January 2, 2025
Dear Supporters,
Welcome to our newsletter, in which we will keep you up to date on our activities and other preservation news.
We Savannahians are witnessing a sustained degradation of the very qualities that make our Downtown Historic District unique and a national treasure. Ever more inappropriate development is proposed every few weeks. We at the Oglethorpe Plan Coalition, Inc. are dedicated to addressing these threats and protecting the Downtown Savannah National Historic District.
In This Issue:
- Year In Review: 2024 Sees Major Accomplishments for Preservation but Witnesses a Few Setbacks
- OPC Reveals Errors in Applying Staff Reviews
Street Talk
Preservation Alert Update: Overscale Hotel at 301 Tattnall Denied, Victory!
Roof Deck on Hull Street Halted for Now
Year in Review: 2024 Sees Major Accomplishments for Preservation but Witnesses a Few Setbacks
Accomplishments:
In 2024, the Savannah Downtown Historic District Board of Review (HDBR) made great strides in enforcing the terms of the ordinance that protects the Savannah Downtown Historic District. In prior years, the Ordinance was enforced inconsistently. In 2022, the HDBR was not even familiar with the terminology applicable to the Oglethorpe Plan, such as tithing lots. Because of our insistence that the HDBR follow the Ordinance through our testimony at almost every hearing in 2023 and 2024, the HDBR has been increasingly following the law as written.
Major accomplishments in 2024 included the HDBR’s acknowledgement that the visual compatibility rules override the height allowances. For example, if a developer plans to build a six-story hotel next to a historic two-story dwelling, the hotel may be limited to three to four floors. This is because the new building must be visually compatible with its neighbor in height, even if the maximum height allowed is six stories. In the past, the HDBR allowed new buildings to dwarf their historic neighbors.
Another victory was the acknowledgement by the HDBR that the visual compatibility test requires the comparison of a new building with the contributing (historic) buildings within view exclusively. Applicants have often cited buildings many blocks away, a practice which could justify almost any proposal.
The most recent victory was the enforcement of the prohibition of roof decks facing streets. Many neighbors suffer from late-night noise from (often unpermitted) rooftop party decks. See “On the Street,” below.
Expected improvements by the City in 2025 include a more transparent approach to staff reviews. These are approvals granted by the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) without a public hearing. From now on, in the Downtown Historic District such reviews will be limited to existing contributing buildings and cannot be used to approve new buildings. Additionally, the MPC has promised to post these publicly on its website. This will give adjacent property owners an opportunity to appeal any undesirable approvals to the Savannah Zoning Board of Appeals. For more details, see article on staff reviews, below.
Setbacks:
Unfortunately, one major setback this year was the City’s decision to drop its commitment to restore the entirety of the Oglethorpe Plan at the Civic Center site. In the late sixties, the City destroyed many blocks in the heart of the historic district in what was the single greatest act of destruction since the 1966 designation. Prior City Councils had agreed to a full restoration, but the present City Council does not value our history to the same extent. The OPC proposed directly to the City that the Mercer Theatre be rebuilt on City-owned property at 301 MLK Boulevard, a large parking lot next to the Visitors Center. Without explanation, the City refused to recognize this as a viable option, saying that it was not aware of any parcel that was available.
The OPC nonetheless continues to urge the City to reconsider its decision in light of the public’s support for the restoration. Our Change.orgpetition to restore the entirety of the Oglethorpe Plan has received over 500 signatures. [Link]. We believe the City has an obligation to preserve and restore the plan as previously agreed to maintain Savannah’s National Historic Landmark designation.
One other troubling pattern in HDBR hearings in 2024 was the reliance of the HDBR on empty promises by the applicants, especially when considering whether to allow the applicant to destroy protected historic features under the ruse that the change was “reversible.” One typical example was where an applicant, who intended to destroy historic fabric, promised to keep it “onsite” so that the alteration could be undone at some point in the future. Unfortunately, oral promises are typically unenforceable. When the applicant subsequently sells the property, the new purchaser is under no such obligation to retain historic materials or to return a property to its historic state. The only solution is to bind the applicant in writing with a covenant that runs with the land and is enforceable against subsequent owners.
