January 31, 2024
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:
Victory! New Subdivision Rules Passed Unanimously by City Council
Ominous Signs in New Recombination Proposal in Warren Ward
Another Win (For Now) - Historic Site and Monument Commission Unanimously Nixes "Tacky" SAV Sign in City Market
Civic Center Back on the Front Burner
NHL Status Not Improving - Just in Limbo
New NHL Application Sought by the Department of the Interior
Thank You - Matching Gift Proposal a Success
Monthly Oglethorpe Plan Coalition (OPC) Volunteers Meeting
Invite Us to Your Event for a Discussion of Hot Topics in the District
Victory! New Subdivision Rules Passed Unanimously by City Council
Thanks to the letters from supporters like you, on December 19, 2023, the City Council passed the long-awaited proposal for subdivisions and recombinations of lots in the Downtown Savannah National Historic Landmark District. We thank you for your efforts to help this new rule pass.
This new rule represents a win for all, creating greater transparency and public input into important land use decisions.
For background to why the proposal was generated, on September 26, 2022, the National Park Service, the division of the Department of the Interior that oversees National Historic Landmarks (NHLs), issued a letter to the Chatham County - Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission. The letter cited a proposed building at 336 Barnard St. as the type of project that in aggregate would pose a threat to the integrity of the Savannah Downtown NHL District. The proposed structure was a new building on the rear portion of a subdivided tithing lot. Because of the subdivision, the new building, which abutted the lane, no longer had to comply with the rules in the Ordinance limiting the height and other features of accessory lane structures. in addressing the importance of protecting the lanes, the NPS emphasized that “the discernability of the plan must be retained so residents and visitors are able to identify all the features that compose the Savannah Town Plan ... ”
Recombinations pose their own threats. The combination of lots has allowed the creation of large parcels, thereby creating opportunities for overscale monolithic buildings. In 2018, the NPS had conducted a detailed analysis of the integrity of the NHL District and had concluded that combinations of parcels for large buildings is one of the leading threats to the district. More recently, a recombination was the precursor to the permit for the commercial swimming pool at 3 West Perry St., which sparked a community outcry.
Starting in October 2022, the City established a working group of select stakeholders, including the OPC, who met periodically with the City to address ways to better regulate subdivisions and recombinations. The stakeholders quickly reached a consensus on several steps to take. Unfortunately, some of the recommendations have not yet been put forth to City Council. Nonetheless, the new rule signifies a first step in addressing the issue. This first step would not have occurred without the vigilant efforts of preservationists who identified subdivisions and recombinations as a threat to the Oglethorpe Plan.
Ominous Signs in New Recombination Proposal in Warren Ward
The public has expressed concern about a proposal for a lot recombination for 301 E. Bay Street that encompasses six tithing lots constituting 75% on the northwest tithing block of Warren Ward. Fortunately, the Metropolitan Planning Commission is recommending denial. The OPC likewise has expressed its objection.
The application was originally scheduled for a hearing on January 16, 2024 but was continued. It is tentatively scheduled be heard at the Planning Commission Tuesday February 6, 2024 at 112 East State Street at 1:30 PM. You can confirm date and time in about a week on www.thempc.org.
The subject lots lie in the tithing block bounded by E. Bay Street on the north and E. Bryan Street on the south, Habersham St. to the east and Lincoln Street to the west. Approximately half of the parcels, which are fully built up, are on the north side of E. Bay Lane and the other parcels, now mostly parking lots, are on the south side.
Recombinations are inconsistent with the Oglethorpe Plan's division of tithing blocks into 60 x 90 foot parcels. As stated in the prior article, recombinations are used to build out-of-scale buildings, such as large hotels, that hurt the integrity of the district. The lots appear to all be owned by 301 East Bay Ventures LLC, and the built up lots are the site of Staybridge Suites, suggesting a possible expansion of the hotel.
These parcels are located in Warren Ward. Both Warren and Washington Wards were established in the early 1790s. These wards are unique to Savannah, containing the largest number of eighteenth century dwellings. The neighborhood is residential in character with few large-scale structures.
Creating a combined lot for an overscale building would be a travesty in such an important and historical part of the district. While the status of all the National Historic Landmarks is currently on hold (see article on NHL status below), the NPS's last evaluation of Savannah's NHL in 2018 put it in the threatened category in part because of overscale development. This combination of lots would only make a bad situation worse.
Th OPC is reaching out to the developer to learn more about the plans and hopefully guide the developer towards a proposal that will maintain the district's integrity.
Another Win (For Now) - Historic Site and Monument Commission Unanimously Nixes "Tacky" SAV Sign in City Market
On December 14, 2023, the Historic Site and Monument Commission (HSMC) voted unanimously to deny approval for an inappropriate massive metal sign in City Market. Visit Savannah had proposed a five-by-thirteen-foot aluminum sign in the middle of West St. Julian Street. Visit Savannah is the largest business unit of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce and calls itself "the official destination marketing organization" for Savannah.
