NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. (WJBF) — A new development could be closer to reality in North Augusta. The planning commission recently discussed plans for the Highland Spring project.

“North Augusta is an amazing area to live,” Anna-Marie Boykin told NewsChannel 6’s Aiken Bureau Shawn Cabbagestalk about the area. You can consider her a cheerleader for North Augusta! She moved to the area about a year ago, and city leaders hope others will choose to call North Augusta home as well. “It’s a big community and a lot of housing project areas coming up and pine metal Parkway is a lot of traffic on it. It’s just steady growing all around,” Chuck Dixon added.

The plan for the Highland Springs community is not new, but the changes are. Now a golf course is no more. It was developed in 2001 before I-520 was added to the area.

“Moving to the area, it was harder for us to find housing. And so having new construction in the neighborhood and in the community is great because you’ve got the opportunity for more people to find homes in this really hard real estate market.” Boykin added.

The community will be inside I-520, Old Sudlow Lake, Belvedere Clearwater, and Ascauga Lake Roads. It’s about 1250 acres, with housing, commercial space, and green spaces with pedestrian and bicycle options. “Interconnectivity within the site, main access corridor going north to south, as you can see roughly mirroring five 20, an extension of five 20 connector into the site, which will serve some our dense commercial offering,” a developer said at a recent planning commission meeting.

There will also be a road connector where the construction of a school is happening. “The Highland middle school, elementary, it’s gonna be a lot of noise and a lot of traffic And the lighting and the noise from where I live, they built a brick cup wall right here, about 40 foot top. And it’s just gonna be lit up. It’s just gonna be a lot of noise,” Dixon shared. “With any sort of development, you’re going to have more traffic,” Boykin added.

It will be a phased development. It’s unclear which phase will begin first. Developers must make changes within the next 60 days to move forward. Designers are working on getting comments and feedback on the plan.

Meanwhile, Boykin says she’s excited about the new plans. “The more development, the more stuff we can get into the community, the better, you know, it’s just a wonderful place to live, work, and play.”