Sadly 2025 will witness the construction of buildings that the HDBR approved in 2022 or before, i.e., that period when the HDBR was not consistently enforcing the Ordinance. One of these projects is the Amelia apartment building at the northeast corner of Lincoln Street and East Oglethorpe Avenue. This building towers over the three-story townhouse next door and the two-story dwelling to its north in defiance of visual compatibility of height and mass. Another regrettable building is the new hotel at 220 East Bryan Street, whose seven stories overwhelm the charming three-story building next door, home to Abe’s on Lincoln. These overscale buildings should not have been permitted, but now we will have to live with them without any means of redress for the damage they will inflict on the character of our neighborhood.
In 2025, the OPC will continue to fight to save the district. We appreciate your support and welcome your input.
OPC Reveals Errors in Applying Staff Reviews
For years, the MPC Staff has been providing staff reviews, which are approvals of changes that are determined by the MPC not to require the applicant to go to a hearing or post a notice. This process makes sense for minor changes, such as replacing a rotting window with an identically sized new window.
The Ordinance provides a specific set of minor changes that can receive staff reviews. However, these only apply to contributing buildings, which are buildings deemed worthy of saving. They do not apply to non-contributing buildings such as new construction, which often involves controversial applications, such as oversized hotels.
The MPC nonetheless has been applying the rules incorrectly, applying them to new construction and other noncontributing buildings. Thus, changes that should have been reviewed by the HDBR have been kept out of their hands and decided in a process that does not include a notice or a public hearing open to public testimony.
This is important because when the public weighs in on a controversial project, such as a new hotel, the public should be able to assume that the HDBR decision is final. However, if the MPC allows the applicant to subsequently tweak these designs without public input, the applicant will have managed to circumvent the public process.
On a positive note, the MPC Staff has acknowledged that their practices do not conform to the Ordinance and has indicated that its internal guidelines will be updated to properly reflect the Ordinance.
In addition, the MPC has promised to post staff reviews on their website as they become available. This will give an adjacent property owner who opposes a staff review the opportunity to file an appeal to the ZBA. The OPC applauds the correction in guidelines and the promise to increase transparency.
Street Talk:
Preservation Alert Update: Victory! On January 8, the Historic District Review Board (HDBR) denied the application for a massive hotel at 301 Tattnall Street. We extend our thanks to you supporters for sending in over 100 letters opposing this inappropriate proposal. In denying the hotel on visual compatibility grounds, the Historic District Review Board cited the large outcry from the community against this project. Congratulations to you for your activism and your success!
Our original alert from January 2, 2024 is below:
Preservation Alert: Overscale Hotel at 301 Tattnall Returns to HDBR
As we previewed in our October 8, 2024, preservation alert, an application to build a six-story hotel was presented at the HDBR on October 9, 2024. The height of the proposed building was multiples of the height of its two-and-three-story neighbors.
The OPC spoke forcefully against the hotel, as did many of the neighbors. The HDBR rejected the proposal and directed the applicant to redesign the building to be no more than three to four stories. This decision was a great win for preservation.
The applicant is appearing before the HDBR on Wednesday, January 8, at 1:00 PM at 112 East State Street with a revised design. Unfortunately, the design does not reflect the guidance of the HDBR to limit the height to only three to four stories. Below are the original (left) and the revised (right) designs. The OPC believes it is still too large in height and mass compared to the historic building seen to the left of the proposal.
Even if you have previously sent a letter on this project to the MPC, please do so again, prior to Monday January 6, 2025. Here is a sample letter:
Dear Mr. Mellon,
I hereby request that the HDBR deny the updated application for the hotel at 301 Tattnall Street because its height and mass is not visually compatible with that of the historic contributing buildings within view.
[signature]
Please send your letter to mellonj@thempc.org. In addition, please copy opc.preservation@gmail.com. Unfortunately, not all letters end up posted to the record. We would like to maintain an independent record in the event of future appeals.
Roof Deck on Hull Street Halted for Now
On December 11, 2024, the HDBR denied a special exception for a roof deck at 405 E. Hull St. This decision was largely based on letters from you and other members of the public opposing the proposed deck. Congratulations.
A rooftop deck facing a street is not permitted without a special exception. To obtain the special exception, the owner must prove that the deck would not, among other things, be detrimental to the welfare of the neighborhood. The pertinent part of the criteria provides, that the “special exception would not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, welfare, function, and appearance of the adjacent uses or general vicinity.”
Residents expressed concern about late-night noise from rooftop decks, especially those associated with STVRs. Residents noted that it is difficult to get Code Compliance to meaningfully address the situation.
