Column: Economic development projects should fit the community

NIMBY.

That’s an acronym that stands for Not In My Back Yard, and it was very much in play in recent weeks as a poultry processing plant was proposed for our area.

Although NIMBY dates to the 1970s, it has gained traction in recent years as a term to describe those who are “in opposition to the location of something considered undesirable in one’s neighborhood.” At least that’s the most succinct definition I could find.

First described as Project Sunny, the proposal was for House of Raeford to locate a poultry processing plant near Exit 22 on Interstate 20. That’s a key entry point to Aiken.

The North Carolina-based company sought incentives for bringing its $185 million investment to Aiken County. It would employ 900 workers at a starting rate of $18 per hour.

Specifically, it wanted a fee in lieu of tax agreement and it wanted discounted water and sewer rates. These are standard operating procedures for bringing in large capital investments.

But as we reported, residents began to show up at Aiken City Council and Aiken County Council meetings to ask questions and voice their displeasure.

Officially, Aiken County Council didn’t take action on the second reading of the ordinance that would have provided a fee in lieu of tax agreement. That, according to County Council Chairman Gary Bunker, meant that “this ordinance is as dead as Marley’s ghost.”

And, as Bunker explained, another problem was with the available wastewater capacity. House of Raeford sought 1.7 million gallons per day, and the county only has about 300,000 to 500,000 gallons available. That math doesn’t add up.

Unofficially, it was clear that the public spoke up and the groundswell of opposition made a difference.

As Vice Chairman Andrew Siders told our reporter Dede Biles, “the overwhelming public outcry also factored into the decision.”

Not even a last-minute letter from S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster to Bunker could save it. He asked County Council to delay taking any action, but the motion to table it failed 7-2.

"It will have an estimated $1.6 billion economic impact to the region over five years and will produce 493 million pounds of poultry per year for the domestic food supply chain," McMaster wrote.

That’s all fine and dandy, and we should respect the economic development and elected officials whose job is to bring in new investments and jobs for our state. But, ultimately, County Council “clucked” at McMaster’s suggestion.

Residents who were concerned about the proposed plant raised some valid points. They were concerned about House of Raeford’s track record. Most of them aren’t anti-development, but they wondered if Aiken County couldn’t find a better partner.

A bunch of the folks who spoke out live on the Northside of Aiken, but I understand plenty of others showed up from other parts of the county.

I get it. I wouldn’t want to live downwind from a poultry plant, either. A few years ago, my wife and I decided to move out of our subdivision because we could see that growth, both homes and businesses, was coming that way. We wanted to be closer to town, too. Now, we joke about how far that house was out on Whiskey Road.

In this day and age, it’s easy to sit back and snipe at government bodies and elected officials through social media. County Administrator Brian Sanders said Tuesday night’s meeting was the biggest crowd he had seen at a council meeting since the 1990s. It was standing room only.

That’s impressive that enough people cared to go out and have their presence felt and their voices heard.

I suppose House of Raeford could still locate in Aiken County, but it seems unlikely without the water and sewer needs being met or getting a tax advantage.

I think a lot of us like to eat chicken. We just don’t necessarily want it to come from our backyard.

Thanks for reading.