November 13, 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:
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.