While the current residents of 405 E. Hull may not themselves cause any problems, the deck is permanent, and one does not know who will occupy the property afterwards. It is worth noting that 405 E. Hull itself has been an owner-occupied STVR in the past.
The applicant may still pursue other remedies. The OPC will be watching closely.
The OPC welcomes any input on next steps to try to preserve this historic facade.
For more information on this proposal, see the OPC Newsletter dated September 29, 2024.
Monthly Oglethorpe Plan Coalition (OPC) Volunteers Meeting
The OPC is a volunteer group, and we want you! Please contact us at opc.preservation@gmail.com if you would like to get involved. We will have a meeting on Sunday, October 6, at 7PM. Please contact us at the above email with your contact information if you are interested in attending. Capacity is limited.
Invite Us to Your Event for a Discussion of Hot Topics in the District
The OPC would be glad to attend your event, be it a neighborhood association or other community group, to share our concerns and hear your views about the state of the historic district. Please reach out to us at opc.preservation@gmail.com.
November 13, 2024
Dear Supporters,
Welcome to our newsletter, in which we will keep you up to date on our activities and other preservation news.
We Savannahians are witnessing a sustained degradation of the very qualities that make our Downtown Historic District unique and a national treasure. Ever more inappropriate development is proposed every few weeks. We at the Oglethorpe Plan Coalition, Inc. are dedicated to addressing these threats and protecting the Downtown Savannah National Historic District.
In This Issue:
Community Engagement Plays Key Role in the Battle to Preserve the District
HDBR Undertakes Historic Preservation Training
Street Talk
Massive New Building on East Oglethorpe Dwarfs Its Historic Neighbors
Partial Demolition of Contributing Building on West Jones Street to Proceed
Huge Hotel at 301 Tattnall Street Faces Re-Design After Important Preservation Principles Affirmed
400 Block of Charlton and Macon Streets Protected from Unsightly Alteration
20-24 East Oglethorpe ContinuedEast Broughton Street Volunteers Hold Meeting with City on Streetscapes Design
Community Engagement Plays Key Role in the Battle to Preserve the District
Congratulations to all of you who are participating in the preservation process. Many of you voiced your opposition to the proposed oversized six-story hotel at 301 Tattnall. You and your neighbors sent over 70 letters in opposition, and many of you attended the HDBR hearing on October 9, 2024 to voice your opposition.
As a result, the Historic District Board of Review actually enforced the terms of the Zoning Ordinance and demanded that the developer redesign its proposal (more below).
In addition, you and your neighbors showed up at the HDBR to oppose an unsightly exterior elevator at 422 East Charlton Street, and your voices helped convince the HDBR to deny the proposal (more below).
These good outcomes show how important it is for all of us to be aware and engaged in the process.
The Oglethorpe Plan Coalition, Inc. is here to help you make your voices heard.
HDBR Undertakes Historic Preservation Training
On October 30, 2024, the MPC offered a course in historic preservation training for the City’s Review Boards and allowed the preservation community to attend.
Members of the OPC attended this training. The OPC enthusiastically supports this training.
Over the last almost two years the OPC has consistently called for enforcement of the Ordinance. The training clarified that the source of the HDBR’s authority comes solely from the Ordinance and that the HDBR must interpret the Ordinance according to its plain meaning without any bias in favor of the applicant.
Street Talk:
Massive New Building on East Oglethorpe Dwarfs Its Historic Neighbors
A new building, called the Amelia, is being constructed on the northeast corner of East Oglethorpe and Lincoln. This building, which is highly visible from as far away as Columbia Square and the Colonial Cemetery, is greater in height and volume that almost all of the buildings surrounding it. Other than this inappropriate newcomer, the remainder of the neighborhood is one of the most historic and well-preserved in Savannah, boasting such sites as the Davenport House and the Owens-Thomas Richardson House by William Jay.
The building rises five stories, adjacent to much smaller 3-story townhouses and across the lane from a two-story house.
Neighbors are deeply concerned about the loss of historic integrity to the area caused by the building. Passersby stare at it asking each other “How did that get there?” A review of the minutes of the HDBR dated August 10, 2022 seem to show that the Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) had worked with the developer and did not object to the building’s overall height and mass. Despite testimony from a neighbor concerned about the appropriateness of that mass in such a historical location, the HDBR approved the proposal’s height and mass. Residents now are in shock that the HSF, whom they thought would protect the area, instead acquiesced to this extremely inappropriate structure.