Shockingly, the Metropolitan Planning Commission supported the proposal, appearing to pretend that the SAV sign was not a sign because it is "public art." While it might or might not be art, it is clearly also a sign, and as such, it must comply with the sign rules in the Ordinance. In the hearing, the HMSC asked to see the insurance policy, which turned out to be insurance for a sign, embarrassingly undermining Visit Savannah's assertion it was not a sign.
In the view of the OPC, the sign, made up of three large channel (three-dimensional) letters "SAV," constitutes a "channel sign," which is prohibited under the Ordinance.
The HSMC was unwilling to address the illegality of the sign, but the HSMC did turn it down on the basis that it was inappropriate, and as one member stated, "tacky."
Many members of the public, at the urging of the OPC together with Scenic Chatham, wrote letters against the sign and/or came to the hearing to speak. The public outcry had a significant impact and contributed to the victory. Thank you.
Civic Center Back on the Front Burner
The future of the Civic Center and the Mercer Theatre is again on the front burner. This vast area, bounded by Oglethorpe Avenue on the north, Liberty Street on the south, Barnard Street 0n the east and Montgomery Street on the west was redeveloped in the 60s prior to historic restrictions. Many historic homes were destroyed for the site, and the Oglethorpe Plan's gridwork of streets was destroyed, with Elbert Square cut in half.
This travesty of 1960s Federally financed urban renewal made way for the construction of the Mercer Theatre and a connected arena. Although the theatre began with state-of-the-art acoustics, alterations over time severely compromised the acoustics.
In 2018, the Urban Land Institute recommended the restoration of the Oglethorpe Plan and the removal of the arena and theatre. City Council approved this recommendation. However, the current City Council is considering saving the theatre.
Questions abound. Is the theatre restorable and at what cost? Would a new theatre be more advisable? Should the land opened up by the removal of the I-16 overpass be used for a new building?
The Oglethorpe Plan Coalition recommends the full restoration of the streets and squares. We are engaging with numerous stakeholders to fully explore all the pertinent issues and solutions.
What do you think? Please let us know by emailing opc.preservation@gmail.com.
NHL Status Not Improving - Just in Limbo
Recent news reports have suggested that the Downtown Savannah National Historic Landmark (NHL) District is no longer rated as "threatened" because the City had improved the integrity of the district. The NHL status is assessed by the National Park Service (NPS), a division of the Department of the Interior. Contrary to these reports, the suspension of the endangered assessment is not the result of an improvement in the integrity of the district. Rather, the change results from the NPS placing all NHLs, not just Savannah, into "no category."
As the NPS has recently explained, "The National Park Service is currently evaluating the NHL condition monitoring program nationwide as part of its commitment to providing technical assistance in the form of helpful and constructive feedback to stewards of these nationally significant properties. As the NHL condition monitoring program is undergoing this reassessment, NPS is not currently updating or assigning condition categories to properties. As a result, NPS considers NHLs, including the Savannah NHL District, to be in no category during the program evaluation period."
The integrity of the district continues to deteriorate, with the OPC documenting the deterioration instance by instance. To imply the district's integrity is improving is misleading in our view.
New NHL Application Sought by the Department of the Interior
On December 8, 2023, the National Park Service (NPS), a division of the Department of the Interior, issued a letter to the City of Savannah to begin the process for Savannah to re-apply for recognition as Historic National Landmark (NHL) District. The criteria for NHLs has evolved since the original designation of downtown Savannah as an NHL in 1966, updated in 1985. Savannah needs to reapply and explain how its NHL qualifies under the updated criteria. The NPS also recommends expanding the NHL further south to encompass all of Forsyth Park.
The possible expansion of the NHL raises many questions. The 1966 designation was primarily based on the uniqueness of the Oglethorpe Plan, which arguably only extends southward as far as Gaston Street. The area encompassing Forsyth Park would need to fall under a different criterion.
This development is in its very early stages. Please let us know what you think.
Thank You - Matching Gift Proposal a Success
Late last fall an anonymous donor had agreed to donate $5000 conditioned upon another donor or group of donors contributing that amount. Soon after the announcement of the matching gift proposal, several donors stepped forward and made the fundraiser a success. Thank you.
If you would like to donate to our cause, please visit our GoFundMe page by clicking here.
Donation Acknowledgement Letters
We deeply appreciate all the help our supporters have given. The OPC has made efforts to send to each donor a letter acknowledging the donation. If you did not receive your letter, please let us know 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 a meeting on Sunday, February 4, 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 enjoy coming 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.