedback on the upcoming one-way streets.  Curtis Street and College Street being the main streets affected.  My article last month was specific on what streets are being affected. 

As part of this plan, there has been quite a bit of feedback on closing down Hunter Rd off of Jonesville Rd.  We have spoken with several residents that have shared their concerns about the amount of cut-through traffic that is happening there.  They feel unsafe with the amount of traffic that is cutting through their neighborhood from Hunter Rd and the high rate of speed they are traveling.  This road was never intended, nor designed for a high level of traffic.  We had a public hearing during the summer, as well as 4 council meetings on this.  The mayor and others also knocked on doors in the area and mostly had all feedback in favor of closing the road.  As far as I know, no one showed up at these meetings in opposition to the road closing. I know no one spoke at a council meeting. We publicize these meetings so we can hear feedback from the public.  We only received feedback from those who wanted the road closed, an overwhelming amount of feedback at that.   

Due to it being a safety issue and because of the wear and tear of the road, Council decided to close it.  We know that it will be an inconvenience to some, but we feel the safety of the residents far outweighs inconvenience.  

On another note, the city still gets plenty of annexation requests every month for new construction.  We certainly keep in mind what this will do to our infrastructure as well as traffic and parking.  I have voted against a few developments that have requested annexation that didn’t make sense for the city, and I will continue to vote down those that do not make sense.  Just know though, if Council votes it down, we’re only saying that they cannot be annexed into the city. This doesn’t mean they won’t build, because in most cases, they will.  The county in most cases has already accepted them in the county before they come to Council requesting annexation.  

On the other hand, voting yes gives us 100% control of what is being built and how it is being built.  The developers usually give us things in return if we allow them in, like curbs, sidewalks, and parks, which saves the taxpayer money in the long run.  

So, City Council really has no say so if a development goes in or not. 

It’s easy to say that we want to stop all of this growth, it’s another thing to realize we really cannot stop it. But maybe we can control it on how they build it through the cities oversight of the projects and requirements that we’d place on them.  It’s a tricky thing, I know, and one I don’t take lightly.  

I appreciate all of you and please let me know what more I can do for you. I’d love to hear from you from anyone that may have questions. 

God Bless,

Aaron Rupe
Councilman Ward 2■