At the time of the approval, the OPC did not yet exist, not having been formed until 2023.
Partial Demolition of Contributing Building on West Jones Street to Proceed
On Thursday October 24, 2024, the City of Savannah Zoning Board of Appeals denied an appeal to overturn the COA for 201 West Jones, thereby allowing partial demolition and new construction to proceed. The OPC supported the appeal in order to save the integrity of the building, which is a contributing building in the Savannah Downtown National Landmark Historic District and dates from 1852.
This matter is important because there has been a profusion of similar additions proposed across the district. House flippers can now buy buildings, get COAs for additions, and likely resell for a higher price without even starting construction. We face the risk of a massive loss to the integrity of the district.
This building was featured on p. 52 of the National Park Service 2018 report on Savannah under "Threats to the Plan" in the discussion of overbuilding in back yards. (The photo mislabeled the side of the building as being on Bull; it is on Barnard Street). The photo showed the building at 201 West Jones as an example of what should be preserved.
Unfortunately, the COA allows for the demolition and obscuring of virtually the entire rear facade, much of which is visible from the street. Supporting this demolition project was the Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF), which claims it “Saves buildings, places….” and one of its former employees, a consultant to developers, who made ad hominem attacks against those of us trying to save the building.
The OPC welcomes any input on next steps to try to preserve this historic facade.
For more information on this proposal, see the OPC Newsletter dated September 29, 2024.
Huge Hotel at 301 Tattnall Street Faces Re-Design After Important Preservation Principles Affirmed
As we previewed in October 8, 2024 preservation alert, an application to build a six-story hotel was presented at the HDBR on October 9, 2024. The height of the proposed building was multiples of the height of its two-and-three-story neighbors.
The OPC spoke forcefully against the hotel, as did many of the neighbors. The HDBR rejected the proposal and directed the applicant to redesign the building to be no more than three to four stories. This decision was a great win for preservation.
Additionally, the HDBR took two important positions. First, it finally recognized (as the OPC had been arguing since its inception) that the visual compatibility test requires a comparison with the nearby contributing buildings, not cherry-picked buildings from many blocks away. This marks the first time that the HDBR has expressly followed the visual compatibility rule as it is written in the Ordinance.
Also of significance was the HDBR’s recognition that under the Ordinance, visual compatibility criteria override the height provisions in the design standards, including the height map and the bonus floor provisions. The HDBR concluded that there are places where a building that satisfies the height map and bonus floor requirements nonetheless cannot be approved because it does not pass the visual compatibility criteria.
400 Block of Charlton and Macon Streets Protected from Unsightly Alteration
As we reported in our October 8, 2024 Preservation Alert, an exterior elevator tower was proposed at 422 East Charlton, whose rear façade faces Macon Street. The elevator tower would have ruined the continuity of the rear facades of the entire row of houses backing onto the south side of Macon Street.
At the HDBR hearing on October 9, 2024, neighbors appeared and spoke forcefully in opposition. Although the Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) held an easement that allowed it to prohibit the tower, HSF came out in favor of the tower. The OPC opposed the tower. The HDBR listened to the public and the OPC and applied the Ordinance to conclude that the tower was not visually compatible.
This good outcome was another example showing how important it is for all of us to be aware and engaged in the process.
20-24 East Oglethorpe Continued
The developer of the six-story building proposed at 20-24 East Oglethorpe requested a continuance of its application while the project is undergoing a redesign to better comply with the Ordinance. The OPC is working with the owner and architects in an effort to ensure compliance.
Monthly Oglethorpe Plan Coalition (OPC) Volunteers Meeting
The OPC is a volunteer group, and we want you! Please contact us at opc.preservation@gmail.com if you would like to get involved. We will have a meeting on Sunday, October 6, at 7PM. Please contact us at the above email with your contact information if you are interested in attending. Capacity is limited.
Invite Us to Your Event for a Discussion of Hot Topics in the District
The OPC would be glad to attend your event, be it a neighborhood association or other community group, to share our concerns and hear your views about the state of the historic district. Please reach out to us at opc.preservation@gmail.com.
September 29, 2024
Dear Supporters,
Welcome to our newsletter, in which we will keep you up to date on our activities and other preservation news.
We Savannahians are witnessing a sustained degradation of the very qualities that make our Downtown Historic District unique and a national treasure. Ever more inappropriate development is proposed every few weeks. We at the Oglethorpe Plan Coalition, Inc. are dedicated to addressing these threats and protecting the Downtown Savannah National Historic District.
(Image from MPC Submittal Part 1 before HDBR October 9, 2024. Click image to view full submittal.)
In This Issue:
Street Talk
Successful Resolution for Endangered Jewish Cemeteries
Improved New Designs for 123 West Oglethorpe Win HDBR Approval
Planning Resumes for Massive Complex at Southeast Corner of East Broad and Gwinnett
Overscale Building Proposed for East Oglethorpe Avenue
East Broughton Street Volunteers Hold Meeting with City on Streetscapes Design
Deep Dive on 201 West Jones Street: Arbitrary Application of Ordinances Endangers the Historic District
Monthly Oglethorpe Plan Coalition (OPC) Volunteers Meeting
Invite Us to Your Event for a Discussion of Hot Topics in the District
Street Talk
In addition to large projects, the OPC also monitors changes to individual structures in the Historic District and its perimeter. Below is a recap of some notable items:
Successful Resolution for Endangered Jewish Cemeteries
In February of 2024, a developer proposed building a hotel between the two 18th century Jewish cemeteries on Cohen Street, west of MLK.
In the first half of September 2024, the owners of the cemeteries, Mickve Israel and the Trustees of the Mordecai Sheftall Cemetery, reached an agreement with the developer. Under this agreement, the developer agreed to a number of terms that help protect the cemeteries.
We commend the developer for reaching out to the owners and working successfully towards an amicable solution.
Improved New Designs for 123 West Oglethorpe Win HDBR Approval
In July 2024, the OPC objected to a proposed design for an addition to 123 West Oglethorpe. After the HDBR turned down that proposal, the developer reached out to the OPC. The developer and the architect understood our concerns and revised the design. The updated design sensitively respects the historic context of the new addition.
The revised design was approved by the HDBR on September 11, 2024.
Once again, we commend the developer for working with the community to achieve a solution.
Planning Resumes for Massive Complex at Southeast Corner of East Broad and Gwinnett
A new developer is putting forth the effort to develop the southeast corner. Earlier this year, the prior developer was denied a zoning change and subsequently abandoned their project.
The Metropolitan Planning Commission recently granted the developer two variances that will allow the developer to go forward with their planning of an apartment complex of 104-rooms and 8,000 Sq Ft of commercial space.
Since 2002, the location has been recognized nationally as part of Savannah’s Eastside Historic District with six contributing buildings on the National Register. However, the District is not recognized by the City. Despite not being required to save any of the buildings, the developer plans to move three of them to a location several blocks away. Salvaged materials from the other three buildings will be used to help restore the three workmen houses being moved. In addition, a landscaped garden is proposed for the footprint of Bethel AME Church, which was demolished December 2021.
The developer said it would involve the community as their plans develop. They acknowledged the limitations of the location and await data from engineer studies and City departments. The limitations include historic flooding, possible need for water retention system, the stability of the 1904 retaining walls of the subway under the railroad tracks, and traffic impacts of their projects.
Overscale Building Proposed for East Oglethorpe Avenue
On October 9, 2024, the HDBR is scheduled to vote on a proposed building on the northwest corner of Drayton Street and East Oglethorpe Avenue. A mid-century modern building will need to be demolished for the new building.
The proposed six-story structures is two stories taller than the two-to-four story nearby historic buildings on east Oglethorpe. The building features large glass windows that are inconsistent with the rhythm of the windows of surrounding structures.
The north side of East Oglethorpe is one of the most historic and picturesque vistas in the entire district and features such important structures as the Juliette Gordon Low House, the Ballastone Inn, the General Lachlan McIntosh home, the Conrad Aiken house and Mary Marshall Row.
The proposed building does not belong in such an important and historical location.
East Broughton Street Volunteers Hold Meeting with City on Streetscapes Design
On September 24, 2024, The E Bro Project ™ hosted a meeting to discuss the City’s plans to renovate East Broughton Street. The E Bro Project is a volunteer group of residents, owners, business and community groups interested in ensuring that the development of East Broughton Street is sensitive to its historic and residential character.
Attendees at the meeting included over 30 residents, businesses and owners as well as Alderwoman Alicia Miller-Blakely. Representing the City were Philip Kalogitonas, Savannah Capital Projects Liaison, and Bryon Stiles, Savannah Capital Projects, Streetscape Manager.
E Bro Project ™ spokesperson Andrew Jones presented concerns of the community, and the City representatives responded and answered questions. Concerns of the attendees included strong disapproval of the installation of benches and picnic tables and a concern over the placement of trashcans. Also of concern were the vegetative strips for which residents wanted assurance that the strips would be properly planted and maintained. The City representatives appeared receptive to possible adjustments.
If you are interested in volunteering for the E Bro Project ™, please contact us at opc.preservation@gmail.com and we will relay your contact information to the project spokespersons. In particular, residents have expressed an interest in conducting a tree survey. Please let us know if you would like to participate in that effort.
Deep Dive on 201 West Jones Street: Arbitrary Application of Ordinances Endangers the Historic District
After rejecting a proposal for demolition and new construction for 201 West Jones Street on three separate occasions, the Savannah Downtown Historic District Board of Review (HDBR) reversed course on August 14, 2024 and approved the proposal. In our view the HDBR did not properly apply the procedures and standards of the Zoning Ordinance and therefore failed to protect the integrity of the Historic District. Those standards included the Secretary of Interior Standards, Visual Compatibility Standards, the Design Standards and the rules for demolition.
The failures make this one of the most egregious decisions of the HDBR in recent memory, because this new decision opens the door to unrestricted demolition of substantial portions of contributing structures.
A neighbor has filed an appeal of the decision to the City of Savannah Zoning Board of Appeals. If you live nearby and oppose the decision, please let us know at opc.preservation@gmail.com.
The above is a summary. For more information on this issue, see the full article on this subject at the end of the newsletter, below.
Monthly Oglethorpe Plan Coalition (OPC) Volunteers Meeting
The OPC is a volunteer group, and we want you! Please contact us at opc.preservation@gmail.com if you would like to get involved. We will have a meeting on Sunday, October 6, at 7PM. Please contact us at the above email with your contact information if you are interested in attending. Capacity is limited.
Invite Us to Your Event for a Discussion of Hot Topics in the District
The OPC would be glad to attend your event, be it a neighborhood association or other community group, to share our concerns and hear your views about the state of the historic district. Please reach out to us at opc.preservation@gmail.com.
Deep Dive on 201 West Jones Street: Arbitrary Application of Ordinances Endangers the Historic District (full article)
Summary. After rejecting a proposal for demolition and new construction for 201 West Jones Street on three separate occasions, the Savannah Downtown Historic District Board of Review (HDBR) reversed course on August 14, 2024 and approved the proposal. In our view the HDBR did not properly apply the procedures and standards of the Zoning Ordinance and therefore failed to protect the integrity of the Historic District. Those standards included the Secretary of Interior Standards, Visual Compatibility Standards, the Design Standards and the rules for demolition.
The failures make this one of the most egregious decisions of the HDBR in recent memory, because this new decision opens the door to unrestricted demolition of substantial portions of contributing structures.
A neighbor has filed an appeal of the decision to the City of Savannah Zoning Board of Appeals. If you live nearby and oppose the decision, please let us know at opc.preservation@gmail.com
Background. On March 13, 2024, the HDBR considered an application for 201 West Jones Street, a Greek revival townhouse constructed in 1852 with a 3-story front portion and a 2-story rear section. According to the records of the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC), the rear portion, which had been modified over time, largely dates back to the date of the original structure. The side of the rear portion abuts Barnard Street, and the back is highly visible. The proposal included 1) the demolition of almost all of the rear portion and 2) the construction of a three-story structure attached to the remaining north portion.
At the March hearing, the HDBR voted to deny the proposal because “the project does not meet the Visual Compatibility Standards, is not appropriate in scale or massing, and due to the proposed removal of historic fabric.”
The mass of the proposed new construction would overwhelm the existing building and obscure the original south-facing upper floor of the front portion. The proposed mass is substantially greater than that of its neighbor and would hide that building from view from Barnard Street. This greater mass would result in a square footage of the proposed modified structure far greater than the majority of its neighbors.
On April 10, 2024, after a reconsideration requested by the applicant, the HDBR upheld its decision.
On May 8, 2024, the applicant submitted a modified proposal but did not materially change the overall scale of the new rear structure. The HDBR again denied the request, finding that “the work is not visually compatible and does not meet the standards, specifically for impacting historic features and seemingly not being reversible.”
The applicant then appealed the board’s decision to the City of Savannah Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) claiming that in the applicant’s opinion the project was visually compatible and that it did meet the design standards.
Despite the fact that appeals on the basis of visual compatibility are not permitted under the Zoning Ordinance (section 7.8.9), the City referred the appeal to the ZBA. On June 17, 2024, the ZBA then remanded the appeal back to the HDBR for clarification on the reasons for denial and to offer the applicant a chance to make modifications in order to resolve the visual compatibility problems.
On August 14, 2024, the HDBR held a hearing to address the ZBA's remand. The applicant offered options for exterior details but did not reduce the mass of the building. In an unexplained about-face, the HDBR did not address the terms of the ZBA remand but instead arbitrarily reversed its prior vote and approved the project on visual compatibility grounds.
Failing to Apply Proper Procedure. We argue that the City did not have the authority under the zoning ordinance to process an appeal application challenging the outcome of a visual compatibility decision (as opposed to an appeal claiming the HDBR did not properly apply the process for such decision). If the ZBA did not have authority under the law to hear such an appeal, the ZBA cannot have the legal authority to remand the issue to the HDBR.
Given that the HDBR had made a final decision at the May meeting, the applicant's only option should have been to submit a new application, not to appeal the matter to the ZBA.
Failing to Apply the Standards. Of the many standards that the HDBR failed to follow, we will highlight the demolition standards and visual compatibility. Please reach out to us directly for more details on how other standards were not followed.
We calculate that the rear portion of the building proposed to be demolished constitutes approximately 29% of the total contributing structure. The entire structure, however, including the rear portion, is a designated contributing building on the MPC Building Map Supplement. As such, the rear portion is protected as part of the contributing structure and can only be demolished if the applicant shows that the extension does not meet the criteria for a contributing building or if the applicant can argue undue hardship. In contrast with the case of 127 East Gordon Street, heard by HDBR on 14 June 2023, here the issue was not addressed. Why apply this standard to one application and not the other?
A second set of standards that were not followed are the visual compatibility criteria, which reference only buildings within view of the project under consideration and not buildings located far from the project under consideration. While the August HDBR hearing approved the proposal on visual compatibility grounds, HDBR could not cite which buildings near the project were visually compatible. Instead, one member improperly chose to site the examples from many blocks away.
Jeopardizing National Historic Landmark Status. In 2018, the National Park Service (NPS), which grades the integrity of the Savannah Downtown National Historic Landmark District, lowered its rating to threatened. The NPS report listed threats to the integrity of the district. One such threat was the filling in of the spaces between townhouses and their carriage houses. On page 52 of the report, the illustration of what should be savedwas an image of the Barnard Street side of 201 West Jones Street (although it was mislabeled as Bull St.). The image showed the main building, its historic rear section, the garden and carriage house. The historic rear section is what would be largely demolished under the proposal.
If the City is serious about maintaining its national landmark status, which is only temporarily in a suspended status and has not improved, it seems strange to permit the demolition of part of a structure the NPS cited as an example of what should be saved.
Setting a Negative Precedent. Finally, and most importantly, rules need to be followed. If not, as each building changes hands, the new owner will be permitted to destroy the rear facade and expand the building for monetary gain. The result would be the gradual destruction of historic rear facades and a permanent alteration of the character of the streets and lanes from which they are visible.
July 1, 2024
Dear Supporters,
Welcome to our newsletter, in which we will keep you up to date on our activities and other preservation news.
In this newsletter, we focus on the City's resolution to redevelop the Savannah Civic Center site and renovate the Johnny Mercer Theatre. The City's proposal stands in opposition to its obligation to fully restore the Oglethorpe Plan across the entirety of the Civic Center site. (Click for WTOC News segment.)
Please sign our Change.org petition.
Savannah City Council's Resolution on the Civic Center Falls Short of a Full Restoration of the Oglethorpe Plan and Needs To Be Reconsidered
On Thursday, June 27, 2024, the City Council of Savannah passed a resolution to direct Savannah’s City Manager and staff to proceed with the path of demolishing of the Civic Center Arena, renovating the Johnny Mercer Theatre, ballroom, and meeting rooms, and restoring as much of the Oglethorpe Plan as they deem feasible.
This outcome was not consistent with the position supported by the Oglethorpe Plan Coalition, Inc. (OPC). We had advocated for a new facility to be built on a city-owned property one block away, which would have allowed for the full restoration of the Oglethorpe Plan across the entire site, including the theater site. The full restoration of the plan is what we citizens are entitled to under Section 7.8.10 of the City of Savannah Zoning Ordinance, which explicitly requires new development to reconstruct the plan.
The City Council's resolution seemed like a rushed effort to suppress the growing support for building a new theater on a new location. No public input was permitted at the voting meeting, and the Council misunderstood the underlying facts, such as the availability of City-owned land where a theater could be constructed. Correcting this misunderstanding should become a priority.
Good government should aim to build consensus, finding solutions that benefit as many constituents as possible. These constituents include a multitude of civic interests, including all members of the public - not only the entertainment lobby but also, for example, the citizens who understand our duty to preserve the City's iconic and unique historic assets.
A new facility with a theater could satisfy the needs of the entertainment industry into the next century and do so better than a renovated Mercer Theatre, which will reopen with a lifespan of less than 50-years. Further, new construction tends to cost less than renovation. Private donors may think twice about contributing towards a short-lived and costly renovation.
Renovation projects rarely are completed on time or within budget, and this one will require shutting down the Mercer, meeting spaces, and ballroom for an unknown period of time. Constructing a new theater on a different site would allow the existing theater to provide a venue for events during the construction period of possibly several years.
The OPC had pointed out to the City and leaders in the entertainment industry that the City owns multiple sites for a new theater, including the large parking lot mentioned above, located one block away at 301 MLK Boulevard. This site is next to the Visitors Center, and it is large enough for a theater up to twice the size of the current one. MLK Boulevard is now the cultural corridor of Savannah, with over half a dozen cultural institutions, including the Civil Rights Museum, the Savannah History Museum, and the Ships of the Sea Museum.
In addition, 301 MLK Boulevard is in the historic district but is not in what is designated as the Oglethorpe Plan area. Building a new theater at this location therefore allows for the restoration of the Oglethorpe Plan. Thus, this solution helps to build consensus by acknowledging our duty as stewards of this internationally recognized treasure. This position has drawn broad support, including signatories to a Change.org petition supporting a new theater at a new site and the full restoration of the plan.
Placing a new theater on the edge of the historic district would also allow the traffic and parking demands generated by the facility to be intercepted before entering and flooding our pedestrian oriented area. Rather than wasting a portion of the valuable Oglethorpe Plan area on parking, a new parking facility could be constructed down the slope to the west of 301 MLK.
Although the OPC supported such a consensus building approach, the City leaders missed an opportunity to unite their constituents, and instead chose a direction that they knew and announced would not be satisfactory to many.
Throughout the process, the City seemed to unduly focus on the entertainment industry over all other interests, calling the industry the "arts community." The term 'art," however, has always included first and foremost the visual arts of painting, sculpture and architecture, which in turn includes civic planning. The Oglethorpe Plan with its beautiful squares draws millions of visitors from around the world, but it is also recognized in the world of art history as an outstanding example of civic planning inspired by the Roman architect Vitruvius, whom Oglethorpe himself had studied and quoted in his letters to the Trustees of the colony. Refusal to restore the entire plan in the name of promoting "art" doesn't make sense when we consider that one of our oldest and most famous works of art is the Oglethorpe Plan.
Leaders should protect the assets that make Savannah great. In 1966, the city gained the recognition as a National Historic Landmark, largely because of the Oglethorpe Plan. Just two years later, however, the City in an act of shortsightedness destroyed a large portion of the plan to build the Civic Center. This senseless act of destruction was the largest single loss to the integrity of the district in Savannah's history.
In just nine years we the City of Savannah, and the Oglethorpe Plan, will be 300 years old. The City Council, however, has forgone a once-in-a-century opportunity to celebrate our birthday with a new theater on MLK and a full restoration of the Oglethorpe Plan. We at the OPC hope that the City soon realizes the flaws in its resolution and moves in a direction that addresses the needs of the entire community and our duty to restore our historic assets.
Invite Us to Your Event for a Discussion of Hot Topics in the District
The OPC would be glad to attend to your event, be it a neighborhood association or other community group, to share our concerns and hear your views about the state of the historic district. Please reach out to us at opc.preservation@gmail.com.
Monthly Oglethorpe Plan Coalition (OPC) Volunteers Meeting
The OPC is a volunteer group, and we want you! Please contact us at opc.preservation@gmail.com if you would like to get involved. We will have our next meeting in August. Please contact us at the above email with your contact information if you are interested in attending. Capacity is limited.